The Winged Watchman

by Hilda van Stockum, Lydia Reynolds (Introduction)

This acclaimed story of World War II is rich in suspense, characterization, plot and spiritual truth. Every element of occupied Holland is united in a story of courage and hope: a hidden Jewish child, an “underdiver,” a downed RAF pilot, an imaginative, daring underground hero, and the small things of family life which surprisingly carry on in the midst of oppression. The Verhagen family, who live in the old windmill called the Winged Watchman, are a memorable set of individuals whose lives powerfully demonstrate the resilience of those who suffer but do not lose faith.

Holland, 1940's
RL4.9
Of read-aloud interest ages 9-up

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Childrens, School, Middle Grade, Historical

191 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Born February 9, 1908, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Hilda van Stockum was a noted author, illustrator and painter, whose work has won the Newbery Honor and the National Conference of Christians and Jews Brotherhood Award. She was also a charter member of the Children's Book Guild and the only person to have served as its president for two consecutive terms.

Van Stockum was raised partly in Ireland, and also in Ymuiden, the seaport of Amsterdam, where her father was port commander. With no car and few companions, she recalled turning to writing out of boredom. She was also a talented artist. A penchant for art evidently ran in the family, which counted the van Goghs as distant relatives.

In the 1920s, she worked as an illustrator for the Dublin-based publishing house, Browne & Nolan. She illustrated her first book, an Irish reader, in 1930, and her last book in 2001, giving her a 71-year career as a book-illustrator.

Van Stockum attended art school in Amsterdam and later in Dublin, where she met and later married Ervin Ross "Spike" Marlin, who at the time was her brother Willem's roommate at Trinity College. Willem Van Stockum was killed piloting a bomber over France in 1944. Van Stockum memorialized him in her book The Mitchells (1945), about the travails of raising a family in Washington, D.C., during the war. She often used her family as models for the written and illustrated characters in her books.

Not surprisingly then, Van Stockum was, in fact, raising a family in Washington, D.C., at the time, having married Marlin, who by 1935 was a Roosevelt administration official.

She had written and illustrated her first book for children, A Day on Skates , in 1934. It had a foreword by her aunt-by-marriage, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and won a Newbery Honor. During the next four decades she averaged one book per year written, illustrated, translated or some combination.

Van Stockum and the couple's six children were in tow for Marlin's peripatetic assignments, and it seems nothing short of miraculous that she managed to write and illustrate a score of children's books. In addition, she translated and illustrated editions of many other authors.

Asked in 1942 by the Washington Post how she did it, Van Stockum replied with characteristic aplomb, "By neglecting my other duties." Highly organized in her work, she illustrated and painted in the winter and wrote in the summer, when she could get her children out of the house.

Known for their warm, vivid, and realistic depictions of family life in the face of danger and difficulties, van Stockum's books typically featured families and were set wherever she happened to be living; Francie on the Run (1939), about a child who escapes from a hospital, was set in Ireland. Friendly Gables (1958) completed the Mitchells' saga — by then they had moved to Montreal from Washington.

Her most popular book, The Winged Watchman (1962) is the story of two Dutch boys who help the Resistance during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II. The book is based on letters Hilda received from relatives in the Netherlands, and has been praised for conveying an accurate sense of life under Nazi occupation.

Hilda van Stockum died in 2006 at the age of 98.

Reviews

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this for my narration class and spent the last few chapters choking up. What a simple yet powerful story of WWII in The Netherlands. A good reminder to count my blessings.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great! I was so impressed with the writing, how engaging the story was, the characters, and how the author wasn't afraid to insert some hard, theological issues that faced the people of that time. It added wonderful depth; and the issues are so universal, that it would make for great family discussions.

Joris is ten years old and lives with his family in a windmill that his father maintains. The year is 1944 and times are becoming more difficult. It seems like the Nazis have always occupied Holland, but now they're tightening their hold and confiscating more. And a rebellious dutch teenager has turned traitor to his own countrymen making it very difficult for Joris and his family to eek out a living ... and keep the secrets they need to.

