Cloud and Wallfish

This intricate historical fiction novel plunges readers into the tense atmosphere of Cold War East Berlin through the eyes of Noah, an eleven-year-old boy whose parents suddenly change his name and identity. As "Jonah Brown," he grapples with a new life filled with strict rules, constant surveillance, and his parents' mysterious activities. The story explores themes of identity, trust, friendship, and bravery as Noah seeks answers, all while dealing with his own stutter and finding connection with a lonely girl named Cloud. It's a compelling read for middle-grade children interested in history, mystery, and personal resilience.

"Slip behind the Iron Curtain into a world of smoke, secrets, and lies in this stunning novel where someone is always listening and nothing is as it seems. Noah Keller has a pretty normal life, until one wild afternoon when his parents pick him up from school and head straight for the airport, telling him on the ride that his name isn't really Noah and he didn't really just turn eleven in March. And he can't even ask them why, not because of his Astonishing Stutter, but because asking questions is against the newly instated rules. (Rule Number Two: Don't talk about serious things indoors, because Rule Number One: They will always be listening). As Noah, now "Jonah Brown," and his parents head behind the Iron Curtain into East Berlin, the rules and secrets begin to pile up so quickly that he can hardly keep track of the questions bubbling up inside him: Who, exactly, is listening and why? When did his mother become fluent in so many languages? And what really happened to the parents of his only friend, Cloud-Claudia, the lonely girl who lives downstairs? In an intricately plotted novel full of espionage and intrigue, friendship and family, Anne Nesbet cracks history wide open and gets right to the heart of what it feels like to be an outsider in a world that's impossible to understand. "--Supplied by publisher.