A Night Divided

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen tells the story of Gerta, a Berliner whose family is divided by the Berlin wall overnight. Gerta and her mother struggle emotionally as they realize her father and brother have been trapped in West Berlin, apart from the rest of the family--possibly forever.

A Night Divided is historical fiction, and deals wonderfully with a part of 20th century history that is often overlooked in children's fiction. The book is best for grades 6+, owing to adult themes like separation and political intrigue.

Activities

1. Building the wall. Divide the class in half, and spend half of the school day in different classrooms with different teachers. When you come back together, discuss what felt different, what the experiences were, and what it's like to be separated from people you know. 
2. Imagine. What would happen if your family was divided in half overnight? Write about what you would feel, the questions you would have, and what you might tell your family when you reunite after separation.
3. Compare and Contrast. Make a list: One column for West Berlin and one for East Berlin. List things in each column that make them different throughout the course of the book. What do they have in common? How do they change after the wall is put up?
4. Take a map of your town. Draw a line through half of it. With your house on one side, what would happen if you weren't allowed to go to the other side? Would you still go to the same school? The store? What would you miss? Would your friends be on the same side? 
5. If you were to be separated from one of your friends for ten years starting tonight, what would you say to them before they left? Write them a letter that they can keep from you for the next ten years. 

This book intrigued me immediately, and is near and dear to my heart owing to my own heritage and the struggles my family faced under communism in the 20th century. Gerta is wonderfully written, and Nielsen pinpoints many of the feelings described by my own family in feeling isolated, afraid, and worrying every day with the constantly changing political landscape. Similar books include The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker, another tale of 20th century historical fiction, Number The Stars by Lois Lowry, describing the struggle of a Dane and a Jewish Dane in WWII, and This Side of Home by Renee Watson.

Bibliography

Nielsen, Jennifer. A Night Divided. (2015) Scholastic Press.