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216 pp.
| Houghton
| October, 2009
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-05342-4$16.00
(4)
YA
Translated by Terese Edelstein.
A young, naive Irish boy named Patrick assumes his older brother John's identity in order to join the army. When World War I erupts, he's called to the front lines, with tragic consequences. Based on a true story, the text provides a strong, detailed account of soldier life in the trenches but offers little emotional connection with the protagonist.
154 pp.
| Houghton
| May, 2005
|
TradeISBN 0-618-43124-1$16.00
(3)
YA
Translated by Terese Edelstein.
Based upon real life events, this fast-paced Belgium import is a moving story about the tragic waste of war. Spillebeen offers an intriguing account of eighteen-year-old John Kipling, son of author Rudyard Kipling, remembering childhood moments with his father as he lies dying in Loos, France. An epilogue puts the story in historical context. Bib.
272 pp.
| HarperCollins
| May, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-688-16283-5$$15.95
(4)
4-6
Translated by Terese Edelstein.
During the Nazi occupation of Holland, two young sisters are hidden in a series of private homes, ultimately living with a childless man who makes puppets and performs as a clown. Though occasionally sentimental in tone, the present-tense prose provides immediacy to the story. Unfortunately, the two protagonists have interchangeable personalities and never come alive as individual characters.