Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan

World War II was a scary time for all of us.  What doesn't often come to light is the role smaller countries, just on the edge of occupied territories, had in the war.  And although books like "The Diary of a Young Girl (Everyman's Library (Cloth))" and "Devil's Arithmetic" make us aware of the horrors imparted by the Nazis; it's the horrors that make the reality surreal.
In "Snow Treasures" we find a small town in Norway, drawn into German occupation and determined to thwart them by removing the local funds.
We also meet children that kids today can relate to...not someone forced to wear a star, or treated as less than human, just kids who like to play but want to earn the respect of adults around them at the same time. Kids who want to curl up and be taken care of, but yearn for adventure at the same time.

And it's based on a true story.
An adult could not have transferred the gold out of the area without suspicion.  But the children could play all day in the snow, and no one would suspect a thing.  So they played...or pretended to.  And in the process, they removed the local gold to a ship bound for America.
This book had adventure, excitement, fun and a bit of humor.  It wasn't too scary.  And it was a situation that even 2nd and 3rd graders can relate to, although they won't understand the politics involved. Parents who missed this the first (or second) time around will enjoy discovering "Snow Treasure" with their kids. 

Highly recommended. 
Author: Marie McSwigan
Title: Snow Treasure
Pgs: 208
Reading Level:  Ages 9-12 or grades 3-6
Read Aloud ages:  Kids as young as 7 could appreciate this book.

Content Warnings:  There are some scary parts, where they are scared of getting caught.  Younger children may need an explanation of what happened in the early 1940's, to understand why the German soldiers appear and why no one wants them there. 

Penguin’s Praise:  This book sounds like it should be more exciting than it really is.  It was a good book, I liked it.  The back made it sound like it might be scary, but it wasn't.  There was a lot of repeating, they did the same thing over and over.  They kept sledding and building snowmen.  But they had to, that's what they were supposed to keep doing.