If you're looking for some good World War II adventures coupled with heart, this book is a great choice.

Geography: Holland

Ages: 8+

Cleanliness: mentions smoking and drinking. Mentions St. Nicholas and a man dresses up pretending to be him for a couple of children. Addresses two theological issues: if it's okay to ever tell a lie (it was to the Nazis) and why God doesn't stop Hitler and the other bad guys - I thought both questions were handled well and almost entirely theologically correct.

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[Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Winged Watchman is a fast-paced, exciting, children's book about how World War 2 was in Holland. Many exciting adventures happen to two young brothers in this trilling book for kids.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

2016: I read this aloud to Grades 5 & 6. They liked the story a lot, but since we only had an hour to read it per week, the story was too spread out and they would forget what was going on. This isn't the fault of the book, but because of this I don't think the ending had quite as much of an impact. I still like the book, but this time around I noticed more about lying, etc., that is tricky to explain to kids. I'm not sure van Stockum's assessment of this very tricky moral issue is correct; regardless, I found it a bit tricky to discuss with the kids. I didn't want to say the wrong thing and mislead them. There are still many wonderful parts of this story, though I'm not sure I consider it an all-time favorite any more.

2011: Amazing book! I love how this story, even though it’s in the midst of horrible war and oppression, still has an unshakable core of goodness to it. I find that in a lot of van Stockum’s work and I love her for it. Her philosophical and religious insights are so well woven into the story, and incredibly thought-provoking. The author has a real gift for bringing humanity and light to event the darkest of times. I definitely had tears in my eyes towards the end. I would highly recommend this!

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars & 6/10 hearts. Okay, so this was actually really good. It wasn't what I expected, but it was good. <33 First off, it's set in Holland. <33 AND it's WWII fiction. But this isn't set in the city of Holland. It's set in the country. I've read a lot about Holland in WWII, but most such books were set in the city, so this was really interesting and a different POV. It's written for a more juvenile audience and yet it touches on some pretty deep themes--forgiveness, hate, love, & war--and deals with them well. I didn't agree with all the theology/religion in this book, or all the ideas (for instance, I don't condone lying, even in such situations as the ones portrayed). But the message was AMAZING and so good. The characters were so well-done and so sweet and humorous and loveable. Hildebrand may just have been my favourite! ;) Overall, it was a great book.

Content: There is one instance of swearing in the introduction where an airman is quoted.

A Favourite Quote: “But how is one to love one’s enemy, when he acts like the Germans?”
“I admit it’s hard,” said Hildebrand, “but I am coming to the conclusion that it is the only practical way out of a vicious circle.”
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “Far away, in different parts of Holland where bombs and cannonades had done their destructive work, homeless people wandered like Joseph and Mary on that first Christmas night. Babies were born in cellars and wrapped in rags. And the stars in the sky shone as brightly as on the first Christmas.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “I’m not scared of the wolf either. I’ll just huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow them all down.”
Hildebrand took her on his knees. “You and I,” he said, “we’ll conquer the world.”
“Will you marry me?” asked Trixie.
“But you have a husband already!” Hildebrand reminded her in a shocked voice.
“Oh no, I lost him,” said Trixie.
“Lost him?”
“Yes, he fell out of my pocket and I couldn’t find him, so will you marry me?”
“I’ll have to think it over,” promised Hildebrand. “That’s an important decision!”
“It’s children’s bedtime,” announced Mother....
“We’re having a cozy time, Mamma. We’ll think of it when we die, won’t we?”

[Starry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another example of a children's book that I can't believe I never read sooner. An amazing, touching story about a Dutch family in World War II, dealing with the terrible hardships but also finding so much joy and opportunities for bravery and kindness. A very emotional read. I especially appreciated this book as a vehicle for important discussions with my kids about civil disobedience, truth, hardship, and faith.

