Illustratie: Charlotte Dematons
Uitgeverij Holland English catalogue
Welcome! Uitgeverij Holland is an independent publisher with over 90 years of experience in book publishing, with an emphasis on children’s books. Based in our canal house in the historical centre of Haarlem we publish, promote and distribute our books with the utmost care. We mainly work with Dutch writers and illustrators, how-ever, we also buy rights from foreign authors. This brochure contains an overview of our books for which the rights are possibly available in in your language area. Please note that this is a selection; if the title you are looking for is not on this list it may be listed on our website: www.uitgeverijholland.nl. Would you like more information on a book or author or would you like to receive a reading copy? Please contact our foreign rights managers Caroline Albers or Emmy Egmond; they are happy to help you. (info@uitgeverijholland.nl)
Translation Charly May, Vivian Collingwood
Hans Andreus - Stories of Master Bumblemoose > A touch of magic, a pinch of adventure, a drop of reality and spoonful of dreams are the ingredients of this timeless stories > Childrens Book of the Year Award > Sold to Japan > Illustrated by Charlotte Dematons known for her well-loved picture book The Yellow Balloon > Age 5+ Stories of an amazing schoolteacher mr Bumblemoose and his famous pets: a talking tomcat a cheerful posh dog and a craoking crow.
Simone Arts - Stars > Subject: stage fright, showtime > Age 10+ A show by Jade! Sterre can hardly believe her mother succeeded in getting Jade to sing in their tiny theatre. All that’s left to do now is land the vocal solo in the school musical and her final year at school will be perfect. There is one tiny problem, however: Sterre is a good singer but her nerves always ruin everything. She’s so scared to make a fool out of herself on stage. Her best friend Doreen doesn’t have this problem, plus she has a wonderful voice. It’s enough to make you jealous. But worse is that Doreen suddenly seems to be friends with someone else. Now Sterre can’t even tell her about her encounter with Jim.
Simone Arts - Diary of farewell > Touching story of an eleven year old girl about loss and grief > Age 10+ After her mother died, nothing is normal in the life of the eleven year old Bien. Her father tries to escape by working as much as possible, unable to deal with his own feelings, neither his daughters grief. She desperately tries to take over things her mother used to do, in an attempt to get back to normal. At school she withholds the tragedy in her life. In her diary however she finds a way to express herself - not only about her mother but also about unexpected happiness with new friends.
Jacqueline Epskamp - Nightrider > Subject: horses, friendship, dealing with loss, roadmovie > Age 10+ Maud is unhappy about moving to Paris because she can’t bring her pony Vicky. Why did her mother have to fall in love with a French policeman who lives on the fifth floor? Desperate about the approaching goodbye she spends all her time at the stables to be with her pony as long as possible. There she meets Sharif from Afganistan, a boy in her class, who does chores in exchange for horse riding lessons. When she discovers by coincidence that he’s working on a secret plan she suddenly realises what to do. Two children, a pony and a horse on their way through the night. But for who or what are they running?
Thijs Goverde - The glowing city > Subject: adventure, roadmovie, science fiction > Age 10+ Sooike is a little dreamer, he dreams of big adventures, which he thinks will never happen, because he is only a simple boy who has to look after the goats. Then Mex, the motorman, suddenly appears. A mysterious stranger who’s on it’s way to the red mountains. A dangerous place. Hundreds of people went there, searching for fortune, searching for ‘the glowing city’. Nobody ever returned from this place...
Thijs Goverde - Thundercat > Subject: durability, environment, action > Age 9+ Gaby and Michael can’t believe their ears. Their neighbour, mister Dogger, turns out to be a villain. Not just a creepy little man, no, a full blown, dirty rotten scoundrel who doesn’t flinch at kidnapping or murder. That’s what their father says and he should know. But the police don’t believe him and dad is thrown into prison. Meanwhile the mysterious Thundercat is wreaking havoc in town; one building after the other is blown up. Who, or what, is that Thundercat? And what, or who, is the orange creature that keeps showing up near the explosions? Gaby and Michael discover it all but in doing so have to run for their lives!
Thijs Goverde - Thundercat vs. Chainsaw > Follow up of Thundercat > Bombs, chainsaws, alligators and making money: boys favourite reading stuff Michael and Gaby and their parents are hiding now in the jungle, trying to escape the gangsterband that treathens their life and persued them all over the world. Far away from civilization they expect to be safe. But are they really safe in a jungle full of alligators, snakes and scorpions as big as their hands? Living in a treehouse, without any comfort, even without clothes, demands all their inventiveness to survive. The unexpected arrival of a man in a canoe and a horde of men with chainsaws is the beginning of a new adventure full of explosions and home-made bombs.
Thijs Goverde - Master Thief trilogy > Age 9+ > Fantasy
Thijs Goverde - The revenge of the Master Thief 'I’m going to tell you the story of my life. A story full of strange coincidences, exceptional valour and unprecedented skulduggery. If you don't want to believe it, then you just can shut the book. Because if you don't want to believe me, you can't be my friend. And I only tell friends the story of my life' These are the words of Falco, a boy with a rich imagination and a head full of stories. Full of enthusiasm, he relates the story of how he is born from an egg, taken by a child snatcher and later succeeds in becoming a master thief and the richest man in the world. His adventures take place in the city of Thumb, and incredible conglomeration of houses on the most western peninsula of a continent called Hand. The city is so unfeasibly huge that the nothern districts are always freezing, while the parks in the south are scorching deserts. Some of the parks are so vast that you could get lost in them and never be found again. The revenge of the Master Thief is the first part of a trilogy, in which Thijs Goverde demonstrates that he mastered the art of hyperbole, right down to the finest details. At breakneck speed, he dishes up the adventures of this fantasist a la Baron von Munchhausen, immersing the reader in a waterfall of fabrications where the leading roles are played by beggars, robbers, bird-sellers and master thieves. He takes such delight in storytelling that he often has to interrupt his own story to make comic asides; digressions in which he doles out anecdotes about Falco's family or has to say about issues such as small-mindedness and moustaches. Goverde lends a touch of the grotesque to everything
'Goverde's fairytale images are refreshingly original and his language bounces with pleasure over the pages' (NRC Handelsblad) 'Endless exaggeration can be a fine quality in little boys with too much imagination.' (De Volkskrant) Thijs Goverde (1971) studies philosophy and made his debut a children's author in 1998 with De purperen koningsmantel, a story about a colourful prince in a country where everything is grey. He has written ten fairytale children's books. The revenge of the Master Thief received acclaim from the press and ensured that he reaches a wider audience. In this series also available: Hunting the Master Thief & The Hand of The Master Thief
Leny van Grootel - Violin girl > Subject: playing the violin, friendship, overcoming prejudice > Age 10+ Who on earth is that mysterious girl with the violin? She plays in the park almost every day until evening when she disappears in black car. Every day she plays that same dreamy melody. Felix had no idea music could be so magical and moving‌just like the girl herself. She is gorgeous and enchanting. Since they have met Felix’ quiet life seems to have changed for good. One day she is gone. Did the police chase her away, or is she on the run from someone? This is a defining moment for Felix; does he have the courage to help her, even though this will get him in lot of trouble? A story about a remarkable friendship, against all prejudices.
Ellen Stoop - Jade, almost eleven > Subject: divorce, new family, friendship, growing up > Girls 9+ When Jade’s best friend also dumps her, Jade is temporarely at a loss as to what to do. And then Jade suddenly sees the card on the supermarket notic board. Next to a funny snapshot of a girl with a head of blonde curls is written in large letters: Hairdresser seeks curly-haired model with mid-lenght hair, aged 12 or over. That’s me, Jade thinks. Everyone had always said that she had such beatiful curls. There is only one problem, however: she is only nearly eleven.
