What do you think?
Rate this book
End of the Line
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.”
128 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2014
11 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Sharon E. McKay
35 books52 followersSharon E. McKay was born in 1954 in Montreal, Quebec, and earned a B.A. from York University in 1978. She lives in Prince Edward Island.
Series:
* Our Canadian Girl: Penelope
* Charlie Wilcox
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2009): War Brothers - Winner
Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award: Fiction
◊ 2002 – Charlie Wilcox – Winner
Series:
* Our Canadian Girl: Penelope
* Charlie Wilcox
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2009): War Brothers - Winner
Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award: Fiction
◊ 2002 – Charlie Wilcox – Winner
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
March 13, 2022
End of the Line was a simplified sort of World War 2 book for a younger child. Not sure how young of course, because it does depend on the specific child's maturity levels. Anyway! 😅
The story follows a little Jewish girl who's about 6 or so years old. One day on a tram, her mother is taken away by the Nazis and disappears. Two older brothers act like her uncles and take her under their wing. At first they seem very naive about how to take care of a little girl, but who can blame them? It's very sweet to see the characters that are introduced during the book, and I really liked how it spanned the majority of the little girl's life until she is a young woman.
The story follows a little Jewish girl who's about 6 or so years old. One day on a tram, her mother is taken away by the Nazis and disappears. Two older brothers act like her uncles and take her under their wing. At first they seem very naive about how to take care of a little girl, but who can blame them? It's very sweet to see the characters that are introduced during the book, and I really liked how it spanned the majority of the little girl's life until she is a young woman.
August 29, 2014
It is Fall 1942 and the Nazis have been occupying Holland since Spring 1940. Beatrix, 6, and her mother are Jews who have been running and hiding from the Nazis for that long. But now it is time to hid Beatrix in a safer more stable place.
Sitting on the tram, on their way to meet the woman who would take Beatrix to safety, her mother is suddenly taken away by the Nazis who regularly board and search the trams looking for Jews. Beatrix is left sitting on the tram by herself.
Brothers Lars, 63, and Hans Gorter, 65, both life-long bachelors, work together on a tram - Hans driving it while Lars collects tickets. When it looked like the Nazis were also going to take Beatrix away, Lars suddenly told them that she was his niece. The war and all the rumors they had heard about Nazi treatment of Jews suddenly became real for the brothers.
Now, these kind, well-meaning though naive brothers must learn how to care for a little girl, who has been traumatized by the loss of her mother and who must become someone different than who she really is - if only for the duration of the Nazi occupation. Luckily, Hans and Lars have help from their elderly neighbor Mrs. Vos, 80, and from a new, younger neighbor, Lieve van der Meer, 30, who husband is rumored to have escaped Holland and is flying for the RAF.
Why would two older men who have made it a point to always live quietly and keep a low profile, suddenly risk everything, including their lives, for a little girl they know nothing about? That is the question at the heart of The End of the Line and Canadian author Sharon McKay answers it eloquently as the story of Beatrix and her new uncles unfolds.
There are lots of books about Jewish children who were rescued by people during the Holocaust and who did what they did simply because they believed it was the right thing to do. But these stories are generally written from the point of view of the child. 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.
Living under Nazi occupation meant living under a daily shroud of fear and anxiety, never knowing if you were going to be singled out at any given moment. There are plenty of these moments portrayed in the story of Hans, Lars and Beatrix, like the time Beatrix whispers Geb Achting, Yiddish for be careful, to a young Nazi soldier. However, the story offers more insight into what it was like for the brothers in order to survive the war and the occupation of Holland, from dressing Beatrix as she grows, managing to find food when there is almost none to be had, even to buying her a doll to cuddle and comfort herself with may be new experiences for Hans and Lars, but keeping her safe from the Nazis turns out to be instinctual for these kind brothers.
The End of the Line is an interesting supplement to Holocaust literature written for young readers by an author who is part of the Canadian War Artist Program and has already written books about child soldiers in Uganda, young girls caught in the war in Afghanistan and short stories dealing with the Holocaust with Kathy Kacer, another Canadian artist who also writes books for young readers about the Holocaust. This should be a welcome addition to any library.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was received as an E-ARC from NetGalley
You can find more information and a very useful lesson plan for The End of the Line from the publisher HERE
This review was originally posted on The Children's War
Sitting on the tram, on their way to meet the woman who would take Beatrix to safety, her mother is suddenly taken away by the Nazis who regularly board and search the trams looking for Jews. Beatrix is left sitting on the tram by herself.
Brothers Lars, 63, and Hans Gorter, 65, both life-long bachelors, work together on a tram - Hans driving it while Lars collects tickets. When it looked like the Nazis were also going to take Beatrix away, Lars suddenly told them that she was his niece. The war and all the rumors they had heard about Nazi treatment of Jews suddenly became real for the brothers.
Now, these kind, well-meaning though naive brothers must learn how to care for a little girl, who has been traumatized by the loss of her mother and who must become someone different than who she really is - if only for the duration of the Nazi occupation. Luckily, Hans and Lars have help from their elderly neighbor Mrs. Vos, 80, and from a new, younger neighbor, Lieve van der Meer, 30, who husband is rumored to have escaped Holland and is flying for the RAF.
Why would two older men who have made it a point to always live quietly and keep a low profile, suddenly risk everything, including their lives, for a little girl they know nothing about? That is the question at the heart of The End of the Line and Canadian author Sharon McKay answers it eloquently as the story of Beatrix and her new uncles unfolds.