[Jewel]

I love this book!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my children while living in Germany (7 years ago)and I just reread it to 11-year-old Josh (who didn't remember it). This is one of my favorite children's WW2 books ever (along with Snow Treasure). I love how this book helps us "experience" the last year of the war through the eyes of a 10-year-old Dutch boy: the hunger, the traitorous landwatchers, the resistance fighters, and the ordinary people who risk their lives to help others. My children don't enjoy my sobbing as I read the end of this book, but what mother wouldn't find it heartwrenching to read about a Jewish mother surviving a concentration camp and coming back to her baby (now a 6-year-old who believes that the woman who she lives with is her mother). A wonderful book!

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Nazi-occupied Holland, Joris Verhagen and his family live in a windmill. Though they seem like an ordinary family, the Verhagens' windmill is the site of many acts of resistance toward the Nazi regime, including their adoption of a Jewish baby as their own and the harboring of an English airman right under the nose of their teenage neighbor who works for the Nazis. As this family lives daily life in the months prior to Holland's liberation, the reader gains insight into the differences made by ordinary people during a time of great difficulty in Europe.

What I like most about this book is how Catholic it is. The Verhagens practice their faith devoutly, including celebration of saint days like St. Nicholas Day, participation in the sacrament of Reconciliation, and regular attendance at Mass. Children's books about faithful Catholics are real unicorns in the world of literature, and I am always completely thrilled to find a good one. It is clear that this family's faith is one the driving forces behind its desire to help anyone they can escape from the Nazis, and it is nice to have that expressed so well.

Another wonderful thing about this book is the character of Joris's mother. I have observed in the past that Van Stockum generally writes mothers very well (as evidenced by Mother O'Sullivan in The Cottage at Bantry Bay and Mrs. Mitchell in The Mitchells and its sequels), and this book solidifies that opinion for me. Mrs. Verhagen is not just a stock character, but a woman of real strength and courage who faces down real dangers on a regular basis and manages to remain calm, cool, and collected. Her relationship to the adopted Trixie is especially poignant, and her worries about the baby's true identity being discovered were very palpable to me throughout the book.

There are so many beautiful passages in this story that explore deep philosophical questions: why God allows suffering, when war is justified, what it means to be wise, to be honest, to be good. Each of these is discussed from a Catholic perspective, and in a way that helps kids break down these issues into their key components and really understand why we believe the way we do. For that reason, of all the van Stockum books I've read, I think this one was the most emotionally resonant and the one from which I will remember the most specific moments as time goes on.

I own a copy of The Winged Watchman and I can't wait for my kids to be old enough to appreciate it. Between this and Kate Seredy's The Chestry Oak, we are well-prepared for introducing them to World War II history.

This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.

[Rebekah Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story captured my interested at the beginning and held it to the end. I really enjoyed reading about like in Holland during WWII. Though life was hard, and the people suffered so much, this story shows just how strong and determined the people were to endure. The only thing I didn't care for were the times the Roman Catholic faith was put forth, the talk of praying to saints or going to confession. But these were few and could be skipped over if the story was read aloud.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite childhood book, read numerous times in grade school. This was the first book I read related to the war and I was hooked.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review hopefully to come!!! 😉

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books about the Netherlands during World War II are generally about the Dutch Resistance, but Hilda van Stockum has focused more on the daily experiences of one very close knit, religious family living, but without ignoring Resistance activities.

At ten years old, Joris Verhagen can barely remember what life was like before the Nazis invaded Holland in 1940 when he was 4. Life is hard for the Verhagen family - father, a 4th generation millwright, mother, Dirk-Jan, 14, Joris and Trixie, 4, but because they lived in a working windmill, things were not quite as hard as for others in their small village. Now, after four years of Nazi occupation, everyone is hopeful that the Allies will soon arrive.

