 It is 1942 in Amsterdam and five-year-old Jewish Beatrix is left on a tram when her mother is taken away by Nazi soldiers. She is saved when elderly ticket-taker Lars Gorter and his brother, Hans the conductor, claim that she is their niece. The two brothers have no idea how to take care of a child and they know that harboring a Jew could cost them their lives. They turn to their neighbors, Mrs. Vos and Lieve van der Meer, for help. The unlikely group becomes a family. They survive through the horrors of war, hunger and cold, bombings, fear, and anxiety. The book concludes with explanations of the characters’ futures after Holland’s liberation in 1945. It also includes a description of “When Strangers Were Saviors” and an Afterword that provides information about details of the war. Based on historical facts about World War II, this suspenseful short novel is written from the point of view of the two brothers, yet it will engage young readers. mjw |
| Title: The End of the Line Author: Sharon E. McKay Illustrator: Serena Malyon Publisher: Annick Press, Toronto Copyright: 2014 Original Language: English ISBN: 978-1-55451-658-2 Paperback pages: 120 Age range: 8-11 Genre: Historical fiction Book setting: Amsterdam Author’s ethnicity: Canadian Author’s residence: Prince Edward Island, Canada Awards: 2015 USBBY Outstanding International Books Grades 6-8, 2008 First children’s author to be awarded the title of CFAP -Vet (War Artist), Canadian Forces (War) Artists Program Subjects: Amsterdam, Courage, Elderly, Holocaust, Jews, Netherlands, Prejudice, Survival, Tolerance, World War II |
The End of the Line
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