Scout: The Secret of the Swamp

The film of Snuf de Hond in Oorlogstijd is currently being serialised on the Evangelische Omroep, and episodes can be viewed at http://uitzendinggemist.nl and http://www.eo.nl/snufdehond

A 2007 summer reading list mini review. I was at a home school convention last month, and perused the vendor hall with my wife. Like many home school parents, we purchase most of our curriculum needs at the convention vendor hall because there is a great deal of selection assembled in one place. Most vendors want to get their product catalogues out to the attendees but with such a variety of vendors, it's difficult to find a way to make their product line stick out. One vendor had a novel approach, literally. They handed this book out to the passers by. Inside the book was the publisher's product catalogue. I have been reading the book to my children and they have been enthralled by the adventures of a boy, Tom and his dog, Scout, in the Netherlands prior to and encompassing WWII. In the course of the book, Scout and his master foil a robbery ring, save a British paratrooper trapped behind enemy lines, keep a Jewish girl away from German authorities, and help end the German occupation of their city. Besides all that, Scout also helps booksellers get out their product line. What a dog!

I read a lot of Piet Prins' books, and I think they are incredible. The one called Scout, I thought was wonderful, because it gave me an other feeling about war and what it was like.Until I read Scout, I didn't know what war really was like. I thought it was just like a shooting game, but then I started to read it, and that changed my feelings about war. Now I realize how horrible war is and how pointless it is to get more land. If you do that millions and millions of people would die. Now I know that it isn't just a game.

This was an exciting story of a boy and his German Shepherd dog in the time of Word War II. I enjoyed it extremely when I read it a few years ago, when I was about 12 or 13 years old, and my brothers liked it too.

This is the first and best of the "Scout" series, the books by Piet Prins that tell the story of the courageous German Shepherd and the boys he leads. This book introduces Scout during the eve of World War II in Holland, explains how he was trained, and demonstrates his loyalty toward his master. Although encompassing a series of adventures, the book maintains a common theme about life in Holland during World War II. All readers will enjoy the spirited confrontation between the Germans and the Dutch boys. Written for children, the book is still a delight for adults to read. The writing is excellent and forward moving, but easy enough to be enjoyed by adolescents (I first read it while in the 4th grade and understood it fine).