Ireentje learns the hard way

 

“In ‘Ireentje,’ Caroline Crocker tells the story, not only of her childhood, but also of her parents’ struggles as they face life together in a new country.  The book challenges the reader to step back into history.  By capturing the reader’s imagination, Ireentje allows the reader to share experiences, emotions and a sense of self-worth.  This book will give young readers the chance to understand one family’s story and thus gain insight into stories belonging to many other families.  The reader will experience, with the author, an underlying confidence and resilience that says ‘never give up’.” Regina O’Brian, Lead Early Learning Educator, Sevenoaks, England

“My 7-yr-old really enjoyed reading the book!!  My 15-year-old even read it.  I loved the part where the toy was in the oven and Mom was ready to explode but managed not to…it’s a good thing to practice being able to do!”

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Ireentje in Iowa

Before I was a mom and before I was a grammy, when I was just a girl, I had lots of adventures. So, so many that, if I was to tell them all, we would be here until next week. No eating, no sleeping, just telling stories. So, I decided to write them down. That way, your Mom and Dad, or maybe even you, can read a story or two whenever you want. And, if you phone me to see if the stories are really true, I’ll tell you that they are—mostly.

Ireentje, the Dutch immigrant child and her family move to Iowa. Read all about her adventures as she experiences yet another a new culture, babysits her brothers, is surprised with a sister, and grows up. Often the hard way. Always while making waves.

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I am Meta

A prequel to Ireentje, I invite you to enjoy this nonfiction, often amusing, narrative account of a Dutch child’s experiences of WWII, I am Meta: Growing Up in the Occupied Netherlands. After reading this  book, lifetime English Professor Bruce Hann wrote, “…I often was laughing with tears in my eyes.  Yes, [Meta] is plucky, but she also is willful AND she is treated unfairly.  I was rooting for her all the time while thinking sometimes – oops, Meta, that is not quite what you should do!”

 Living in a coastal town in the Netherlands, Meta was only four when World War II began. Readers will be inspired by this delightful and feisty child, who survived and thrived despite witnessing atrocities, experiencing extreme hunger, and, as the daughter of a German mother, struggling with post-war discrimination. Many of the vignettes are very moving, as Pappa and the family pull together and use every resource at their command to overcome the myriad challenges of life in an occupied country. 

I am Meta is a first-hand account (as told to me) which, in several ways, speaks to today’s environment. It is also an important resource that will help youngsters to learn about the past, a different culture, real history, and even the challenges of growing up. 

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