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71st out of 156 books
—
218 voters
After the Train
Peter Liebig can't wait for summer. He's tired of classrooms, teachers, and the endless lectures about the horrible Nazis. The war has been over for ten years, and besides, his town of Rolfen, West Germany, has moved on nicely. Despite its bombed-out church, it looks just as calm and pretty as ever. There is money to be made at the beach, and there are whole days to spend...more
Hardcover, 160 pages
Published
February 3rd 2009
by HarperCollins
(first published February 1st 2009)
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Plodding, didactic, totally phoned-in.
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A good book told from an interesting perspective. This is the first children's book I've read that deals with the "inheritance" of the Holocaust. That is, how the generation following the atrocity inherits that burden. Told from the perspective of a German child that's really sick of being told he and all other Germans are at fault for what happened--his life soon unravels into a mystery he never expected. Kind of a monotonous tone to the book, but a worthwhile read overall.
Ten years after WWII, Peter and his friends are learning about and living the effects of the war in West Germany. This is a good first book in explaining the holocaust, the German attitudes pro and anti Hitler, the Berlin Wall, and anti-sematism. Although the tone is very subdued, it is an intense and interesting book. I read it in one sitting.
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It's been 10 years since World War II ended. In the West German town of Rolfen most people are getting by well enough and buildings are being rebuilt. Peter Liebig is tired of hearing about the war -after all he was only a toddler then and it had nothing to do with him. Or did it? Peter has a recurring nightmare about a young woman handing him out in the darkness and being covered by her tears. Is it really a nightmare, or a memory? A letter Peter discovers in his parents room answers that quest...more
Earnest alone rarely works for me, especially when it is about something personal to me. (I'm the daughter of German Jews, lived in Germany, lost immediate relatives in the Holocaust, have relatives living there, and so forth and so on.) The boys did not ring true for me --- one minute thinking about girls and the next minute reading Karl May and playing out the book. (This last was the final nail in the coffin for me as my parents spoke often about May, I had friends in Germany who were nuts ab...more
Trying to read more juvenile historical fiction. This one fit in well with having just read Man's Search for Meaning. I've never read anything by the prolific Michigan author Gloria Whelan until now.
Overall it seemed like a good story. Kind of didactic. A whole lot of telling, not as much showing. It would be a good quick read for someone looking for a WWII book even though it is set 10 years after the war. I will say that the post-war aspect was the most interesting. It's easy to assume that o...more
Overall it seemed like a good story. Kind of didactic. A whole lot of telling, not as much showing. It would be a good quick read for someone looking for a WWII book even though it is set 10 years after the war. I will say that the post-war aspect was the most interesting. It's easy to assume that o...more
I think was disappointed me the most about this book was its potential. I have enjoyed Gloria Whelan's previous books, and this novel covered a period of history I hadn't seen written about in children's literature -- Germany 10 years after the war.
I found two main problem areas with the book. First of all, the writing seemed awkward and choppy. Secondly, there were many points at which the reader was being taught a "lesson" -- on Judaism, on Claus von Stauffenberg, on East Germany and communis...more
I found two main problem areas with the book. First of all, the writing seemed awkward and choppy. Secondly, there were many points at which the reader was being taught a "lesson" -- on Judaism, on Claus von Stauffenberg, on East Germany and communis...more
The story is set in the Western part of Germany in 1955 and right from the start I felt very much connected to the main character. What a coincidence that my hometown is nearby the main character's hometown (i.e. Ulm). Just as the boy in the story, as a child I wondered very much why we would talk about World War II in school over and over again. I had similar questions and wonderings regarding the role family members might have played during the war. This is great historical fiction that touche...more
The best part about this novel is that it can make you think about an era seldom written about. Unfortunately, while it makes you think, it doesn't have that something extra that makes it a good book to buy and re-read. Part of the problem is I honestly thought the main character was female until I was told otherwise (it seems a rare gift for a female author to really take on the male persona). It reads like a novel that's more of an idea than a story...she tried her best to give this story more...more
I've never been disappointed in a Gloria Whelan book. She writes such good young adult novels that tackle big issues and make the reader better for having read her books. I usually think she writes such good books for young girls, but this book is a great one for a boy. It takes place in West Germany post WWII where a young boy uncovers a secret that changes the way he views himself and everyone around him. It's a little predictable, but it has the beautiful figurative language I've come to expe...more
Whelan provides good details about WWII. She weaves in the story of those, ordinary heros, that saved lives in the smallest ways. Peter is a character, who accepts who he is and who he is not. Whelan takes the time to put intricate details throughout the novel; however, she comes to a rather abrupt ending. The audience is left wondering what exactly did happen to his mother. A good book for a World History course. This is best for 6th-8th graders.
