The greatest skating race : a World War II story from the Netherlands / Louise Borden ; illustrated by Niki Daly.
Two children escape to Belgium by ice skating past enemies.
Record details
- ISBN: 0689845022
- ISBN: 9780689845024
- Physical Description: 44 pages : color illustrations, color map ; 23 x 28 cm
- Publisher: New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, [2004]
- Copyright: ©2004
Content descriptions
General Note: | Publisher, publishing date and paging may vary. |
Citation/References Note: | The Horn Book, September 2004 Kirkus, September 15, 2004 Booklist, October 01, 2004 The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January 2005 School Library Jl. starred, December 2004 |
Target Audience Note: | 009-013. BTSB. NC750L Lexile |
Study Program Information Note: | Accelerated Reader MG 4.9 1.0 78014. Accelerated Reader AR MG 4.9 1 78014. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | World War, 1939-1945 > Juvenile fiction. Skating > Juvenile fiction. Netherlands > History > German occupation, 1940-1945 > Juvenile fiction. |
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marshall Public Library | JF HIST BOR (Text) | 33391000134620 | Juvenile Fiction | Available | - |
The Greatest Skating Race : A World War II Story from the Netherlands
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Summary
The Greatest Skating Race : A World War II Story from the Netherlands
"You're a strong skater, Piet, and you have a quick mind. This is why I know you'll succeed in this important task. I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't know it could be done." In 1941 Piet, a young Dutch boy from Sluis, gets the assignment of a lifetime: He must skate along the frozen canals of the Netherlands and across the Belgian border, in order to guide two neighborhood children to their aunt's house in Brugge, where the children will remain for the duration of World War II. Their father has been taken by German soldiers, and the children are no longer safe in Sluis -- but the journey with Piet, past soldiers and enemies, is fraught with danger. Along the treacherous path to Belgium the three children skate using every bit of speed, courage, and strength they can muster. All the time they try to appear like innocent schoolchildren simply out for a skate, for if the German soldiers discover their escape plan, the children will be in grave trouble. During the journey Piet thinks about his hero, Pim Mulier -- the first person to ever skate the Elfstedentocht, the famous and prestigious Eleven Towns Race that takes place in his country. For years Piet has dreamed of proving that he is a skater as brave and strong as Pim Mulier -- but he had never imagined that his test would fall under such dangerous circumstances. Louise Borden's moving text captures all the tension, excitement, and fear that comes with Piet's mission, while Niki Daly's evocative illustrations bring the children and their perilous journey into vivid focus.