A Night Divided

Brief Description: When the Berlin Wall went up overnight, Gerta, her mother, and her brother Fritz are trapped on the eastern side where they were living, while her father, and her other brother Dominic are in the West--four years later, now twelve, Gerta sees her father on a viewing platform on the western side and realizes he wants her to risk her life trying to tunnel to freedom. Review Quotes: Praise for the Ascendance Trilogy A "New York Times" Notable Children's BookA "Publishers Weekly" Best Book of the YearA Chicago Public Library "Best of the Best" Children's BookA Cybils Award Winner "A page-turner." -- "The New York Times Book Review""Sage proves to be a compelling character whose sharp mind and shrewd self-possession will make readers eager to follow him into a sequel." -- "Wall Street Journal""A swashbuckling origin story . . . chock-full of alluring details for adventure-loving boys." -- "Los Angeles Times""An impressive, promising story." -- "Publishers Weekly," starred review"A fast-paced and thrilling read with twists and turns that never let up." -- "School Library Journal""Gripping." -- "Kirkus Reviews""Should appeal to fans of . . . Suzanne Collins. . . . A sure-fire mix of adventure, mystery, and suspense." -- "The Horn Book"Biographical Note: Jennifer A. Nielsen is the acclaimed author of the "New York Times" and "USA Today" bestselling Ascendance Trilogy: "The False Prince," "The Runaway King," and "The Shadow Throne." She has also written The Underworld Chronicles, a humorous middle-grade fantasy series. Jennifer lives in northern Utah with her husband, their three children, and a perpetually muddy dog. Publisher Marketing: From NYT bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen comes a stunning thriller about a girl who must escape to freedom after the Berlin Wall divides her family between east and west. With the rise of the Berlin Wall, twelve-year-old Gerta finds her family suddenly divided. She, her mother, and her brother Fritz live on the eastern side, controlled by the Soviets. Her father and middle brother, who had gone west in search of work, cannot return home. Gerta knows it is dangerous to watch the wall, to think forbidden thoughts of freedom, yet she can't help herself. She sees the East German soldiers with their guns trained on their own citizens; she, her family, her neighbors and friends are prisoners in their own city. But one day, while on her way to school, Gerta spots her father on a viewing platform on the western side, pantomiming a peculiar dance. Then, when she receives a mysterious drawing, Gerta puts two and two together and concludes that her father wants Gerta and Fritz to tunnel beneath the wall, out of East Berlin. However, if they are caught, the consequences will be deadly. No one can be trusted. Will Gerta and her family find their way to freedom? Review Citations:

Publishers Weekly 06/01/2015 (EAN 9780545682428, Hardcover)

Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2015 (EAN 9780545682428, Hardcover)

School Library Journal 07/01/2015 pg. 80 (EAN 9780545682428, Hardcover)

Booklist 08/01/2015 pg. 68 (EAN 9780545682428, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Nielsen, Jennifer A Jennifer A. Nielsen is the author of The Underworld Chronicles, a humorous middle-grade fantasy series. She collects old books, loves good theater, and thinks that a quiet afternoon in the mountains is a nearly perfect moment. She lives in northern Utah with her husband, their three children, and a perpetually muddy dog.