Peter can't wait for summer. He's tired of classrooms, teachers, and the endless lectures about the horrible Nazis. The was has been over for ten years, and Germany has moved on nicely. But when Peter stumbles across a letter he was never meant to see, he unravels a troubling secret. This was a delightful read. I loved the history and the realizm of Peter's life. Great for everyone.
The war has been over for ten years, and 13-year-old Peter and his friends are tired of hearing their teacher accuse them and the rest of the Germans for what happened to the Jews. How can he be blamed for what happened then? It all changes when he learns that his parents rescued him from a Jewish mother on a train headed for the Dachau death camp.
Jul 20, 2009
Catherine Mustread
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Grades 4+
Shelves:
historical,
childrens
Peter finds out the secret of his past in 1955 Germany, where anti-Semitism is still alive and well after WW2. Gloria Whelan makes a case for understanding what has happened in the past and trying to make the future better by not repeating the mistakes of previous generations.
This is a fantastic book! It is about how this kid named Peter finds out he is Jewish in Nazi Germany. He also finds out his birth mother gave him up to his "adopted" parents when she was going to a concentration camp. He tries to be Jewish, but he is confused about who he is.
Mar 03, 2010
Terry
added it
This is an exceptional book. Gloria Whelan is an award winning author. After the Train is what I believe is a piece of children's literature as opposed to children's "books." This story is flawless and Whelan's ability to keep the reader glued to the page is exceptional.
To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.
To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.
Not my favorite Gloria Whelan novel, but it tells the story of a unique period. Many historical novels cover WWII and the Holocaust, but few talk about the aftermath. This story takes place in Germany 10 years after the war ended.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It contained some historical elements, whilst blending in with the usage of vocabulary and writing strategies that hook the reader in. The plot was very interesting, and I could keep up with the story line.
Not up to Gloria Whelan's usual standard. There are so many World War II novels that a new one needs to be special in some way to garner attention--insightful and fresh or rich and complex. This doesn't measure up.
Potentially more appealing when I was a younger reader, this story of a boy growing up in post-wwii Germany was interesting enough but not overwhelming. Saw the ending coming pretty early on.
Different approach to war's end in Germany. 1955 time frame. The MC finds out he is really a Jewish child given up by his mother before she leaves for a concentration camp.
This book gave an interesting insight on the lives of people living on the border of east and west Germany and the effects of the war post- World War II
Pretty good historical fiction - it takes place in Germany 10 years after WWII - gives good insight to the feelings of Germans after the war.
Violet's reading page: http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/swe...
An interesting premise but very slow...
Excellent historical fiction, simply told.
I wouldnt recommend this book because to me it wasn't that interesting. There where only two pretty good parts in this book. The two good parts were when he found out the secret that his parents have been keeping from him and what happens at the hotel. After it had a good part it would become boring and then it would have another good part and be boring again. I think that this book could have been alot better than it was.
This book didn't catch or keep my attention through the language or characters. I read more than half of this book before deciding this was not my idea of a Newbery contender. This book presents an interesting perspective on what might have happened in German communities in the aftermath of WWII. This still did not keep me interested enough to keep reading and find out the answer to Peter's secret.
How were German's affected by WWII? Were they all bad? What happened to the German Jews? This book answers all these questions and more in this story about a boy who finds out about his past. All that he thought he knew about himself was changed. From his parents to his heritage to even his religion. Everything. This is a great book about Germany a few years after the WWII.
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Gloria Whelan is the best-selling author of many novels for young readers, including Homeless Bird, winner of the National Book Award; Friutlands: Louisa May Alcott Made Perfect; Angel on the Square and its companion, The Impossible Journey; Once on this Island, winner of the Great Lakes Book Award; Farewell to the Island; and Return to the Island. She lives with her husband, Joseph, in the woods...more
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