Winter in Wartime

Winter in Wartime by Jan Terlouw has been a classic in the Netherlands for decades.  It is a story of a boy who works for the resistance while his country is occupied by the Nazi's.  Michiel spends his time riding his bike to do errands for his friends and neighbors while staying out of the way of the Nazi's that have occupied his town.  When his friend gives him an envelope to pass on to a member of the resistance before he goes missing Michiel finds himself doing his part to help the resistance and must find who is leaking information to the Nazis.

This is a fantastic novel that tells a side of WWII that hasn't been told much before in children's literature, what it was like to live in a land occupied by the Nazi's and the male viewpoint provides a protagonist that boys will be able to relate to.  There is danger and heartache and mystery.  This is a book that I would recommend to teachers and parents alike.

Appropriateness:  This book like most books taking place in wartime covers some difficult subjects, however it is not as difficult as many WWII books because Michiel is a member of a town that is occupied as opposed to being in a concentration camp or having to hide so it can be read by younger readers.  There are deaths of people close to Michiel that can be a bit traumatic but he is never in a large amount of danger.  I would recommend this book to readers 9-14 and would highlight this as a good book for boys.