The novel is told as a series of connecting vignettes that show how the family quietly worked hard to resist the Nazis. And so there are some wonderful moments in which their occupiers are outsmarted, like the downed RAF pilot who Joris discovers hiding in an old abandoned windmill and the amusing way that he was he was hidden in plain sight by Joris's Uncle Cor before escaping back to England.

Or the two little girls who come to stay with the Verhagens after their parents are forced into hiding and their absolute faith that St. Nickolas will show up at the Verhagen door with Christmas surprises.

Even little Trixie has a very surprising story.

There are some scary, tense moments as when Leendert, an adolescent, becomes a landwatcher for the Nazis, even though his own parents are against them and threatening to turn his own father in. Always trying to win favor with the Nazis, Leendert like to throw his weight around, like pushing a young girl off a broken-down bike with wooden wheels, causing her to loose consciousness, but not before she manages to toss her satchel into the bushes. Joris later discovers, when he retrieves the bag for her, that it is full of Resistance newspapers.

There is so much more that happens to the Verhagen family, and their friends and neighbors, all related with such compassion. But at the heart of everything, is the Winged Watchman. It is the Winged Watchman that ultimately saves the day for so many of them.

The two main characters, besides the windmill, are Joris and brother Dirk-Jan, who are portrayed as quite heroic, but not without a certain amount of fear. And who can blame them, living in an atmosphere of betrayal and danger. The most striking descriptions are of the hunger and homelessness that so many Dutch experienced by the winter of 1944 (known as the Hunger Winter) because the Nazis confiscated more and more of the food grown in Holland for themselves and because so many homes were bombed.

The Winged Watchman was written in 1962 and may feel a little dated and the writing may seem a little stiff to today's young readers, but it is still a compelling story of resistance and courage. The family is deeply religious and van Stockum shows how that also helped the Verhagens preserver throughout.

I also learned two intersting facts about windmills in this novel. The Winged Watchman is not a mill used for grinding, but was used for draining the water out of areas below sea level in order the reclaim the land below the water. The reclaimed land is called a polder. The water is diverted to a canal and is kept out of the reclaimed land by a dyke. This kind of windmill, of course, plays an important role in The Winged Watchman, so it helps to understand what it is all about.

The other interesting fact I learned is that windmills were used to send coded messages from member of the Dutch Resistance to other members right under the nose of the otherwise ever vigilant Nazis. The messages were read according to the location of the windmills sails, or the different color stripes of cloth tied onto them and sent windmill to windmill. Most Dutch citizens were ferociously patriotic, with only a few traitors like Leendert.

Hilda van Stockum was born in Rotterdam, Holland, and she clearly loved her country very much,

though by the time World War II began, she was living in the US, having married an American. She based many of the occurrences in The Winged Watchman on letters and stories of relatives who remained in Holland. Van Stockum was a prolific writer and in 1935, her short novel A Day on Skates: the Story of a Dutch Picnic was a Newbery Honor book.

The Winged Watchman is still in print and can be found in most bookshops and libraries and is still a worthwhile book to read.

This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was a hand-me-down from my sister

This review was originally posted on The Children's War

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historical fiction that takes place among the windmills of Holland during World War II. It was moving but heartwarming. It was written for children, so it was light on the horrors of war, but still very realistic. How do you avoid bitterness amidst overwhelming evil? Wonderful view of family life in another culture and another time.

[Lisa Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

An awesome audio book about what life was like during WWII in Holland. Very educational, yet heartwarming and entertaining. We listened to this audio during meal times and our whole family was enthralled. High on family life, low on war details. Most war details were regarding the resistance movement and the struggle to stay alive under the oppressive ruler-ship of the communist.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Historical fiction for kids...a charming, realistic book about World War II in the Netherlands. The story is about a Dutch family's involvement with the Dutch Resistence. Van Stockum's captivating and descriptive writing encases you in the culture, emotion and landscape.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a young girl, and it was one of my favorites. I am giving it 5 stars from my young girls viewpoint. I am going to re read this one, and see what it is that made such an impact on me.

