Stretching from 1948
to 1989, Life Behind the Wall, tells the story of three generations
of one family caught up in the turmoil in Berlin after World War II.
The book consists of three self contained stories set in different
time periods.
In the first story,
Candy Bomber, Erich Becker, a thirteen-year-old boy is trying to help
his family, particularly his grandmother, survive. Food is scarce and
Erich is willing to dare sneaking into the American compound to steal
food.
The second story,
Beetle Bomber, features Erich's younger sister. Sabine walks using
crutches because of contracting polio. She wants a place of her
own and finds a disused bunker. As the Berlin Wall goes up the
thoughts of many in East Berlin turn to escape.
In the third story,
Smuggler's Treasure, Sabine's thirteen-year-old daughter smuggles
Bibles into East Berlin. In this story, the wall comes down, and we
experience all the pent up emotion of the Berliners.
I highly recommend
this book for middle grade students. The stories focus on heroic
adventures appropriate for young teens. The main character in each is
a boy or girl thirteen-years-old. This makes it easy for young
readers to identify with the main character and vicariously live the
adventure.
The stories are
historically accurate and are an excellent way to introduce young
readers to an important era in world history. Although the stories
have a religious undertone, it is not preachy, but more an expression
of the characters' way of life.
I reviewed this book
for BookLook Bloggers.
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