Snow Treasure (Paperback)

There is no disputing the fact that the Norwegian gold reserves were somehow smuggled out of the country after the Germans invaded and occupied Norway in 1940. The gold ended up in the United States, where it was kept in storage until Germans were defeated. According to some accounts that have not truly been verified, the gold was transported in Norway from the storage vault to the transport ship by children on their sleds. While this seems unlikely, it does make for a great plot that is expressed in this book. After the Germans took control of Norway, most people did as little as possible to aid the Germans, although there were a few collaborators. Peter Lundstrom and the other children of the town of Riswyk are approached with a plan to load gold bars hidden in the bank aboard their sleds and transport it to a cave where men can then load it on a fishing boat that will sail to America. They are brave young teens, for all know that if they are discovered, the Germans will likely have the people doing the smuggling shot. All know that some of the Norwegians will betray their country to the Germans, so all must be careful when speaking. The Germans are depicted as posting harsh decrees yet are presented as having some vestige of politeness toward the Norwegian population. It is a great example of YA fiction, the children are depicted as heroes, but not in an exaggerated manner. While it likely did not happen, the story is depicted in a manner that presents it as a plausible happenstance.