End of the Line

by Sharon E. McKay

Overview

Ordinary citizens risk everything to save a young Jewish girl in wartime Holland. This suspenseful novel vividly portrays the fear, uncertainty, and terror of the Nazi occupation in Holland. It is a story that reflects both the worst and best of humankind. A worthy addition to children’s books about the Holocaust, The End of the Line will leave young readers to ponder how the most dreadful conditions can lead ordinary citizens to perform the most heroic acts. People like Lars, Hans, and Mrs. Vos, who risked their own lives to save Jews in wartime Europe, were later recognized and honored as “Righteous Gentiles.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781554516582
Publisher:	Annick Press, Limited
Publication date:	08/19/2014
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.31(d)
Lexile:	710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 11 Years

About the Author

Sharon E. McKay is the award-winning author of many books based on real events, including War Brothers: The Graphic Novel and Thunder Over Kandahar. She was also named a Canadian War Artist and spent time in Afghanistan embedded with the Canadian troops. She lives in Prince Edward Island.

Editorial Reviews

What makes The End of the Line stand out is that it is written from the point of view of the two brothers and yet it is a thoroughly appealing, totally engaging book for young readers accustomed to reading about protagonists their own age.

The Children's War - Alex Baugh

08/01/2014
Gr 4 Up—The Nazi occupation of Holland is underway when five-year-old Beatrix and her mother ride the tram, destined for a mystery lady in a green hat who will keep Beatrix safe. That plan is stymied when the Nazis board and round up all the Jewish occupants, including her mother; Beatrix is left behind. She is claimed by the tram's ticket-taker, Lars, as his niece. Lars and his brother, Hans, have led sedate and uneventful lives but suddenly they have put their own existence in danger by claiming Beatrix. With the help of their neighbors, Mrs. Vos and Lieve van der Meer, Lars and Hans do all they can to keep the little girl safe. This is an adequate story to add to the wide canon of Holocaust historical fiction. McKay has a pleasant voice and there is certainly a sweetness to the story of two older men, set in their ways, suddenly raising a young girl. The writing lacks intensity, however, and the characters' personalities are mild. Voices are indistinguishable from one another, particularly Lars and Hans. This would make a suitable introduction to the Nazi Occupation for young readers as the chapters are brief, and the story moves at a brisk pace while the violent action takes place off the page. It briefly introduces topics such as "righteous gentiles" and may leave readers seeking more information. Unfortunately, there are better options, in both fiction and nonfiction, for getting this important historical information across to readers.—Sarah Wethern, Douglas County Library, Alexandria, MN

School Library Journal

2014-08-27
Two kindhearted, confirmed-bachelor brothers take in an endangered little Jewish girl during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. Historical fiction for children is fraught with traps, and none more so than those introducing young readers to Holocaust history. This novel manages to walk that tightrope, allowing children to learn some grim realities without annihilating their sense of hope or resorting to stereotypes that undermine the ability of the genre to increase readers' empathy. The text's distinctiveness lies in its style: Rather than presenting one protagonist's point of view—as in Lois Lowry's exemplary Number the Stars—the third-person-omniscient perspective allows readers to identify with several characters throughout the tale. Readers feel the terror and sorrow of Beatrix and her mother as Mamma is forced by soldiers to leave the tram that is run by brothers Hans and Lars; they empathize with the brothers during the humorous passages in which the redoubtable neighbor Mrs. Vos teaches them how to care for a little girl; they feel the alternating waves of uneasiness and relief experienced regularly by people under occupation. Most of the detailed action occurs from 1942-1945, but the tale wraps up in 1973, when Beatrix is mother to a 10-year-old daughter. This is a solid addition to one of the most uneven collections of literature for children: Holocaust-related historical fiction. (foreword, afterword) (Historical fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews