Nine Open Arms Hardcover – June 3, 2014

Nine Open Arms is a charming read and a welcome addition to the sadly small set of children's literature translated into English. My kids and I have read several other novels set in the Netherlands that we loved, but they were written in English. This has a distinctly different flavor han the realism typical of American juvenile fiction.My daughters (8 & 11) and I were captivated by the wonderfully odd Boon family and the quaint, equally odd, setting. Lindelauf has a poetic but playful way with words, and the translator did a masterful job of bringing that to life in English, as exemplified by Oma Mei's "swivel eye" and Jess' "wreckbone". The inclusion of numerous Dutch colloquialisms and nicknames add interest and color without feeling superfluous or gimmicky.I think this book deserves more attention, and I'm sorry to see that there aren't more and better reviews here. It has been added to our list of favorites, and I suspect we'll be reading it again!

This historical fiction book tells the story of Fing and her large family who has lost their mother and travels around with their father who is a hopeless dreamer. His motto is “First believe, then see,” They end up in a strange house near a cemetery and have a time twisting adventure that will really stick with the reader. It takes place in the 1930s in the Netherlands, which I found to be very interesting since I haven't really read a story from this type of setting. This book is actually very humorous, quirky and well written. I enjoyed the characters and the story itself and think that anyone from age 9 and above would get a kick out of it.reviewed by Mason H. age 13 Denver Mensa

This had a slow start, for me, because it is a rather depressing first few chapters. However, the characters of the three sisters are engaging enough to keep the reader involved. After that, the almost tangible air of mystery about the tale as it unfolds will hold the upper-elementary reader.Resolution in stories for children is a must for me, and every loose end in this one is neatly and believably tied up by the end. This is a rewarding read for the fifth-grade and up crowd.

A quaint and intriguing story in the fairy tale genre. Intriguing insight into personal foibles and griefs and how they drive a family"s life experiences. Plot flashbacks are a little "out of the blue" but the eventually weave together the past and future epithet the use of motifs and stories.

It was a page turner and I enjoyed it though I'm not sure it would suit everyone. To those who read all sorts yes. It's a hard book to pinpoint. It is a historical novel which centres around one very small part of the world.