This is set in 1961 in Berlin. It’s about friendship. Bravery… and a cat named (rather extraordinarily) Otto – why that is a name of note you will understand if you read the next review (Sweet Skies / Robin Scott-Elliott) This a story of the Berlin Wall. A phrase that is evocative – a story in itself. A tale of two friends split by barbed wire and then a wall. A tale of bravery, or foolhardiness – depending you your view. It is a tale that is factional – it is a reflection of everything that happened in 1961 in Berlin. 1961 – a year after my sister’s birth. Somehow that makes it all the more real. Approximately 5,000 people managed to escape to West Berlin – more than 600 of them died either directly or because of their attempt to escape. Another Dan Smith book – another Sue Stupendous from this extraordinary author.

'The Wall Between Us' is sharp, tense and thrilling. It's one of those books that is so absorbing that it's impossible to put down. Written in the form of diaries, letters, interview transcripts and newspaper articles, it offers a fascinating insight into the terror and growing divisiveness caused by the building of the Berlin War. At its centre, are two young girls whose friendship is literally severed by the emergence of barbed-wire and then the wall itself between them. Somehow, Dan Smith creates compelling historical alchemy here because the huge scope of feeling of this time  - 1961 - wields a vivid, horrifying narrative power, while the book remains small with compact chapters and fragments. As a teacher, this format is exciting and palatable for young readers, offering shifts in perspectives on an era of history perhaps sometimes forgotten. As an exploration of literary structures and authorial voices, it's really, really interesting too and something to deconstruct and explore. But, above all, Dan Smith has written a really thrilling story. I loved Anja and Monika and really felt their desperation and really rooted for them. The ways they discover to communicate with each other is really clever, but the more they do the more suspenseful the story gets. With spies and the Stasi police a sinister presence, the story ramps up to a nail-biting conclusion with shocks and surprises too.  At its heart, this is about these two brilliant young girls and their yearning for friendship, for communication, when history is very much against them. But its also a profound and necessary story of hope; that all the walls that divide us will eventually one day fall - and let's not forget that. I love Dan Smith's historical books for children, but with 'The Walls Between Us' he has excelled, marking himself out as a daring, intelligent and fascinating author. This is different and surprising - I highly recommend it for children in Upper Key Stage 2 and early secondary school. Excellent.

Another Brilliant Read from Dan Smith! Dan Smith is an automatic buy and straight to the top of the to be read towers. We had the pleasure of hosting Dan in Waterstones Durham yesterday, so bought the latest book - signed & dedicated and read it as soon as I got home! The setting is 1961 Berlin, a wall is being built that will separate families, friends and it will remain in place for about 28 years! Can you image if that happened where you live? What extent would you go to in order to see your friends, to keep in touch with them? What dangers await those who attempt to see family and friends on the other side of the wall? This is a gripping, historical adventure which I absolutely recommend to all age 8 to 128! Dan is a fantastic author of children's and adult thrillers - certainly worth checking out his books.