“Look!” Michael could not take his eyes off the beach. “Soldiers marching right up our sled track. How’ll we get down?” ~Snow Treasure
It is 1940 when the
Nazis invade Norway. Peter Lundstrom is only twelve, but he's about to become
part of the grownup world. His father is a banker and is working with other
leaders in the town to try and outwit the Nazis by smuggling the country’s gold
bullion to a safe place. Luckily, Peter’s Uncle Victor is a sea captain who
plans to sail the gold to America. The plan depends on Peter and the other
children taking the gold from the top of the mountains to the fjord below.
Sledding the gold away seems like it will be easy at first, but the German soldiers
are not to be underestimated. Many trips will need to be made to get all of the bullion down to the boat. The fact that one of the soldiers speaks
Norwegian makes everything even harder. There is plenty of snow, and the
children do have many opportunities for sledding, but the soldiers are on their
trail and each day their task becomes more challenging. When it looks like they
will be caught, Peter must think fast and hope for the best. Will the children
be able to get all the gold out of Norway? What will happen if Peter’s
diversion doesn’t work? Is keeping the
gold out of the hands of the Nazis worth the risk? You will be intrigued
from the start and will keep turning the pages to see if everyone makes it out
alive!
Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan is a wonderful book about
brave kids who take on adult responsibilities during dangerous times. Peter and
his friends are easy to relate to and seem like typical kids you would find
anywhere. The book says that it is based on true events that are believed to
have taken place in Norway during WWII. I am not sure how much of the story is
true, but I was definitely on the edge of my seat hoping that the kids would
get the job done! This is an excellent book to bring history to life for
kids in fourth through eighth grade. Older readers will enjoy it as well! Be
prepared to have history unfold for you as you read about the kids of Norway
and their experience. I learned a lot about what life was like in Norway
during the war and I definitely hope to visit one day. This book is a reminder about the hard life
people had during WWII. A great addition to any home, school, or classroom
library.
Has anyone else read Snow
Treasure? Or have you read another book by Marie McSwigan? We would love to
hear your thoughts!
Happy Reading!
~L