There are lots of books about Jewish children who were rescued by people during the Holocaust and who did what they did simply because they believed it was the right thing to do. But these stories are generally written from the point of view of the child. 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.
Living under Nazi occupation meant living under a daily shroud of fear and anxiety, never knowing if you were going to be singled out at any given moment. There are plenty of these moments portrayed in the story of Hans, Lars and Beatrix, like the time Beatrix whispers Geb Achting, Yiddish for be careful, to a young Nazi soldier. However, the story offers more insight into what it was like for the brothers in order to survive the war and the occupation of Holland, from dressing Beatrix as she grows, managing to find food when there is almost none to be had, even to buying her a doll to cuddle and comfort herself with may be new experiences for Hans and Lars, but keeping her safe from the Nazis turns out to be instinctual for these kind brothers.
The End of the Line is an interesting supplement to Holocaust literature written for young readers by an author who is part of the Canadian War Artist Program and has already written books about child soldiers in Uganda, young girls caught in the war in Afghanistan and short stories dealing with the Holocaust with Kathy Kacer, another Canadian artist who also writes books for young readers about the Holocaust. This should be a welcome addition to any library.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was received as an E-ARC from NetGalley
You can find more information and a very useful lesson plan for The End of the Line from the publisher HERE
This review was originally posted on The Children's War
December 20, 2022
This touching short novel by Canadian author Sharon McKay tells the story of two elderly brothers who risk their lives to save a little Jewish girl from certain death after the Nazis overrun Holland.
The story begins in the fall of 1942 in Amsterdam where a young mother and her five-year-old daughter are on the run from the Nazis. The little girl is warned by her mother to never tell anyone that she is Jewish. Fleeing from the home of Mrs. Dahl, whose husband had brought them to hide, the mother is on her way to meet a stranger, a woman who will take her daughter to a safe place. To get there they must take the tram.
Two brothers, sixty-five year old Hans and sixty-three year old Lars Gorter live alone together in the house they once shared with their mamma and papa. Hans and Lars, like many older Dutch had lived through the Great War and also endured years of economic depression. In 1940, the Germans swiftly overran Holland but the Dutch people were determined to resist the Nazis and had remained loyal to their queen who was in exile in England. When the Germans invaded, Mrs. Vos, an elderly neighbour of the Gorters fled to their home.
Hans and Lars both worked on one of Amsterdam's many trams, with Hans operating it and Lars collecting tickets from the passengers. In occupied Amsterdam, they like other tram workers, were told to report suspicious passengers to the authorities - which meant the Nazis. Both brothers decided they would do no such thing. They knew all their regular passengers on their tram; the nun with her winged hat, the elderly man and students. When the young mother and her daughter boarded the tram Hans did not recognize them.
Their tram is stopped by a Nazi soldier who boards and begins asking the passengers for their identity papers. The young mother's papers identify her as a Jew and therefore not allowed to ride the trams. As she is taken off, the German soldier begins tellign the child that she must come with them. Lars who has seen the woman's identity papers knows that she is Jewish knows that if the child goes with the Nazis she will not survive. And so he speaks up and tells the soldier that the little girl is his niece. No one believes him but to distract the soldier, Hans releases the tram brake and it lurches forward throwing the German off his feet and into the lap of the nun. He leaves the tram angry but the little girl is forgotten. The little girl's mother along with others from the tram are loaded onto an army truck and the little girl sits there alone.
At the end of the day Hans and Lars take the little girl home intending to take her to Mrs. Vos. But before they can leave the station the little girl needs to use the bathroom. The brothers are helped in this tricky situation by a well dressed woman who when she leaves wishes Beatrix a good evening. and walks off with a man dressed in the uniform of an SS officer.
When they arrived at Mrs. Vos's home, she tells them to take Beatrix to their house where she will meet them. When she comes to Hans and Lars home she begins to question Beatrix about where she is from and where she was going. Lars explains what happened on the train and how the Nazi's took Beatrix's mother away. Based on what she has seen over the past weeks, Mrs. Vos believes that Beatrix was being taken someplace safe to be hidden and after hearing more of their story, she helps the brothers brush her hair and has them feed her. Based on her appearance, Mrs. Vos is certain Beatrix is loved because despite evidence that the child is starving she is clean and her clothes well mended. Considering that the neighbours have seen Beatrix enter Hans and Lars home, Mrs. Vos visits each of them assuring their inhabitants that their personal secrets are safe with her and encouraging them to welcome Hans and Lars long lost niece. The one neighbour she feels she can trust is Mrs. Lieve van der Meer. Mrs. Vos's visit with Lieve reveals that she has lost her entire family in the bombing of Rotterdam by the Nazi's and that her husband is away doing "war work". Mrs. Vos is right about Lieve van der Meer who offers to teach Beatrix the Catholic faith on Saturdays and for her to attend mass with them on Sundays. Beatrix must appear to be Catholic if she is to survive the war. And so begins the story of how two shy, kindly brothers who as the result of a brave act, save the life of a little girl.
