Other editions of book Hans Brinker; Or, the Silver Skates

First published in 1865, Mary Mapes Dodge’s “Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates” is an endearing children’s story about a hard-working, honorable Dutch boy and the challenges he faces as a result of his family’s poverty. Hans dreams of entering a big ice-skating race with his sister Gretel so that he may win the beautiful silver skates he desires. Yet, he is also very concerned for his father, who has been injured from a fall off of a dike and in need of surgery. When Hans learns of an expensive doctor who may be able to treat his father, he offers his money, saved for the race skates he would need to win the competition, to the doctor for the surgery. This heartwarming tale with its surprising ending was an instant commercial success and has remained in print ever since its publication. Dodge’s story, full of authentic detail of Dutch life in the early nineteenth century, has provided readers with a charming tale of youthful honor that has stood the test of time.

The prize for winning the canal race is a pair of silver skates, but how can Hans or his sister, Gretel, hope to win skating with their handmade wooden skates? Since falling from a dike and hitting his head Hans' father has been unable to work, forcing Hans, Gretel, and their mother to find ways to pay the bills. With barely enough to go around there isn't much left over for fancy skates, but when Hans saves up enough for his own pair and a chance to race he decides that there is something even more important.Continuously in print since it was published in 1865 this edition of Hans Brinker features 65 illustrations and the complete unabridged text of this lovely story.

Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates (full title: Hans Brinker; or, the Silver Skates: A Story of Life in Holland) is a novel by American author Mary Mapes Dodge, first published in 1865. The novel takes place in the Netherlands and is a colorful fictional portrait of early 19th-century Dutch life, as well as a tale of youthful honor.The book's title refers to the beautiful silver skates to be awarded to the winner of the ice-skating race Hans Brinker hopes to enter. The novel introduced the sport of Dutch speed skating to Americans, and in U.S. media Hans Brinker is still considered the prototypical speed skater.The book is also notable for popularizing the story of the little Dutch boy who plugs a dike with his finger.

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