Boxes for Katje (Rise and Shine)

Based on a true story, a girl in post-war Holland receives a package from an American girl with soap, new socks and chocolate. Her letters of gratitude leads to more donations from the American pen-pal and her community, helping the Dutch town survive the harsh winter. A beautiful piece of

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historical fiction that celebrates service and gratitude.

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Not many people know that during World War II, many countries were without food, clothes, and other necessities because of the war. In this story, children will discover how people can help others nationwide! Children will see the value in sharing and caring about others that are less fortunate

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than they are. This helps students become motivated to do something good in their community or for a friend. Children (I think) will have a strong reaction to this because this is telling them that it is a true story and it is possible to help others in this way. Teach your children that they can have "pen pals" that live a great distance away. Mail, I know seems ancient because of our technologies now, but many other countries are not as fortunate as we are and mail is their only way of communicating with others far away. By reading this story, "Boxes For Katje," it teaches children that other people in different places values different things and that small things are usually what make people the most happiest.

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Katje is hungry, and barely has food after the war, she soon recieves unexpected help from a soon to be new friend.

Katje lives in Holland and after World War I there isn't much left there. Katje's family and all the other families in Holland are wearing hand-me-down, fixing their shoes so they can wear them s long as they can, and eating what they can find. One day Katje receives a package from an American girl

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named Rosie. In the first box Katje receives there are many things, Katje shares them all and writes Rosie back. To Katje's surprise Rosie sends her two more boxes with enough clothes, shoes, and sugar to share.

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This book shows the relationship between strangers after a war. People are so willing to help out; generosity is contagious. This book also shows that simple gifts like socks and chocolate can make a person's day. We, as Americans, take those simple items for granted, but to some, those items can

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help unify a community. I would read this book to a high school history class in a post-World War II lesson.

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this is a book all about giving. two pen pals are writing to each other and one mentions how poor she is and how her family has to line their clothes with newspaper. so the other pen pal begins sending care packages to her. the word gets around of their need so everyone starts sending packages to

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katje. this could be tied to a lesson about generosity and maybe some sort of charitable act can take place.

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This book is wonderful historic fiction that is based on true events. Katje is a little girl who lives in Holland after World War ll. People in her town, including her own family, struggle after the war, patching their own clothes, and living without many neccesities. Then one day Katje recieves a

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box from America that contains soap, socks, and chocolate. She is delighted and shares these things with her people. She sends back a letter of thanks that leads to more gifts and more letters and so on. This book would be a great tool for not only a history lesson but a lesson on giving and helping thise in need.

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Katje and her community are beneficiaries of the kindness of strangers from America after World War II devastates their country. This would be a good book to read to students either during the holidays since it is about giving or in the context of a unit about World War II.

Katje, whom lives in Holland, receives a box containing a letter and some gifts from a girl named Rosie from the USA. They continue to exchange letters and Rosie sends Katje more and more gifts for her family and friends. Katje is so thankful and wants to return the favor to Rosie. Katje sends

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Rosie tulips from her garden. This is a great story to teach about giving a helping hand to those in need and that no matter the distance you can be friends with someone.

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This is a great story about the needs and the kindness of others. Katje is reviving gifts from America that help not only her, but her whole fmaily and community back on their feet during the cold hard times. In many ways, the pen pal for Katje is a sign of forever friendship and forever life. This

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would be a great book to read to children in a history class or before writing to pen pals.

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A little girl recieves supplies from a girl in America to help them get through the horrid winter.

Genre: Historical Fiction
Age(s): 6-9

A friendship between a child in Holland and a child in the United States blossoms from one box of a few simple items.

The book would be a great way to discuss friendship, generousity, giving, and helping.

This book takes place with a family from America and a family in Holland. A woman from America writes a letter and sends chocolate with the letter. A girl named Katje receives the letter and decides to share the chocolate with her family and friends. The book continues on about the two writing

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letters and the woman from America sending them things that they need in Holland. As a thank you, Katje sends a gift from Holland, tulips. This book can be an anchor for Candy Bombers

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After WW2 all people in Holland had to save money, wear old clothes and even had not enough to eat. One day, a little Dutch girl receives a box from an American sender. A box full of clothes, food, chocolate, etc. Katje is so overwhelmed and immediately writes back. Larger and lager boxes arrive in

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Holland - all the people in the village are excited.
A totally recommendable story about how a little girl from America can make a big difference in a small village in Holland. A wonderful correspondence with a pen friend is established!

