Bibliography
Borden, L. (2004). The Greatest skating race. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Summary of the Plot
1941 Sluis is an unsafe place for the Dutch people who live in this community. For two children it is even wrought with more danger since their father has been taken by the German soldiers. Piet, a young Dutch boy from their community is asked to escort the two children along the frozen canals of the Netherlands and across the Belgium border to safety at their aunt’s house in Brugge.
Even though the three children appear to be innocent school children just having an enjoyable day of skating, they are using every bit of speed, courage and strength that they have to avoid being found out by the Germans. As Piet is leading the children through the frozen countryside he thinks about his hero, Pim Mulier – the first person to ever skate the Elfstedentocht, the Eleven Towns Race that takes place in this country. Piet is bent on proving that he is just as strong and brave skater as his hero Pim Mulier.
Vi's Vibes
What a heartwarming story this was for the reader. A young boy faces his fears to take his friends to safety in a different area. I cannot imagine the physical toll but also the mental anguish that he had as he skated from his home to where he was going to leave his friends. This is an awe inspiring tale for students to read that he followed through with what he said he was going to do.
Reviews
Gr 2-5 -This slice of historical fiction celebrates the bravery and resourcefulness of children. In the winter of 1941, 10-year-old Piet, a strong skater, is enlisted to lead his two young neighbors from Holland to safety over the ice to relatives in Belgium after their father is arrested for sending messages to the allied forces. The three children leave their home in Sluis and bravely skate 16 kilometers on the canals to Brugge. They outwit and hide from German soldiers and make it to their destination in one long, difficult day. Told with immediacy and suspense from Piet's point of view, the engaging narrative is arranged in columns, which is an ideal structure to relate the action in short sentences. Readers learn about the Elfstedentocht, a 200-kilometer skating race, and the boy's hero, skater Pim Mulier. The gorgeously detailed watercolor illustrations capture a sense of the time. The subdued, winter hues of brown and smoky gray are those often found in the oil paintings of Dutch and Flemish masters and match the quiet tone of the text. The book's format maximizes the drama and expanse of the landscape. Use this picture book to introduce curricular units and to give youngsters a vivid child's-eye view of the past.-Shawn Brommer, South Central Library System, Madison, WI
School Library Journal December 2004
Utilization for Library Classes
The students could write about a time when they had to overcome their fear to accomplish a required task.
Write about your favorite hero and describe what traits make them a hero.
Trace the route of Piet and the two children took from Sluis to Brugge.
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