false 751765 1 <B>"You're a strong skater, Piet, and you have a quick mind. This is why I know you'll succeed in this important task. I wouldn't ask you to do this if I didn't know it could be done."</B><P>In 1941 Piet, a young Dutch boy from Sluis, gets the assignment of a lifetime: He must skate along the frozen canals of the Netherlands and across the Belgian border, in order to guide two neighborhood children to their aunt's house in Brugge, where the children will remain for the duration of World War II. Their father has been taken by German soldiers, and the children are no longer safe in Sluis -- but the journey with Piet, past soldiers and enemies, is fraught with danger.<P>Along the treacherous path to Belgium the three children skate using every bit of speed, courage, and strength they can muster. All the time they try to appear like innocent schoolchildren simply out for a skate, for if the German soldiers discover their escape plan, the children will be in grave trouble. During the journey Piet thinks about his hero, Pim Mulier -- the first person to ever skate the Elfstedentocht, the famous and prestigious Eleven Towns Race that takes place in his country. For years Piet has dreamed of proving that he is a skater as brave and strong as Pim Mulier -- but he had never imagined that his test would fall under such dangerous circumstances.<P>Louise Borden's moving text captures all the tension, excitement, and fear that comes with Piet's mission, while Niki Daly's evocative illustrations bring the children and their perilous journey into vivid focus. <P> 737897 28 9 2004 The Greatest Skating Race: A World War II Story from the Netherlands total:25|5:3|4:6|3:12|2:2|1:2| 25 81 34 4 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 13 19:07:34 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 13 19:07:34 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Mon May 05 07:10:42 -0700 2008 Mon May 19 07:55:48 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Jan 01 09:11:31 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 01 09:12:26 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Tue May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 22 12:06:22 -0700 2007 Mon Oct 22 12:07:41 -0700 2007 0 0 false false Wed Oct 28 19:01:51 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 28 19:01:51 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 13 16:52:16 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 13 16:52:16 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Fri Jul 24 18:19:46 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 24 18:19:46 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jul 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 08:30:03 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 15 08:31:58 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun May 24 15:02:12 -0700 2009 Sun May 24 15:02:12 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue May 12 13:09:15 -0700 2009 Tue May 12 13:09:26 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sat Dec 27 18:30:59 -0800 2008 Sat Dec 27 18:30:59 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Mon Dec 22 21:55:19 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 22 21:55:19 -0800 2008 0 0 false false Sun Dec 14 04:09:31 -0800 2008 Sun Dec 14 04:09:47 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Sat Nov 15 09:12:43 -0800 2008 Sat Nov 15 09:12:59 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Wed Nov 12 19:51:55 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 12 19:51:55 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Tue Sep 30 16:40:32 -0700 2008 Tue Sep 30 16:40:32 -0700 2008 1 0 false false Sat Aug 09 12:29:45 -0700 2008 Sat Aug 09 12:29:45 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Fri Aug 08 18:14:29 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 08 18:14:29 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Fri Aug 08 07:03:08 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 08 07:03:15 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Tue Aug 05 10:10:38 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 05 10:10:38 -0700 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=751765