Hans Brinker: The Silver Skates

In a snug cottage beside the frozen canals of Holland, young Hans Brinker and his sister Gretel skate on hand-carved wooden blades while their family endures a bitter winter. Their father, once a skilled carpenter, has never recovered from a dreadful accident, and their mother tends him with quiet courage. When the village announces a great race with a pair of silver skates as the prize, Hans and Gretel dare to dream of winning, yet Hans carries a heavier calling: saving his family. A hidden hoard of long-forgotten money, a celebrated surgeon from Amsterdam, a selfless act on race day, and a grave mystery at the village church build to a moving conclusion about generosity, memory, and belonging. Mary Mapes Dodge's beloved 1865 classic is retold here in vivid, natural, present-day English while keeping every character, twist, and triumph of the original. Part of Timeless Classics.