The End of the Line is about strangers and how the most unlikely of people can make a difference. McKay tackles the subject of the Holocaust and the occupation of Holland in a gentle but authentic way for younger readers, while still portraying the terror and difficulties the Jewish population faced and the suffering the Dutch people experienced. McKay portrays life in Amsterdam through the latter part of the war. At first Hans and Lars find the Nazi's annoying until they begin to see what happens to the people on who ride on their tram. By the spring of 1943, Mrs. Vos and the Gorter brothers fully comprehend the ruthlessness of the Nazis who had no qualms murdering even children. Hans and Lars decide the best way to protect Beatrix is to hide her in plain sight - on their tram. It is a bold move but one that works. Lars becomes an expert in studying the people who ride the tram and begins to know those who may need help such as the young woman disguised as an old lady. He does what he can to help those who need a chance. The winter of 1944 sees everyone starving as the Nazi's seek to punish the Dutch for refusing to run the trains. McKay describes the hunger and privation Lars and Hans, Beatrix and Mrs. Vos experienced. McKay relates all these experiences in a thoughtful manner that manages to capture the fear and uncertainty without being overly graphic.
The End of the Line is written in third person omniscient which means the readers have the opportunity to understand the story from the perspectives of all the characters. Hans and Lars who are bachelors have no idea how to care for a little girl but their fear of little girls is easily surpassed by their fear of what will happen to Beatrix should the Nazi's find her. The reader experiences Beatrix's terror when she reaches the end of the tram line and is alone with two complete strangers in the cement tram depot with it hanging lights. "She gazed up to bald, dim lights hanging from a vaulted ceiling. Her eyes widened, her lips quivered, she crossed her legs. This was a scary place." When Mrs. Vos is combing Beatrix's hair she notices how thin she is and realizes that she might be starving. She also realizes that despite being on the run, Beatrix's mother has managed to keep her child clean and her clothes neat. "The child was clean, her hair soft. Even from this distance she could see that the child's clothes were well mended and clean too. Keeping clean on the run, surrounded by war, without a home, must have been very, very hard. 'This child is loved,' she whispered." We are as moved as Mrs. Vos is, fully understanding the tragedy that is unfolding.
This is an excellent short novel for those who are interested in the Holocaust and the experience of Dutch Jews and the Dutch people during the Second World War. After liberation by the Canadians, McKay reveals what happened to Beatrix, her mother Judith, Lars, Hans, Mrs. Vos, Lieve van de Meer and her husband in the years following the war. The Afterword explains Hitler's plans for Holland and its people whom he considered to be one hundred percent Aryan (with the exception of the Dutch Jews of course), the different sides in the war and also how total strangers worked together to save many children from the war.
The story begins in the fall of 1942 in Amsterdam where a young mother and her five-year-old daughter are on the run from the Nazis. The little girl is warned by her mother to never tell anyone that she is Jewish. Fleeing from the home of Mrs. Dahl, whose husband had brought them to hide, the mother is on her way to meet a stranger, a woman who will take her daughter to a safe place. To get there they must take the tram.
Two brothers, sixty-five year old Hans and sixty-three year old Lars Gorter live alone together in the house they once shared with their mamma and papa. Hans and Lars, like many older Dutch had lived through the Great War and also endured years of economic depression. In 1940, the Germans swiftly overran Holland but the Dutch people were determined to resist the Nazis and had remained loyal to their queen who was in exile in England. When the Germans invaded, Mrs. Vos, an elderly neighbour of the Gorters fled to their home.
Hans and Lars both worked on one of Amsterdam's many trams, with Hans operating it and Lars collecting tickets from the passengers. In occupied Amsterdam, they like other tram workers, were told to report suspicious passengers to the authorities - which meant the Nazis. Both brothers decided they would do no such thing. They knew all their regular passengers on their tram; the nun with her winged hat, the elderly man and students. When the young mother and her daughter boarded the tram Hans did not recognize them.
Their tram is stopped by a Nazi soldier who boards and begins asking the passengers for their identity papers. The young mother's papers identify her as a Jew and therefore not allowed to ride the trams. As she is taken off, the German soldier begins tellign the child that she must come with them. Lars who has seen the woman's identity papers knows that she is Jewish knows that if the child goes with the Nazis she will not survive. And so he speaks up and tells the soldier that the little girl is his niece. No one believes him but to distract the soldier, Hans releases the tram brake and it lurches forward throwing the German off his feet and into the lap of the nun. He leaves the tram angry but the little girl is forgotten. The little girl's mother along with others from the tram are loaded onto an army truck and the little girl sits there alone.
At the end of the day Hans and Lars take the little girl home intending to take her to Mrs. Vos. But before they can leave the station the little girl needs to use the bathroom. The brothers are helped in this tricky situation by a well dressed woman who when she leaves wishes Beatrix a good evening. and walks off with a man dressed in the uniform of an SS officer.
When they arrived at Mrs. Vos's home, she tells them to take Beatrix to their house where she will meet them. When she comes to Hans and Lars home she begins to question Beatrix about where she is from and where she was going. Lars explains what happened on the train and how the Nazi's took Beatrix's mother away. Based on what she has seen over the past weeks, Mrs. Vos believes that Beatrix was being taken someplace safe to be hidden and after hearing more of their story, she helps the brothers brush her hair and has them feed her. Based on her appearance, Mrs. Vos is certain Beatrix is loved because despite evidence that the child is starving she is clean and her clothes well mended. Considering that the neighbours have seen Beatrix enter Hans and Lars home, Mrs. Vos visits each of them assuring their inhabitants that their personal secrets are safe with her and encouraging them to welcome Hans and Lars long lost niece. The one neighbour she feels she can trust is Mrs. Lieve van der Meer. Mrs. Vos's visit with Lieve reveals that she has lost her entire family in the bombing of Rotterdam by the Nazi's and that her husband is away doing "war work". Mrs. Vos is right about Lieve van der Meer who offers to teach Beatrix the Catholic faith on Saturdays and for her to attend mass with them on Sundays. Beatrix must appear to be Catholic if she is to survive the war. And so begins the story of how two shy, kindly brothers who as the result of a brave act, save the life of a little girl.
