DESCRIPTION
Other Editions: HardcoverIt is the fall of 1944, and World War II grinds on. Although the Germans have occupied Holland, the courageous Resistance movement constantly undermines them. Thirteen-year-old Pieter Van Dirk, who is part of the Resistance, knows there's a traitor in his village--someone who would reveal his identity to the Nazis if his undercover work is discovered. But who is it?
As Pieter takes more and more chances, the shadow of the traitor is everywhere. The obvious suspects are the Nazi soldiers, but Pieter begins to wonder if it's one of the villagers themselves. Could it be Mr. Van Der Meer, who teaches his students about German writers? The local doctor, who treats German soldiers? His uncle, who feeds them at his tavern? The suspects multiply as the suspense increases--and the stakes grow higher.
AWARDS and RECOGNITIONS
Bank Street College, Best Children's Books of the Year (1999)
Missouri Association of School Libraries, Mark Twain Award Master List (2000)
California Collections, Middle School Collection (2003)
California Collections, High School Collection (2005)
Pennsylvania Young Readers, Selected for the Choice Award List
Elementary School Library Collection, Selected
Children's Book Council, Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
New York Public Library, Books for the Teen Age List
Parent Council, Ltd., Selected as Outstanding
Parent's Guide to Children's Media, Award
REVIEWS
Booklist
"Set in a village in Nazi-occupied Holland in 1944, this is an exciting World War II thriller. . . What will hold readers is not only the thrilling action of the kid in the underground army but also the spy story: Who is the secret Nazi informer in the village? Is it the doctor? Pieter's teacher? His neighbor? His best friend? The suspense rises to the very last chapter."
Catholic Library World
"Historical fiction, mystery, ‘scary book,' what more could you ask for? A book that appeals to both boys and girls? A Traitor Among Us fills the bill on all counts."
CBA Marketplace
"Aching for food. Pulsating fear of discovery. Breathing soundlessly. Lying inertly in the grass. . . A Traitor Among Us is so suspenseful that readers breathe almost as soundlessly and shallowly as the characters."
Publishers Weekly
"Sharp period detail. . . Almost cinematic tension. . . The climax — a furtive, after-curfew bicycle ride in which Pieter flushes out the traitor — is heart-pounding."