Mary Helen Sheriff (Children's Literature)
It is 1961 in East Berlin and Heidi’s having a tough summer. Her mother is pregnant, so her family cannot take their annual vacation to her grandparents’ farm. Her best friend, Petra, has found a new friend, and the two just are not getting along like they used to. And she is skipping her youth group’s trip to the lake because of a newfound fear of water. All of this pales when the neighborhood and the police begin to harass her father because he is working in West Berlin while enjoying the benefits of East Berlin. Finally, frustrated by East Berlin’s job market and its “ideal” society, Heidi’s family decides to escape to West Berlin. Only the plan falls apart when Heidi’s grandfather dies, and her mother goes into labor early. Heidi has to cross alone. The author has set her coming of age tale in a time and place rife with tension. By using Heidi as a filter for complex socialist theories, Dahlberg does a nice job of explaining their pros and cons to her readers. The book has an anti-socialist leaning with which some might disagree. However, it is well-done and historically supported. This book would be an excellent supplement to a study of the Cold War or economic systems. 2004, Farrar Straus and Grioux, $16.00. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 19))
East Berlin, 1961. Political and social strife run rampant. For 13-year-old Heidi Klenk and her family, life is becoming increasingly difficult. Her dad's a "border crosser"-someone who lives in the East but works in free West Berlin; as a result, the family's facing harsher government crackdowns. Then comes the shocking news that her parents are making secret plans to flee to the West. Heidi must fetch her grandmother by herself and, when they become separated, must face her terror of swimming-her only means of access to the other side. Many young readers will find it hard to imagine the constraints and privations of such a life. Alas, Heidi's plight should be more gripping and involving. Adding to the disappointment is the lack of an afterword to place in context a period that will seem like ancient history to the audience for which this is intended. Heidi's a relatable character, and her story should be more so. 2004, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 192p, $16.00. Category: Fiction. Ages 10 up. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January 2005 (Vol. 58, No. 5))
Heidi has spent her entire thirteen years in a divided Berlin, and she's accustomed to life in the East under friendship with the Soviet Union. 1961 brings increasing tension between East and West, however, with those who commute to West Berlin, like Heidi's father, pressured to take whatever work, however poorly paid or equipped, that East Berlin offers, and rumors abounding of plans to build a division between West and East. Heidi's parents' plans for the family's escape to West Berlin are thrown into confusion when Heidi's stepgrandfather dies; Heidi's father and mother cross to the West with the intention that Heidi and her grandmother will follow after the funeral, but the sudden erection of the new guarded fence (a precursor to the wall) between the sides of the cities leaves Heidi and her grandmother with the challenge of making it to the West on their own. Many young readers won't be familiar with the historical division of Germany and Berlin, and Heidi's viewpoint effectively conveys the reality of life in an increasingly authoritarian East Berlin without foregoing common teen concerns of friends and fashion; it's particularly authentic that Heidi thinks with angry satisfaction of how sorry her estranged friend will be when Heidi's family has gone. The approach is old-fashioned, however, with a main plot predictable from start to finish (the Nancy-Drew-style cover is actually a fair representative), and the secondary plot strands, especially that of Heidi's fear of water, are contrived and unnecessary; it's also too bad there's no historical note or further reading for kids unfamiliar with the larger Cold War picture. Nonetheless, the novel treats a dramatic time in history, and it will enlighten contemporary youngsters about divisions of the past that may have influenced their own family's experiences. Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, Farrar, 179p, $16.00. Grades 5-8.

Jewell Fine (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 17, No. 4))
It’s the summer of 1961, and Heidi Klenk has just turned thirteen. Her father works in West Berlin, and they live in East Berlin. The times are changing in Heidi’s world. There is talk of war and the East and West being separated forever by a great wall. Heidi’s parents decide to plan for a better life in the West. The only problem is they must figure out an escape plan. There is talk that the borders are going to be closed any day. Heidi’s mother is expecting, and her father is beginning to be called a traitor because he works in the West. The family must make their move, and fast. This means leaving friends, other family members, and personal belongings to start a new life in the West. Readers will want to follow Heidi and her family on their journey to freedom. It’s a great sacrifice to leave one’s loved ones and belongings behind to start a new life of freedom from persecution. It would be helpful if the reader knows a little bit of the history from Germany during the early 1960s. Fiction. Grades 3 and up. 2004, Farrar Straus Giroux, 179p., $16.00. Ages 8 up.

Mary Ann Capan (VOYA, February 2005 (Vol. 27, No. 6))
Tensions are running high during the summer of 1961 in East Berlin. The weather is especially hot, and there are food shortages and rumors that the border between East and West Berlin will soon be closed. Thirteen-year-old Heidi is quite disappointed that the family's annual vacation to her grandparents' farm has been cancelled. When she quarrels with her best friend Petra, they stop speaking. Heidi is also upset that her father is being harassed because he is a border crosser-someone who lives in the East but works in the West. Determined to visit her grandparents, Heidi comes up with a plan that involves her traveling alone. When she approaches her parents, they confess that they have made arrangements to flee East Berlin. The plan unravels when Heidi's mother goes into labor and her grandfather unexpectedly dies. At the end, Heidi's parents are safe in West Berlin, but Heidi and her grandmother are caught on the East side just as the border closes. In a riveting climax, Heidi must trust her estranged friend Petra to get across the border. This memorable book is perhaps the first historical fiction story for youth set during this era. The authentic re-creation of the setting along with credible, realistic characters and a suspenseful and fast-paced plot will satisfy even the most reluctant readers. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2004, Farrar Straus Giroux, 192p., $16. Ages 11 to 14.