The End of the Line is about strangers and how the most unlikely of people can make a difference. McKay tackles the subject of the Holocaust and the occupation of Holland in a gentle but authentic way for younger readers, while still portraying the terror and difficulties the Jewish population faced and the suffering the Dutch people experienced. McKay portrays life in Amsterdam through the latter part of the war. At first Hans and Lars find the Nazi's annoying until they begin to see what happens to the people on who ride on their tram. By the spring of 1943, Mrs. Vos and the Gorter brothers fully comprehend the ruthlessness of the Nazis who had no qualms murdering even children. Hans and Lars decide the best way to protect Beatrix is to hide her in plain sight - on their tram. It is a bold move but one that works. Lars becomes an expert in studying the people who ride the tram and begins to know those who may need help such as the young woman disguised as an old lady. He does what he can to help those who need a chance. The winter of 1944 sees everyone starving as the Nazi's seek to punish the Dutch for refusing to run the trains. McKay describes the hunger and privation Lars and Hans, Beatrix and Mrs. Vos experienced. McKay relates all these experiences in a thoughtful manner that manages to capture the fear and uncertainty without being overly graphic.
The End of the Line is written in third person omniscient which means the readers have the opportunity to understand the story from the perspectives of all the characters. Hans and Lars who are bachelors have no idea how to care for a little girl but their fear of little girls is easily surpassed by their fear of what will happen to Beatrix should the Nazi's find her. The reader experiences Beatrix's terror when she reaches the end of the tram line and is alone with two complete strangers in the cement tram depot with it hanging lights. "She gazed up to bald, dim lights hanging from a vaulted ceiling. Her eyes widened, her lips quivered, she crossed her legs. This was a scary place." When Mrs. Vos is combing Beatrix's hair she notices how thin she is and realizes that she might be starving. She also realizes that despite being on the run, Beatrix's mother has managed to keep her child clean and her clothes neat. "The child was clean, her hair soft. Even from this distance she could see that the child's clothes were well mended and clean too. Keeping clean on the run, surrounded by war, without a home, must have been very, very hard. 'This child is loved,' she whispered." We are as moved as Mrs. Vos is, fully understanding the tragedy that is unfolding.
This is an excellent short novel for those who are interested in the Holocaust and the experience of Dutch Jews and the Dutch people during the Second World War. After liberation by the Canadians, McKay reveals what happened to Beatrix, her mother Judith, Lars, Hans, Mrs. Vos, Lieve van de Meer and her husband in the years following the war. The Afterword explains Hitler's plans for Holland and its people whom he considered to be one hundred percent Aryan (with the exception of the Dutch Jews of course), the different sides in the war and also how total strangers worked together to save many children from the war.
September 9, 2014
moving and simply told story about an aspect of wwii that is not often covered in children's books. fast read great for younger readers who enjoy Kathy kacer or Irene watts.
January 10, 2015
a world war 2 book with a happy ending. this is a must read for everyone. such a feel good book. so beautiful.
January 10, 2018
The End of The line
This book is about, a five year old girl named Beatrix and all she had was her mom. Later, Beatrix and her mom go on a tram but they are not allowed to go on them, because they are jewish. So Beatrix’s mom gets taken off the tram by the Nazis [ The Nazis are people who worked from the german army who hated jewish people]. Beatrix was left by herself and the tram. Until two men who worked on the tram named Hans and Lars realized that Beatrix was their niece. So they took care of her while finding her mom for a few years. What I liked about the book was how at the end, Beatrix got older and her life was better. That is because she went to university, in England and she is reunited with her mom. I think the theme is to never give up even though life gets tough. This is the theme because Beatrix never gave up on finding her mom, even though it took many years. I rate this book five stars because it was very sad , interesting and surprising because of how jews were not allowed to go anywhere even if you decided to you will get caught by the nazis.
This book is about, a five year old girl named Beatrix and all she had was her mom. Later, Beatrix and her mom go on a tram but they are not allowed to go on them, because they are jewish. So Beatrix’s mom gets taken off the tram by the Nazis [ The Nazis are people who worked from the german army who hated jewish people]. Beatrix was left by herself and the tram. Until two men who worked on the tram named Hans and Lars realized that Beatrix was their niece. So they took care of her while finding her mom for a few years. What I liked about the book was how at the end, Beatrix got older and her life was better. That is because she went to university, in England and she is reunited with her mom. I think the theme is to never give up even though life gets tough. This is the theme because Beatrix never gave up on finding her mom, even though it took many years. I rate this book five stars because it was very sad , interesting and surprising because of how jews were not allowed to go anywhere even if you decided to you will get caught by the nazis.
July 13, 2017
Set in World War II Holland, this book chronicles the lives of Lars and Hans Gorter, two brothers who live in their childhood home and work on a city tram (or streetcar) in Amsterdam. One day, a little girl and her mother board the tram. When Nazi officers search the tram and demand identification, the mother's ID card indicates that she is Jewish. The officers take the mother away, but Lars and Hans convince the officers that the little girl is their niece. What happens next is a story of hope and compassion as the two brothers attempt to keep this little girl safe and hidden during the German occupation of Holland in World War II. I enjoyed this story because it shows that, even when the world seems to be full of evil, there are always people willing to do what is right and help others who are in need, even when doing so may be dangerous.
