I'd love a fiction novels suggestions for books set in Switzerland for 6th-7th gr.

[4kids4me]

I have a friend who's pulling her 6th gr. ds and 7th gr. dd from school during the winter months and going to Switzerland to work. She wants to talk to me about materials so she can homeschool them during this time. I thought it'd be fun to have a list of books her kids could read while there. Any thoughts?

[In The Great White North]

Pursuit in the French Alps (they cross into Switz)

 

Cornelli - Johanna Spyri

Heidi - Johanna Spyri

Margareti and Retzli - Johanna Spyri

Uncle Titus and his Visit to the Country - Spyri

Maezli - Spyri

 

Banner in the Sky - James Ullman

 

A Bell for Ursli - Caragiet (picture book)

Barry, the bravest St Bernard (a Stepping Stone Book - easy reader)

The Silent Bells - MacKellar (chapter book, harder than Barry, but easier than Banner in the Sky)

 

and some version of William Tell

[AuntieM]

Got to second Heidi! It may seem like a title for youngers, but the theme of openheartedly, generously loving others... that's ageless.

[Laurie4b]

If they are Christian, Patricia St. John has a book set in Switzerland called Treasures in the Snow. The original version is out of print; the new version is dumbed down, so the older one is recommended. This is an overtly Christian book that would probably not be enjoyed if the family didn't hold those beliefs.

[Rebecca VA]

There's also a very beautiful DVD of Treasures of the Snow, available used through Amazon or new through CBD (http://www.christianbook.com).

[Sparkle]

 

And Both Were Young by Madeleine L'Engle is a good book.

[justasque]

I am fond of The Chalet School series, though it's old and obscure and partly in Austria rather than Switzerland. Basically, it's a boarding school series (60 books!) spanning many years (including the WWII years) and several generations of kids (old students marry and send their kids to the school), featuring families from most of Western Europe. I would only hand it to a serious reader who is interested in older books; more "lite" readers or those who prefer modern books would find them quaint and perhaps a bit dull.

Edited October 19, 2010 by askPauline

[4kids4me]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

[Carol in Cal.]

I third Heidi, and the Uncle Titus book by the same author is sometimes called "Dora". The translators are different. I like the "Dora" translation a little better. For bonus points, I think that they were both originally written in German. If your daughter is learning German it might be nice to read Heidi in the original. Also, since everyone seems to know Grimm's fairy tales, getting those in German would also provide great practice.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I have a friend who's pulling her 6th gr. ds and 7th gr. dd from school during the winter months and going to Switzerland to work. She wants to talk to me about materials so she can homeschool them during this time. I thought it'd be fun to have a list of books her kids could read while there. Any thoughts?

 

A section of When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit takes place in Switzerland.

Escape from Warsaw (also published as The Silver Sword) ends with a journey across the lake to Switzerland.

 

And I'll be another vote for Heidi. Get an unabridged version, even if it is only the first part (ie, Heidi comes to the village, goes to Frankfurt then returns). The language and scenes in the story are so rich that it is a shame there are so many abridgements. You can find full versions, shortened unabridged and abridged (usually of the shorter version). [i'm using abridged to mean that the language of individual chapters, paragraphs and sentences has been simplified.]

 

The Little Musician by Spyri was also something I enjoyed reading.

 

The Apple and the Arrow about William Tell (though this might be a younger version than they want).