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In this moving tale of the time just after WWII, when Europe and its people were still reeling from the after-effects of that bitter conflict, and suffering from widespread food shortages, and the lack of proper clothing and shelter, as a bitterly cold winter approached, a cross-Atlantic friendship

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develops between a young Dutch girl, and her village, and a young American girl, and her town. Katje, living in the small village of Olst, is surprised to receive a package out of the blue one day, and even more surprised to discover that it comes from America, the "land of plenty." Sent by Rosie, of Mayfield, Indiana, it contains a bar of soap, a pair of wool socks, and (most wonderful of all!) a bar of chocolate. In writing her thanks, Katje mentions how much the chocolate, in particular, meant, in a country where sugar has disappeared, and a few months later, a larger package, with plenty of sugar, arrives! And so it progresses, as the packages Rosie sends to Katje, and through her, to her entire village, grow ever larger, incorporating food and clothing donated by people from her entire town. In the spring, moved by gratitude for the help that has allowed her village to survive the winter, Katje thinks of a way to repay her American friends...

With a poignant story that had me tearing up, at various points, and lovely artwork, done in colored pencil, oil pastel and acrylic paint, that has an appealing folksy feeling to it, and that makes use of fabric patterns from the time - according to the dust-jacket blurb, illustrator Stacey Dressen-McQueen, who made her picture-book debut here, did search in the Olst town library - Boxes for Katje is a real winner! An excellent title to use with younger readers, in introducing the topics of war, and the recovery from war, and the building of friendship across borders and cultures, it would work very well when paired with other picture-books with a similar theme, from Lita Judge's One Thousand Tracings: Healing the Wounds of World War II to Margot Theis Raven's Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot. Highly recommended, to any reader interested in the aftermath of WWII in Europe, and the process of rebuilding, after that (or any) conflict.

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This story is set in post war Holland. Katje receives gifts from an American girl, Rosie. Once Katje receives items in the mail, she kindly shares them with her neighbors. Katje ends up sending tulip bulbs to Rosie in Indiana. This book is based on true events. The book would be great to read to a

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class when discussing World War II, empathy, and even as an example of acts of kindness.

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This is a sweet story. I remember having a pen pal in elementary school in eighth grade that the nun had set up with a school from Ireland. I don't remember the letters so they were insignificant to my life. The assignment was there but not the spirit. It was touching to see how they cared for each

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other and sent gifts that were needed and meaningful.

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A postman deliver a box to Katje from her friend in the United States Rosie. Rosie cant believe the devastation and all the needs Katje and her community needs after the war. Rosie, her mom, and then the community gets together to send Katje the best gifts they could ever receive.

Any book that teaches children about charity is great, and this book is no exception. Boxes for Katje is an uplifting story that shows empathy, generosity, and humility.

This is a sweet tale about two pen pals who are writing back and forth. Katje lives in Holland after World War II where there family is in poverty after being affected by the war. While exchanging letters, her pen pal in America sends her and her town many items of need. It is a great, heart

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touching story about helping others and friendship.

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I enjoyed reading this book because it shows friendship and hope. This book was about post war and how people came together to help those that were victims. Americans were sending boxes two the victims in Holland. I would read this book to my students during history class. It would teach my

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students about caring and hope. I really liked this book because of the message it shared.

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This is a fantastic telling of a true story in which American families sent supplies to post-war Europe. The story inspires readers to have compassion in the face of adversity.

Rosie is a girl from America who has a pen pal friend in post-war Holland named Katje. This is a great story that shows how friendships can form over long distances and that community service can be a wonderful thing.

I could connect this book to 14 Cows for America. Similar themes of diverse people coming together to help in times of need. Beautifully written and illustrated.

I wonder if children today even know what penpals are?