Miss Anna
Miss Anna
October 21, 2021
A good and heartwarming book about the aspect of taking in strangers in Holland during WW2. Lieve was a heartwarming character, and I would love to have a Lieve in my life, and I think I do. Even thought she is descfibed as blonde and blue eyes, I picture her as Ms Honey from the Matilda movie. I do love this book. A good semi- re-telling of what the war was like for the Dutch.
October 22, 2023
This is a really good book about World War II, in Holland. The Jews were wiped out. This six year old was left on a tram, her Mom was taken by the Nazi's. Two brothers worked on the tram and they told the Nazi's that the little girl was their niece. Read this book it is great.
April 28, 2020
This book provides a good way to introduce such a serious and significant topic like the holocaust. Good for younger readers interested in history and the humanity that takes place during war times.
August 8, 2020
this book is heart wrenching i cried while reading you can really feel the chemistry between all characters and you can feel how much lars and hans care for her
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2020
love it
by 11 Brynne Thompson.
by 11 Brynne Thompson.
February 18, 2021
Beautifully written.
November 28, 2021
Fabulous!!!
June 3, 2022
A good read for kids grade 4-7 who’d like to learn about WWII and the Holocaust.
May 17, 2023
I loved this book so much ❤️
June 5, 2023
Such a heartwarming story
August 19, 2014
I don't normally read Holocaust books, maybe one every two years. The stories hurt my heart and spirit. Even though amazing stories of strength and courage come from this terrible era, it is still hard to read. THE END OF THE LINE is different. Being a middle grade book, I think the author and publisher did very well to teach the horrors of war without overwhelming the reader or giving them nightmares.
From the little that is gathered, Beatrix is five-years-old and she and her mother have been running away from the Nazis. Until the fateful day in Holland when they are caught while riding the tram. Jews aren't suppose to ride the tram. The soldiers yell at the mom then turn on the daughter, Beatrix.
Lars and Hans are brothers and have been running the tram for years. One takes the tickets while the other drives. They are pretty good at being able to read their passengers too. Like the nun who probably isn't a nun.
Lars panics when he sees the Nazi turning his attention to Beatrix and tells the soldier she is his niece. Now these two older, single brothers are in charge of a little girl. And a Jew. What can they do?
In steps a couple neighbors to help--an older grandma and a younger German.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved watching the story, and characters, unfold. The brother have kept their heads low and lived their lives. They don't care about the war because it doesn't involve them. Now, they have a little girl to keep fed and clothed and protected. It was a joy to watch them grow and reach outside themselves.
Ms. Vos is another character who turned from crotched old maid, to a loving grandmother-type for Beatrix. Every character introduced had a line of plot.
The whole story I wondered what would happen to these kind people who took are of Beatrix, and would she ever be united with her mother again?
I think this is an excellent book for children to learn more about the Holocaust without introducing too much pain and suffering and death.
Thanks to netgalley for the read.
From the little that is gathered, Beatrix is five-years-old and she and her mother have been running away from the Nazis. Until the fateful day in Holland when they are caught while riding the tram. Jews aren't suppose to ride the tram. The soldiers yell at the mom then turn on the daughter, Beatrix.
Lars and Hans are brothers and have been running the tram for years. One takes the tickets while the other drives. They are pretty good at being able to read their passengers too. Like the nun who probably isn't a nun.
Lars panics when he sees the Nazi turning his attention to Beatrix and tells the soldier she is his niece. Now these two older, single brothers are in charge of a little girl. And a Jew. What can they do?
In steps a couple neighbors to help--an older grandma and a younger German.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved watching the story, and characters, unfold. The brother have kept their heads low and lived their lives. They don't care about the war because it doesn't involve them. Now, they have a little girl to keep fed and clothed and protected. It was a joy to watch them grow and reach outside themselves.
Ms. Vos is another character who turned from crotched old maid, to a loving grandmother-type for Beatrix. Every character introduced had a line of plot.
The whole story I wondered what would happen to these kind people who took are of Beatrix, and would she ever be united with her mother again?
I think this is an excellent book for children to learn more about the Holocaust without introducing too much pain and suffering and death.
Thanks to netgalley for the read.
October 17, 2014
Amsterdam 1942. A Mother, accompanied by her child, boards a tram with the purpose of passing her child into hiding. Six year old Beatrix has been instructed to never say where she has been, or admit to being Jewish. As had become standard, the tram is stopped, Nazis board, and all IDs are checked. When the mother's ID identifies her as a Jew, she is hauled off the tram, leaving behind her terrified daughter. When the Nazi soldier turns his attention to the little girl, the the tram driver is horrified to see his brother, the ticket taker, intercede by claiming that she is his niece. The Nazis move on and leaves the child on the tram. So begins the story, based on true events, of Beatrix and the strangers who lovingly sheltered and hid her, right under the noses of the Nazi occupiers. Brothers Hans and Lars, one the ticket taker and the other the tram driver, have never married, have no living relatives, and know nothing about children,. After work, they immediately seek out their neighbor, the elderly Mrs Vos who is shocked at the arrival of the child, but willingly begins their instruction in child care--- how to comb and braid her hair, what to feed her, how to dress her. That night, while Hans and Lars stumble through the bedtime ritual, including giving Beatrix a toy train engine as a sleeping toy, and reading the book History of the Automobile for a bedtime story, Mrs Vos pays a visit to all eight homes on the street. Since she is the oldest resident on the street, she knows all their secrets, especially those that need to stay hidden from the Nazis. None will alert the Nazis about the arrival of Beatrix, the long lost niece. The voices of the kindhearted brothers, Hans and Lars, and of Mrs. Vos, their feisty neighbor, ring true, and their determination to provide Beatrix with a loving home, when all of Amsterdam is starving, freezing, and living in fear. This story is proof that good can conquer evil.
