Kinderland: A Childhood in East Berlin

This is mostly a fairly standard school daze comedy/drama, with bullies, some family tension, teacher and report card problems, friendship and loyalty issues, and the other sorts of seventh grade topics you encounter in such books. Mirco is a reasonably engaging hero, and there are some nice set pieces and humorous incidents, all in a setting that feels reasonably authentic.There is a lot of ping pong, but you get a lot of sports in school books, (baseball in America, football in France, rugby and cricket in the Commonwealth),and the central role of ping pong in East German school sports was an interesting surprise. And that's really where the fun is here - all of the realistic East German background. The actual fall of the Berlin Wall happens at the end of the book and comes up out of nowhere, but before you get to that you get a real sense of daily life - the dynamic behind the Young Pioneers youth movement, collecting recyclables for spare change, hoping for packages from the west, going on family outings, trading black market western cultural items like music albums, waiting in lines for scarce goods. All of that is blended seamlessly into Mirco's story and gives one a bit of an East German, (circa 1989), taste of culture and society. (There is an especially informative glossary at the end of the book that further describes some aspects of life and explains some slang and shorthand terms, and that was both entertaining and educational.)So, the characters develop over time and increasingly engage our interest. The plot, as such, isn't especially gripping. The drawing complements the storytelling without getting in the way. The setting is novel and, from the current vantage point, Euro-exotic. This struck me as an interesting and sneakily accomplished find.(Please note that I received a free advance will-self-destruct-in-x-days Adobe Digital copy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

A friend of mine gave me this book for Xmas, as I have an interest in the GDR. I really enjoyed it. I think it's a very interesting & refreshing concept, to explain history through the perspective of a child. There is a genuineness to it. A realism & clarity that you won't find in the normal history books. I also thought it was informative, & I enjoyed the sense of humor that was woven throughout.I think it is very relatable. There's the school bullies, the abrasive teacher, the outsider, the "teachers pet" (Angela Werkel), etc. So, it will likely also remind you of your own personal history. This allows you to place yourself in the story.In the back there is a glossary which explains various terminology that may be unknown to somebody who didn't grow up in the GDR. This is funny & informative at the same time. The artwork is really cool too. I'd certainly recommend it.