AUTHOR: Candace
Fleming ILLUSTRATOR: Stacey
Dresses-McQueen
PUBLISHER:
Farrar, Straus, and Giroux PUBLICATION
DATE: 9/12/2003
AWARDS: Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2003,
Washington D.C. Capitol Choice Book Award Nominee
GENRE: Historical
Fiction READING
LEVEL: 7 to 8 years old
BRIEF OVERVIEW:
A young girl living in Holland receives packages from a girl living in the USA.
They become pen pals and the entire town is affected. The book looks at the war
from a different perspective than why and who is involved. Students can see
themes such as suspense, different cultures, and giving to others.
INTEGRATED ACTIVITY: FINE ARTS: Have students begin collecting items to send to another country for Christmas; candy, small toys, tooth brushes, and
ENGLISH: Write a letter to
Katje and her community telling them items you would send. Have the students tell her a little bit about themselves and their families.
SOCIAL STUDIES/GEOGRAPHY:
Discuss where Holland is on the map. Look at climate, surrounding countries, and
customs. Discover how far away Holland is from the classroom using Google Maps.
REVIEWER’S NAME & AFFILIATION: Heather Ganas, Valdosta State University ECSE