February 10, 2015
Amsterdam during WWII is a deadly place to be a Jew. When a Jewish mother and her young daughter attempt to escape, the mother is caught by the SS and hauled off the tram she was riding, leaving the little girl. To the astonishment of the elderly, unmarried tram driver, he finds himself claiming the girl as his niece. Thus begins several long, nerve-wracking years as the childless brothers Lars and Hans try to both raise and hide Beatrix. They rely heavily on the even more elderly Mrs. Vos next door, and a newcomer down the street who teaches Beatrix to be Catholic. Danger lurks around every corner, from informers to SS to simple starvation, but they also find surprising people who help them. Will they all make it to the end of the war? And is there any chance that Beatrix’s mother survived the death camps?
The children’s market is glutted with WWII books from seemingly every possible angle, and hidden children and righteous gentiles are nothing new. Still, I enjoyed the book and thought it did a good job of portraying Amsterdam during the war, which is different than many settings. My main concern is that the book is too young for the supposed middle school audience-—it feels more like a book aimed at grades 4-6, and the writing is accordingly quite simple and sometimes unimaginative (things are described as great, horrible, etc.). The story is a harrowing one, but tempered for its audience. I did like the characters, who all had flaws and secrets and often were realistically reluctant to get involved. I liked the epilogues that followed the characters through life, though I’m not sure I understood the last one. I also liked the details of life during the war, such as people stealing the tram supports to burn, when there was nothing else left. So I liked it overall, but am not sure it’s right for middle schoolers.
The children’s market is glutted with WWII books from seemingly every possible angle, and hidden children and righteous gentiles are nothing new. Still, I enjoyed the book and thought it did a good job of portraying Amsterdam during the war, which is different than many settings. My main concern is that the book is too young for the supposed middle school audience-—it feels more like a book aimed at grades 4-6, and the writing is accordingly quite simple and sometimes unimaginative (things are described as great, horrible, etc.). The story is a harrowing one, but tempered for its audience. I did like the characters, who all had flaws and secrets and often were realistically reluctant to get involved. I liked the epilogues that followed the characters through life, though I’m not sure I understood the last one. I also liked the details of life during the war, such as people stealing the tram supports to burn, when there was nothing else left. So I liked it overall, but am not sure it’s right for middle schoolers.
October 16, 2014
Wartime Amsterdam, Holland 1942
Beatrix finds herself left at the tram station, as the Nazis take her mother from the tram. Lars, a tram operator tells the Nazis Beatrix is his niece. He and his brother Hans have no idea how to even begin to cope with a 5 year old and yet they are willing to try eventhough if they are found harboring a Jew it will mean certain death. They enlist the help of their neighbor, Mrs. Vos, who although does her best, she cannot always shield Beatrix from the horrors of war as she waits daily for her mother to return.
In today’s society it would be hard to understand that a perfect stranger would be willing to jeopardize their lives to save the life of someone they didn’t know, since we are taught from a very early age to not speak to strangers, yet that is exactly what happened to 5-year-old Beatrix, as her mother is taken away by the Nazis. This book tugged at my heart strings. I felt their fear as they waited for the “all-clear” to sound from the bombings, their hunger and their cold and the uncertainty of their future as they waited for the war to end. All throughout this book the horrors of war brought out the worst and best in people.
This is definitely a book I would recommend, especially if you like a book based upon historical fact about World War II. I can promise you, it is a story that will stay in your thoughts long after you have read the last word. Superbly written!
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this eBook by the publisher, Annick Press, Ltd, through NetGalley blogger program for review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
Beatrix finds herself left at the tram station, as the Nazis take her mother from the tram. Lars, a tram operator tells the Nazis Beatrix is his niece. He and his brother Hans have no idea how to even begin to cope with a 5 year old and yet they are willing to try eventhough if they are found harboring a Jew it will mean certain death. They enlist the help of their neighbor, Mrs. Vos, who although does her best, she cannot always shield Beatrix from the horrors of war as she waits daily for her mother to return.
In today’s society it would be hard to understand that a perfect stranger would be willing to jeopardize their lives to save the life of someone they didn’t know, since we are taught from a very early age to not speak to strangers, yet that is exactly what happened to 5-year-old Beatrix, as her mother is taken away by the Nazis. This book tugged at my heart strings. I felt their fear as they waited for the “all-clear” to sound from the bombings, their hunger and their cold and the uncertainty of their future as they waited for the war to end. All throughout this book the horrors of war brought out the worst and best in people.
This is definitely a book I would recommend, especially if you like a book based upon historical fact about World War II. I can promise you, it is a story that will stay in your thoughts long after you have read the last word. Superbly written!
