Book Descriptions
for When the Wall Came Down by Serge Schmemann
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Serge Schmemann was the Bonn (Germany) bureau chief for the New York Times in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This riveting account of the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, provides both historical and political context for the event that changed the world. Schmemann weaves a cogent account of the rise and fall of communism in Eastern Europe into a commentary that captures the excitement and frenzy surrounding the Wall’s fall, which he witnessed firsthand, as well as the challenges that a reunified Germany faced. Numerous photographs and original New York Times articles written by Schmemann and others before, during, and after the fall are also featured, along with a helpful timeline and extensive list of articles for further reading. (Age 11 and older)
CCBC Choices 2007 . © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2007. Used with permission.
From The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY)
This compelling, first-person narrative recounts the events leading up to the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961 and its fall in 1989. Well-chosen articles and black-and-white and color photographs from the archives of the New York Times bring the story to life. Maps, a time line of twentieth-century events, suggestions for further reading, and an index supplement the text. NYPL Books for the Teen Age. The author received a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting of the reunification of Germany.
Originally published by Kingfisher Great Britain, in 2006.
Bridges to Understanding: Envisioning the World through Children's Books. © USBBY, 2011. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Through a special collaboration with The New York Times, Kingfisher Publications is pleased to present a new way to learn about the events and concepts that define our world. Gripping first-person narratives, written by veteran New York Times journalists, bring history and current events to life for young readers. Full-colour illustrations, photographs and sidebars explain key concepts, and historical articles from the archives of The New York Times place events in the global context. This compelling account carries readers back to Berlin, Germany, in 1991. From the moment his East German assistant bursts into his West Berlin office to tell him that the wall is open, Serge Schmemann is in the thick of things, taking readers along as he witnesses the celebration when the wall is opened and the dramatic changes that follow. From this unique perspective readers learn about the wall, its formation, and what it symbolized to the world, and rejoice along with the residents of Germany when they are finally able to reunite with their brothers across the wall.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.