Ellen Stoop - Last summer > Subject: > Girls 10+ Warm and friendly story about some group of boys and girls spending summer holidays together, at home. Living in the same street for years, they think to know every single detail of each other. But the long and hot summer reveals a lot of secrets. They are not aware of the fact that this will be their last summer together.
Henk Hardeman - Ghostwriters > Subject: horror story, mysterious disappearances > Age 10+ Who is the mysterious horror writer GG? What is in the coffin in the back of his black car? Why is GG so horribly successful? Schaduw and Blondie discover that children disappear without a trace every time the famous writer visits a school. Is GG somehow involved or is it coincidence? In their quest for answers they make a shocking discovery. One thing becomes clear: never before was reading so addictive!!
Tanja de Jonge - Timetravellers > Subject: science fiction, travelling back in time > Age 10+ Your little sister disappears because of your fault. Everyone is desperate: what happened, has she been kidnapped? Then all of a sudden you meet some stranger, who tells you there is one chance of finding her back. It’s free, but you need to participate in some medical experience for one night. What what you do?
Bies van Ede - Farao code > “Dan Brown for beginners” > Age 10+ A lot of children love the books of the famous N-series. Although the books are most populair, no one’s ever seen the author. Is he living in Egypt? He seems to know so much about the ancient world and the farao’s. When some children are about to find out who this author is and why he’s hiding, they are unaware of the fact they also reveal a dark secret about the malicous farao N. And then the world of the ancient gods needs to intervent.
Tanja de Jonge - Mysterious trace under sea > Subject: mysterious virus, under water world > Age 10+ One of Rowin’s and Caro’s teachers suddenly dies from a mysterious disease. Even though the funeral is private Rowin and Caro secretly attend. At the graveyard they witness a strange ritual in which their Dutch teacher is involved. Soon after, Rowin notices his neighbour eating jellyfish at the beach. At the same time many people around them suddenly become ill, one of them is Rowin’s father. Too many strange events… Rowin and Caro don’t trust it and decide to investigate. One evening they follow their Dutch teacher and learn something that leads them into immeasurable depths towards immense danger..
Leny van Grootel - Milans band > Subject: music, guitar, band > Age 10+ Milan plays in a band. Now there is a problem, however: Milan's parents have found another house, and Milan has to move to the village where his father has a new job. Milan is furious and is determined not to be happy. Saying goodbye to his old schoolmates, he realises that he is going to miss the female singer of the band, Djin, the most. He tries to keep in touch with the band members. One day, though, turning up unexpectedly, he realises that the loss is felt only on his side. Must he then find new friends after all, and perhaps also a new band?
Bies van Ede -The band and the girls > Subject: music, band, performance > Age 12+ Nothing is greater than playing with your band. Ti plays the guitar, but as long as the band doesn’t have a drummer they can forget doing real gigs. It’s just one of the things that make Ti’s life complicated. His two gorgeous stepsisters are female predators. The girl he is into is playing hard to get. And what is he to do with his memories of Aïda, the girl he can’t seem to forget? Sometimes Ti feels as though his life is one big soap opera.
Gonneke Huizing - Casablanca girl > Romantic drama > Age 12+ Despair alternates with happiness in the life of sixteen year old Nadia. She falls in love with the promising student Karim and dreams of a future together. On the other hand she’s afraid of her bad stepfather and worried about the health of het little sister. Is there anyone she can rely on?
Theo and Marianne Hoogstraaten - Young Stars > Talent show, being a star, idols > Age 12+ Daisy is a singer-songwriter, selected to participate in the most populair televisionshow of the year: Young Stars. It’s like a dream: all at once she’s a celebrity, she’ll be coached by her own idol Lois and she enjoys the glamour of being a star. But she also encounters the reversal of succes and money: would-be friends, no privacy at all, endless rehearsals and back stage nerves.
