When the soldiers were gone

by Vera W. Propp

Book Overview

Henk was hidden on the farm when he was young and the Nazi soldiers came. But the war is over now, and Henk finds out that the people he lives with, the people he loves, are not his real family. He... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439104025
• ISBN13: 9780439104029
• Release Date: January 2000
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 101 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Alex's Review

. This is a super great book. I say you should read it. The characters are Hank (Benjamin), Mama, Papa, Elsbet, and David. The problem in this story is Hank has a problem with someone in his class, the bully's name is Max. He threw a rock at his head and made a big cut on his for head. My favorite part is when Hank went to his real parents. The setting was in the county and the 1900's. I give this book 5 stars because it is a super book. I would recommend this book to a friend because he likes the books I read and they are like the book I read.

When the Soldiers Were Gone

When the Soldiers Were Gone is a great book that tells how life was for an 8-year-old boy when the Nazis came. When you read this book you will find out how and why Henk (Benjamin, his real name) and his parents got separated. Although they were not separated their whole life, he still did not remember his real parents. He finally remembered them when they moved back to their real house and found one of his old toys that he used to play with when he was a baby. I liked most of the book, except for the part when he was living on the farm and when the "bad" soldiers came. He had to hide in the dirty laundry basket. It was very sad when Benjamin thought some weird people he didn't know were taking him away. I would highly recommend this book to ages 10 and under.

When the Soldiers Were Gone

Have you ever been with someone else for so long that you don't know your real parents? It is based on a true story. It's about a boy named Henk who was hidden during the war. His real parents came to get him, but he doesn't remember them. When they got home they celebrated his return with cake. One day they went to the park, but Henk was afraid because he remembered when a Nazi soldier would come out of his position and try to hurt him. He remembers other things from his past, which help him adjust to his new life. I like this book because it's historical. It was after World War II. It also tells how Jewish people were treated. The soldiers didn't let the Jewish people do anything. After the war the Jewish people could have normal lives. I give it four stars, because it was good. It told what it was like while he was hiding during the war and went on with his life.

Amanda's thoughs about When the Soldiers Were Gone

Have you ever read a War World II book before? Here is a book that describes what happens before, during, and after the war with children, mothers and fathers. I think the author wrote the book very well. She described what had happened. She told about the events and the characters. I feel the author really understands children, because she told about a young child. I feel the book was well written.One day after the war, two strangers walked up to Henk. Henk's real name is Benjamin. The two strangers were his mother and father. As he got to know them he started to remember. He was happy when he knew that they were his parents. What I think this book is a very sad story. I was surprised that this really happened to a man, who is still alive today. I rate the book five stars. It was hard to follow, because there were so many characters in the book. It was sad, but well written.

Sensitive and historically accurate.

Our third grader enjoyed the historical perspective, the Dutch names, and could relate to the feelings of fear and confusion of the little boy.