Disclosure: I was given a copy of this eBook by the publisher, Annick Press, Ltd, through NetGalley blogger program for review. I was not required to write a favorable review nor was I compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
Read
November 17, 2014The End of the Line is reported to be based on real events. It illustrates how parents during World War II were concerned for the safety of their children. Like the young mother in the story, they often sent their children to live with family, out of the country, or in this case left them in the arms of strangers. McKay shows the impact of the Nazi occupation in Holland, how people lived in fear of being accused of being Jewish, taken away to a prison camp and the loss of their basic freedom. As the war progressed across the seasons and years, McKay delves into the economic hardships by showing how Lars and Hans try to find food, keep their home warm all while ensuring that Beatrix is safe. Their are many dangers they face, including a young Nazi solider on the tram who Beatrix accidentally speaks Yiddish to, concerns that one of their neighbors might turn them in, and fear when a neighbor who was helping them is taken from her home. Throughout, The End of the Line is a story about kindness, the resilience of people and a hopeful story to add to a study on World War II and the Holocaust. I enjoyed the alternating chapters between Beatrix and her mother and then Hans and Lars. My favorite was those that included Mrs. Vos, she possessed such inner strength and was the most courageous. I also enjoyed that following Holland's liberation in 1945, all of the main characters futures were explained, leaving no questions unresolved. Included at the beginning of the story is a description of "When Strangers Were Saviors," and an Afterword that provides the historical details of the war.
I received a review copy from the publisher for free via NetGalley for consideration for the 2014 Cybils award in Middle Grade Fiction.
June 8, 2015
This was a fine fictional introduction to the Holocaust for children in the early to middle grades. Since the focus is a 6 to 7 year old girl named Beatrix while there is fear, it is never specifically stated why the Jews are being hunted down. The prison camp Westerbork is mentioned but again, not graphically, just as a prison camp with no details. The two adult bachelor brothers seem incredibly naive but may actually be quite realistic. For example, there was information available during World War II about what the Nazis were doing but no one really believed it. It wasn't until the camps were liberated that a horrified world realized what a few people had tried to tell was true: there was a large number of extermination camps. So for the brothers to understand Beatrix needed protection but not be too sure what is just barely believable. This is unusual simply because so few young children survived the Holocaust as this child did. There were some but mostly at that young an age children just didn't survive because of the innocent babbling kids that age tend to do. It is very difficult to explain that a secret must never ever be told and that this is no game. Other than that, the story is quite well told, with characters that can mostly be told apart. The two brothers are hard to distinguish but there isn't any real reason to have to remember which is which since they are together in almost all the scenes in the book. The other characters all seemed quite individual, especially Beatrix.
This is a decent into to the Holocaust if one absolutely has to burden a young child with such knowledge.
This is a decent into to the Holocaust if one absolutely has to burden a young child with such knowledge.
August 8, 2014
The End of the Line by Sharon McKay is the story of Beatrix and her survival during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. The actions of several people aid in keeping her hidden from the Nazis over three years.
Mrs.vos is my favorite character. She is introduced as a crotchety old lady, but soon becomes a beloved grandmother figure for Beatrix. She is responsible for helping her stay hidden, she uses a little "I know what you don't want others to find out" to keep the neighbors from telling on Beatrix, Hans and Lars. I have heard stories of people doing their best to be human in a time of horrific events. Lars and Hans do not listen to the horrors the Nazis are inflicting until they meet Beatrix, then the war becomes real for them. There is secrecy. There is distrust between neighbors. There are people being taken from their homes never to return.
The End of the Line is full of twists and turns. There are times Beatrix seems safe, then in the blink of an eye she is in danger of being caught. I am giving this book five stars because of the story line, the characters that pulled me in, and the hope I was left feeling upon completing the book. I am recommending this book to anyone who is looking for a book about the trials a little Jewish girl and some strangers that took a chance faced during WWII.
Mrs.vos is my favorite character. She is introduced as a crotchety old lady, but soon becomes a beloved grandmother figure for Beatrix. She is responsible for helping her stay hidden, she uses a little "I know what you don't want others to find out" to keep the neighbors from telling on Beatrix, Hans and Lars. I have heard stories of people doing their best to be human in a time of horrific events. Lars and Hans do not listen to the horrors the Nazis are inflicting until they meet Beatrix, then the war becomes real for them. There is secrecy. There is distrust between neighbors. There are people being taken from their homes never to return.
The End of the Line is full of twists and turns. There are times Beatrix seems safe, then in the blink of an eye she is in danger of being caught. I am giving this book five stars because of the story line, the characters that pulled me in, and the hope I was left feeling upon completing the book. I am recommending this book to anyone who is looking for a book about the trials a little Jewish girl and some strangers that took a chance faced during WWII.
January 27, 2015
Beatrix is left on a tram in Amsterdam when her mother is pulled off by the Nazis. She is taken in by older brothers Hans and Lars who operate the tram. They claim she is their niece and take her into their home. Together with their elderly neighbor Mrs. Vos they risk their lives to protect the little girl. Another neighbor Lieve helps teach Beatrix catechism so she can pass as Catholic. Hans and Lars do their best to make Beatrix a part of their family and love her dearly. The new family survives the deprivations and starvation of the war until they are finally liberated.
There is something about holocaust stories that always tug at my heart. This is a wonderful little story about two brothers who saved a young girl. I loved the humor of the two old bachelors trying to figure out how to handle having a little girl in their midst. Mrs. Vos was an awesome character as well, full of take-charge attitude and good sense. This book would serve as a good introduction to the deprivations suffered during war. The horrible things that happened are hinted at but not explicitly shown. War is horrible and that comes through loud and clear without a lot of terrible details that might scare young readers.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.
