The Little Riders [Paperback]

Margaretha Shemin (Author), Peter Spier (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

"Take care of the little riders," says Johanna's father to the eleven-year-old when he leaves her with his parents for an extended vacation in their Dutch village. And Johanna does. She loves the twelve metal figures on horseback who ride forth each hour from the clock on the ancient church tower. She would do anything to protect them, anything. And on night she risks her life to prove it.

Set during the Second World War when the German army occupied Holland, The Little Riders is an exciting, moving adventure story, just right for reading aloud.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A fine book." -- -- The Horn Book

"Heartily recommended." -- -- School Library Journal(starred review)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (April 21, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688124992
• ISBN-13: 978-0688124991
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #351,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CHARMING TALE OF JUVENILE HEROISM, May 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Little Riders (Paperback)

This short tale highlights the resilience and determination of the Dutch people to live free from oppression during Nazi occupation. Young Johanna (raised in America but with a Dutch father) has spent the last five years with her grandparents in a small village in Holland. She has come cherish the the simple but dignified lifestyle in northern Holland, the last part of the country to be liberated. While some were collaborating with the enemy, she made a private vow never to look a Nazi soldier in the face.

The village treasure consists of a set of 12 Little Riders of metal (modeled centuries ago to represent Crusaders); they ride out and salute each other when the church clock tolls the hours. Johanna's favorite viewing spot is her attic room--just where her father used to sit and admire them as a boy. But when the Nazis invade the village, her family is forced to house a young officer (who plays the flute on summer nights). She has to vacate her little room with its view of the Riders (and a secret hiding place at the back of her closet).

The villagers' worst fears are realized when the commanding officer orders his men to seize the Little Riders and melt them down for ammunition--to be used against the very people who love them. How can 11-year-old Johanna help her grandfather prevent this desecration? Even children can exhibit heroism for a noble cause, for these Little Riders represent more than just medieval art. They now symbolize the spirit of joy and yearning for liberty of the Dutch people. Who will suffer Nazi retaliation when the Riders are discovered missing? A thoughtful tale which will charm adult readers and inspire youthful ones.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Story of Courage, February 24, 2010

By 

Shanna A. Gonzalez "eyelevelbooks.com" (Gaithersburg, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Riders (Paperback)

Johanna, a young Dutch-American girl, is visiting her grandparents in Holland when World War II breaks out and Holland is invaded by the Germans. To her dismay, the Nazis appropriate her bedroom to be the living quarters of one of their officers. This not only produces inconvenience for the girl, but also endangers her grandparents who are leaders in the resistance movement. She takes consolation in watching the village's treasured Little Riders, iron figures of noblemen commemorating the Crusades, which make their circuit in the church steeple as the great clock strikes the hours. When the Nazis announce their intention to melt the Little Riders down for ammunition, Johanna joins the movement to keep the statues out of the Nazis' hands. When plans to smuggle them out of town go wrong, Johanna is left alone with them and she heroically implements a desperate solution. The story ends with a surprise which underscores the humanity of all people who participated in this war.

This riveting story gently introduces the pain and evil involved in World War II, without going into graphic detail about the horrors of the war. Johanna's courage and loyalty are very admirable, and they seem to grow naturally in the context of her family's values of love and courtesy. The book is written at a transitional reader's level and (unlike most war stories) is appropriate for precocious pre-readers.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Love Your Enemy", July 5, 2008

By 

MusicMomTX (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Little Riders (Paperback)

This beautiful little book is extremely well written, with beautiful prose and a beautiful message. This book sparked some wonderful discussions with my children regarding the question, "Who are our enemies?" I would recommend this book to anyone. I was comfortable reading it to my 7 and 9 year old children.