Hi, I am reading the Greatest Skating Race to our GR Montessori students grades 1 to 3 over a few weeks. History and adventure is mixed to create an exciting class. Paul
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 neig "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. ...more
Hardcover, 48 pages
Published October 1st 2004 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
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