Over and Out

by Jenni L Walsh (Author)

Over and Out
Reading Level: 6th − 7th Grade
Perfect for fans of Alan Gratz and Jennifer A. Nielsen, a gripping and accessible story of a young girl from Cold War East Berlin who is forced to spy for the secret police... but is determined to escape to freedom.

Sophie has spent her entire life behind the Berlin Wall, guarded by land mines, towers, and attack dogs. A science lover, Sophie dreams of becoming an inventor... but that's unlikely in East Berlin, where the Stasi, the secret police, are always watching.

Though she tries to avoid their notice, when her beloved neighbor is arrested, Sophie is called to her principal's office. There, a young Stasi officer asks Sophie if she'll spy on her neighbor after she is released. Sophie doesn't want to agree, but in reality has no choice: The Stasi threaten to bring her mother, who has a disability from post-polio syndrome, to an institution if Sophie does not comply.

Sophie is backed into a corner, until she finds out, for the first time, that she has family on the other side of the Wall, in the West. This could be what she needs to attempt an escape with her mother to freedom -- if she can invent her way out.

Jenni L. Walsh, author of I Am Defiance, tells a page-turning story of a young girl taking charge of her own destiny, and helping others do the same, in the face of oppression.

Select format:
Hardcover
$18.99

Review quotes

Praise for Over and Out:

A Junior Library Guild selection

"Filled with adrenaline-inducing action and inspired by true stories, this novel evokes the perils of life in East Berlin and the risks some took in search of something better. The ingenuity Sophie and Katarina display in overcoming obstacles is compelling, and the no-win situation Sophie finds herself in rings painfully true. Page-turning action and dangerous intrigue fuel this Cold War-era novel." — Kirkus Reviews

Jenni L Walsh
Jenni L. Walsh's passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and newfypoo. She also writes historical fiction for adults and children. Learn more about Jenni and her books at jennilwalsh.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338775785
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Scholastic Press
Publication date
March 01, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV016080 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Military & Wars
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
JUV016040 - Juvenile Fiction | Historical | Europe
JUV036020 - Juvenile Fiction | Technology | Inventions
JUV076000 - Juvenile Fiction | Spies & Spying
Library of Congress categories
History
Escapes
20th century
Historical fiction
Germany
Neighbors
Inventors
Berlin (Germany)
Berlin
Germany (East)
1945-1990
Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany, 1961-1989
Children of parents with disabilities
Parents with disabilities

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