A.M. van Cappelle - Behind bars, Leyla was locked up twice > Subject: youth crime > Age 12+ Fifteen-year-old Leyla has joined a new class, and she is feeling lonely. So when a couple of girls ask whether she would like to go into town with them, she jumps at the chance. She quickly realises that her so-called friends are not just doing a little shopping, but they are stealing clothes together. At first Leyla resists, but she is eventually persuaded to join in. She is caught, and upon her release, she is certain that she will never let it happen again. Events prove her wrong, however. This book is based on a true story. Leyla is now in her early twenties and has nearly completed her studies. Although she finds it hard to look back on this difficult period, she is aware that reading her story might help others to make the right decisions.
Yvonne Vlugt- Taken > Subject: child soldier in Africa > Age 12+ David and Dummi are very normal boys. Two friends who love to play football. They want to become pros and play at the highest level. The heat that scourges their coutry, the hunger; it doesn’t stop them from practising every day and having fun. During those moments they don’t have to think about the real danger in their country: there are soldiers everywhere.. Soldiers who kidnap children and make them do war things. Up to now, they only heard stories about children who were taken, it was always a couple of villages away, it never came this close…
Theo and Marianne Hoogstraaten - Webcamgirls > Subject: internet dating > YA thriller, age 14+
After a booze match between girls and boys in their binge drinking shack, Cindy is so drunk and stoned that she stays behind alone to sleep it off. Shortly after, the shack burns to the ground. Her friends are desperate. What’s happened to Cindy? Detective Tom Speelman and his young new partner, 22-year old Joke Frederiks, are put on the case. They soon discover that the girls have been chatting on MSN with Romeo the Great, a man with a taste for young girls. What is his role in this mysterious and disturbing case?
Theo and Marianne Hoogstraaten - Out! Subject: partying, drugabuse > YA Thriller, age 14+ Saturday afternoon, around 3pm Roxanne and Lianne are in town shopping for super sexy outfits for tonight’s party. Joel is trying to persuade Frank to assist him in his little ghb-skeme. He wouldn’t mind scoring with the chicks again. Kimberley is looking forward to a night out with Brice; he’s too busy to see her during the week as he plays on the AZ footbal team. Sunday morning, around 3 am Joke Frederiks receives a call that night. She has been on board with the detective force for almost six months now and has worked on several disturbing cases. She feels that this case is her most disturbing so far as the victims are barely younger than herself. Together with detective Tom Speelman she is assigned the task of investigating the events that have occurred that night. Was it really an accident? Or are they dealing with a crime?
Rom Molemaker - Man Hunt Subject: mountain biking, holiday > YA thriller, age 14+ To Arthur, the most beautiful thing in life is mountain biking. Linde with her long legs is obviously more beautiful but you don’t get everything in life..When his best friend Thomas proposes to go on a trip together for the summer holidays Arthur doesn‘t hesitate for a moment.Two weeks of off road biking through the woods; best holiday ever. Linde warns Arthur but to him this is no more than a disguised declaration of love. How dangerous can a biking holiday really be? And so the boys head off to the hamlet where one of Thomas’ uncles lives who will accommodate them. However, upon reaching the edge of civilization Arthur makes a dizzying discovery. From that moment on his sole purpose is to escape the hunt in which he has become the target. Who is hunting him and why?
Rom Molemaker - Crisis > Subject: probation, life after prison > Age 14+ Maikel has counted down the days in prison. Now he is out again and life is smiling at him…NOT. He feels very insecure and is shunned by his classmates, which only makes matters worse. They had just as well hung a sign around his sick that reads: CONVICTED CRIMINAL. That’s how he was being looked at the first day back at school. What he doesn’t know is how to move on with his life. What he does know is that he won’t have anything to do with his so-called friends, those traitors who caused all the misery, ever again. But one night he unwillingly witnesses a brutal street-robbery. To his horror he recognises the street robbers, and they recognise him. From that moment on he fears for his life.