North to Freedom [Paperback]

Anne Holm (Author), L. W. Kingsland (Translator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Having escaped from the eastern European concentration camp where he has spent most of his life, a twelve-year-old boy struggles to cope with an entirely strange world as he flees northward to freedom in Denmark. “[North to Freedom] is, to my mind, the single finest novel ever written for children of about ages 9 to 13.”--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Danish (translation)

About the Author

ANNE HOLM (1922-1998) was born in Denmark, and she began her writing career as a journalist. I Am David was originally published--under the title David--in Denmark, where it became a million-copy bestseller and received numerous awards.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company (March 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152575537
• ISBN-13: 978-0152575533
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #871,029 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lousy title, wonderful book, September 19, 1999

By 

Rgh1066 "rgh1066" (Monterrey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North to Freedom (Paperback)

Why oh why do U.S. publishers insist on retitling classic European books? As "I Am David" this book successfully explores far more profound questions than freedom. David's journey is a process of self discovery and a self-imposed restructuring of a broken human spirit. Though told in the third person, the narrative invites us into David's young mind and allows us to see the wonder of objects and concepts that we all take for granted but which are new to the young escapee. Music, play, the taste of an orange, the feeling of being clean, language, colour! David's voyage of discovery is a bitter sweet mixture and we learn the awful truth about his past during his trek across Europe at the same pace as he does himself.

I have read this book with classes of children from fourth to seventh grade, as well as with adults. It is a book for all seasons, and I can still turn the pages with pleasure and wonder.

The wonder of realising what it is to say "I Am David" is what the book is all about! "North to Freedom" is a lousy title - meaningless in fact, David's first steps to freedom take him south! But this should not dissuade anyone from reading Anne Holm's book. The greatest children's story to come out of Denmark since Hans Christian Andersen.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trust, July 23, 2003

By 

David Brown (VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: North to Freedom (Paperback)

Do you know what it is like to be hunted? Or to feel the palpable hate from men who destroy everything except what is inside of you? David, from his experience in the concentration camp, simply can not trust anyone. He has to be wary because that is the only way to survive. Parts of him are so deadened inside that when he sees the beautifull it is so much more intense. This book provides a usefull insight into the experience of many that will evoke your compassion and give you some understanding of why some people who are hurt are so reluctant to ever get close again or to seek or even recognize help around them. And through all of this, David is a moral person. He knows why evil must be resisted. Excelent!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading every year, each year., October 29, 2001

By 

"avidrereader" (Dallas, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: North to Freedom (Paperback)

Though I have read this book countless times through the years, with each reading I discover more of the story and more of myself. I have yet to finish this book and not be in tears, for David, and for the birth, loss, and rebirth of hope itself. I recommend this book to readers of all ages, but particularly those who have struggled through sorrow and rediscovered faith.