There is something about holocaust stories that always tug at my heart. This is a wonderful little story about two brothers who saved a young girl. I loved the humor of the two old bachelors trying to figure out how to handle having a little girl in their midst. Mrs. Vos was an awesome character as well, full of take-charge attitude and good sense. This book would serve as a good introduction to the deprivations suffered during war. The horrible things that happened are hinted at but not explicitly shown. War is horrible and that comes through loud and clear without a lot of terrible details that might scare young readers.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.
March 29, 2015
Beatrice is a five year old girl sitting with her mother on the tram in 1942. Suddenly a Nazi soldier ushers her mother off the tram and starts to question Beatrice about her identity as a Jew. The ticket-taker, Lars announces that Beatrice is his niece. The Nazi soldier leaves. What does Beatrice do? What will Lars and Hans do at the end of the day with Beatrice? Lars and Hans decide to have their friend/neighbor help them. They are also helped by a neighbor relatively new to the neighborhood .
This is a story told though the eyes of to two brothers who never married. One sees the fears and terrors a little girl has when her mother is taken away. You experience the everyday fears of living in a Nazi-occupied country. It at times made me chuckle and other times I felt fearful. It is an excellent novel for one to see how Nazis could affect people and how they survived.
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
This is a story told though the eyes of to two brothers who never married. One sees the fears and terrors a little girl has when her mother is taken away. You experience the everyday fears of living in a Nazi-occupied country. It at times made me chuckle and other times I felt fearful. It is an excellent novel for one to see how Nazis could affect people and how they survived.
Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book free from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I was not obliged to write a favorable review, or even any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
November 16, 2014
Five-year-old Beatrix is left alone on a tram in Amsterdam in 1942 as her mother is removed by Nazi soldiers. Two elderly brothers who work on the tram are touched by the little girl's plight and befriend her despite being clueless about how to care for her. They are able to trust two neighbors, Mrs. Vos and Lieve, with the secret, and together, they shelter the child until the war ends. The author builds sympathy for Beatrix and her benefactors by describing several close calls they have with the Nazis as well as explaining how little food they have. Even though their food is limited, they share what they have with Beatrix. Readers will be moved by this generosity and the risks taken by Hans and Lars. I enjoyed the book quite a lot, but I wish the ending hadn't been so abrupt. I wanted to know more about what happened after the war finally ended. The book prompts readers to ask how they might have behaved in similar circumstances.
April 26, 2015
The End of the Line
by Sharon McKay
Wow, a mesmerizing story that will make you cry, and find joy in the help and gifts of strangers. A little girl is abandoned on the tram in Holland. The Nazis have taken her mother off the tram, because she is a Jew, it is one year after the Nazis have invaded Amsterdam. They have change the city beyond recognition, but two elderly brothers could never expect the devastation and horrific nature of the Nazis reality. They are faced with a choice, allow a child to be taken by the military or defy the edicts and protect the child. They sacrifice so much for the love of another. They are rewarded beyond life’s expectation. I will be recommending this book to the local schools I work at, a great story for young readers to understand the devastation of World War II. This book can show children and adults the devastation of the War, and the hardships of the normal citizens living through a horrific time.
by Sharon McKay
Wow, a mesmerizing story that will make you cry, and find joy in the help and gifts of strangers. A little girl is abandoned on the tram in Holland. The Nazis have taken her mother off the tram, because she is a Jew, it is one year after the Nazis have invaded Amsterdam. They have change the city beyond recognition, but two elderly brothers could never expect the devastation and horrific nature of the Nazis reality. They are faced with a choice, allow a child to be taken by the military or defy the edicts and protect the child. They sacrifice so much for the love of another. They are rewarded beyond life’s expectation. I will be recommending this book to the local schools I work at, a great story for young readers to understand the devastation of World War II. This book can show children and adults the devastation of the War, and the hardships of the normal citizens living through a horrific time.
November 15, 2014
During the later part of the school year I do a unit on Number the Stars with my 4th grade class. It is a book that broaches the subject of WWII and the atrocities committed, without fully delving into the horrors. While in this unit my students are always looking for more things to read on the subject, but I balk at buying some of the available books for them to read independently because I feel it would be too much hate for them to understand independently.
That being said, I will purchase at least one copy of this when it becomes available because it will fit right in with our unit. The story is simple, and at times a little awkward, I think it covers the subject in a way that would independently be available to my students. As a teacher, I would strongly urge anyone looking for material on WWII and the Holocaust to use this book!
That being said, I will purchase at least one copy of this when it becomes available because it will fit right in with our unit. The story is simple, and at times a little awkward, I think it covers the subject in a way that would independently be available to my students. As a teacher, I would strongly urge anyone looking for material on WWII and the Holocaust to use this book!
January 11, 2015
As soon as I read the write-up of this story, I knew I wanted to read it. When reading about stories of people that helped the Jews during the war, you don't often hear about what happened in Holland. At least I've never read anything. This was a fairly short story, it took me about an hour to read but the story was very well written and definitely gave me an idea of what the people of Holland had to go through to survive the war. I will say that there was a surprise at the end of the story that had me in tears.
This is definitely a story I would recommend to my students. It tells the horrific story of what happened to people of the Jewish faith, but in a way that a child would understand it. If you cover WWII in your classroom, this is definitely a story for lesson plans!
Thanks go out to Annick Press via NetGalley for a copy of the story in exchange of an honest review.
This is definitely a story I would recommend to my students. It tells the horrific story of what happened to people of the Jewish faith, but in a way that a child would understand it. If you cover WWII in your classroom, this is definitely a story for lesson plans!
Thanks go out to Annick Press via NetGalley for a copy of the story in exchange of an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews