Module 10: Boxes for Katje

Summary:
After World War II in Holland times are tough. Katje's family doesn't have some of the necessities and luxuries they would like to have such as chocolate, sugar, wool socks,and cakes of soap. One day a package arrives from a girl named Rosie from Indiana. Katje writes her a letter of thanks and the packages keep coming and getting bigger. Katje shares the contents of her packages with people around her and eventually many people from her town. One dat Katje is able to extend the generosity bestowed on her by Rosie. Katje mails a package of tulip bulbs to Rosie to plant.

Reference:
Gleming, C. (2003). Boxes for Katje. New York: Melanie Kroupa Books.

Reviews:
Odean, K. (2003, September 1). The Booklist, Vol. 100, No. 1.
K-Gr. 3. In May 1945, a Dutch girl named Katje is thrilled to receive a letter and a package of socks, soap, and chocolate from Rosie, a girl she doesn't know who lives in Mayfield, Indiana. The kids start to exchange letters, and when Rosie's family members learn of Holland's severe post-war deprivations, they enlist Mayfield residents to send food and clothes to Katje, who generously shares the gifts with others in her community. The sense of suffering isn't strong here, in part because the Dutch townspeople are almost always depicted as smiling about the packages. But the story is still moving, and Dressen-McQueen's lively illustrations, in colored pencil, oil pastel, and acrylic, pack lots of color, pattern, and historical details onto every expansive page. Fleming based the book on her mother's experience, which she describes in an author's note; in the real-life story, however, adults, not children, orchestrated the events, a finding that may be a little disappointing to kids who took the book, with its specific dates, town names, and heroic, generous children, as straight fact.

My Impressions of the book:
This is a heartwarming tale that focuses on the generosity of people and shows that people of all ages can make a difference in someone else's life. I like the fact that this book is based on a real story. It helps to make it all the more touching. I believe this story could inspire someone to perform a random act of kindness for someone else.

Uses in a library:
This book would tie in nicely with a letter writing unit since the book incorporates the letters written back and forth between Rosie and Katje. It might also be a good cause and effect lesson for reading.