[Brigid Oakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thw Winged Watchman by Hildavan Stockum is an excellent book!
A family living in a windmill survives the war, gradually adding people hiding from the Nazis.
Perfect for children , helping them to live out the experience of being invaded that so many countries suffered in wartime.

[John Tepper Marlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book more than once because I would like to see it become a comic book or movie or made-for-TV movie. This is viewed by many as Hilda van Stockum's best book, dealing with the difficult topic of evil in the Third Reich in a way that reaches children without creating trauma. Two miller's sons in occupied Holland discover that a schoolmate has become a traitor, so they decide to intensify their support of the Resistance and outwit him. There is a downed RAF pilot that they rescue, and at the climax there is a weapons drop. The story gets in most of the important aspects of the occupation and the language is accessible throughout. Although people's lives are constantly threatened, the most stressful scenes involve the treatment of dogs by the Nazi occupiers! This seems to be pegged at the 10-14 year old level, and fourth-fifth grades, but a lot of parents are deeply affected by the book. (I am one of the two sons of the book's author, who died in 2006.)

[Tearsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a touching story told from a child's viewpoint during the German occupation of Holland in World War II. I read this aloud to my children (ages 13, 11, and 9). We were drawn into the story as if we were part of their family. We felt fearful and then courageous, apprehensive and then compassionate, shocked and then tearful, hungry and then grateful. This story teaches timeless values like compassion, bravery and patriotism through the courageous examples of mother, father, uncle and neighbor.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of a windmillers family in German-occupied Holland during World War II. This book really helps you experience a lot of the pain and suffering, betrayal, attempts at resistance, and survival for a normal family during that time.

I also enjoyed the moral dilemas faced by the Christian (Catholic) characters and how the dialogs addressed these - loving/hating your enemy, telling the truth vs a lie when the truth would get someone killed, harboring fugitives. This will be great reading and discussion for my kids when they study this time period.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exceptionally well-written children's book that tells an engaging story of how one family dealt with the German occupation of Holland in WWII. Amazingly, it also introduces some of the most vital questions of philosophy (is lying always wrong? why does God permit evil? etc.) and provides the Catholic perspective on these, in an easy-to-understand way. These discussions are always well integrated into the story. We learn much about Dutch life at the time, and the details were inspired by letters to the author from relatives in the Netherlands.

[Lucia M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SUPER good. Miss Van Stockum is a sincerely good writer; she writes mostly of Jews/Germans and their adventures during the World Wars. This novel in particular is about a German girl who favors the Natzis and is a part of Natzi Youth, but then changes her mind about her opinion on Jews when she meets a certain young Rebel...

[Robynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great children's book about the people of Holland during World War II, and one family in particular. It was especially interesting to me since my father-in-law came to the U.S. from Holland as a young boy, shortly after the time period in which this book took place. I learned much about the people and their way of life as well as enjoying some great historical fiction!

[Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my 11 year old son and we really enjoyed it. I had never thought about Holland during WWII and so it was very educational as well as inspiring. I hope I would be as generous and brave during such difficult times.

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shows great examples of courage and sacrifice and ingenuity. A wonderful way for children to learn about this virtues. A living book that takes one into the heart of WWII Holland, viewed through the eyes of a child.

[Suzanne Doeren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend this one! We are studying WWII and it has been a great look into the war from the eyes of a Dutch family in German occupied Holland. When my boys ask to keep a "school book", I know it is especially good!

[CLM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really got into this author as a child (I think I read the Cottage at Bantry Bay) but came across this book for $.50 recently and decided it should come home with me.

[LJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful historical fiction told threw the eyes of a child. When learning about WWII, we often don't hear about countries, like Holland, who suffered brutally under the German occupation.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hail Mary..."Mary. Mary, quite contrary..." Cutest line in this wonderful book!