Cloud and Wallfish

Gr 4–8—Apart from what he refers to as his "Astonishing Stutter," Noah is an average kid, with loving parents and a nice home in Oasis, VA—until his parents inform him that his real name is Jonah, his 11th birthday has not yet happened, and the family is leaving immediately for East Berlin, behind the Iron Curtain, so that his mother can study children with speech impairments. There, Noah struggles to fit in at school. His friendship with neighbor Claudia offers a diversion, and life gets exciting as as Noah begins to wonder who his parents really are. While some aspects of the story demand a leap of faith, Nesbit has crafted a wonderful story of friendship, loyalty, and personal identity against a backdrop of everyday life in the German Democratic Republic just before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Will Ropp voices the characters brilliantly; each is distinguishable, and their emotions and personalities are aptly conveyed.