Achtste-groepers huilen niet facts for kids
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| Author | Jacques Vriens |
|---|---|
| Country | Netherlands |
| Language | Dutch |
| Subject | Leukemia, soccer |
| Genre | Children's fiction |
| Published | 1999, Van Holkema & Warendorf (Netherlands) 2014, Cappelen Damm (Norway) |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 175 pages (Dutch edition) |
| Awards | Prijs van de Nederlandse Kinderjury |
| ISBN | 9788202411718 |
Achtste-groepers huilen niet (which means Eighth Graders Don't Cry in English) is a famous children's book. It was written by Jacques Vriens from the Netherlands. The book first came out in September 1999. It has also been translated into Norwegian and German, sometimes called Cool Kids Don't Cry.
What is the Book About?
The story is about a tough and cheerful sixth-grader named Akkie. She absolutely loves soccer and spending time with her friends. Akkie is also really excited about her upcoming school trip.
One day, Akkie gets some very sad news. She is diagnosed with leukemia. This is a type of cancer that affects the blood. Even with this serious illness, Akkie refuses to give up. She doesn't want her friends to treat her differently.
As time goes on, Akkie's illness becomes more serious. It gets harder for her to do all the things she loves. The book shows how Akkie and her friends deal with this difficult challenge.
What Inspired the Author?
Jacques Vriens used to be a schoolteacher. He got the idea for this book from one of his own students. Her name was Anke, and she also had leukemia.
One of his students joked that he should write a story about Anke. Anke really liked this idea! After Anke passed away in 1991, Jacques Vriens found it hard to start writing. But Anke's mother encouraged him to tell her story.
It took him a while to begin writing. The story was very personal to him. He felt sad knowing that Akkie, the main character, would also die in the book. To make it a bit easier, he changed the main character's name to Akkie. He also made Akkie's teacher a woman instead of a man.
Movie Versions
Achtste-groepers huilen niet has been made into a movie twice.
- The first movie was a Dutch film in 2012. It was also called Achtste Groepers Huilen Niet. Hanna Obbeek played Akkie in this movie. It won several awards, like the Golden Film Award and the Golden Calf Audience Award. It also won the Rembrandt Award for Best Dutch Youth Film.
- The second movie was a Norwegian film in 2014. It was called Kule Kidz Gråter Ikke. This movie was a remake of the 2012 Dutch film.
There are also plans to make movies based on the book for audiences in America, China, and India.
