Hans and Gretel Brinker are the central figures in the story. Although they attend the same school as other middle-class children, their lives are far from easy. Throughout the narrative, classmates often label them as "rag pickers" or "peasants." Their existence is marked by relentless poverty, with survival dependent on their own efforts and sporadic acts of charity. Their father, Raff Brinker, sustained an injury a decade ago while protecting the dikes from a rising sea, leaving him incapacitated. The family receives no pension or workers' compensation to alleviate their hardship. To complicate matters, a small fortune Raff had saved vanished at the time of his injury. Since then, his wife has been struggling to support him and their two children.

The Brinkers' dire circumstances are not the only focus of Dodge's novel. Much of the story explores the adventures of the middle-class children who attend school with Hans and Gretel. After introducing the Brinkers and other characters, the narrative follows a group of boys, led by Peter van Holp, who embark on a fifty-mile skating journey from Amsterdam to The Hague and back. Accompanied by a visiting British relative, the boys tour various historic sites and museums as they glide through cities and the countryside. This adventure allows Dodge to weave in a wealth of intriguing historical details. Additionally, the lively group encounters numerous adventures, including run-ins with thieves, ice boats, and lost wallets. Along the way, they savor different foods and stay in diverse accommodations, ranging from country inns to a city mansion, all vividly described by Dodge.

This journey also builds suspense, as Peter van Holp has promised Hans to arrange for Dr. Boekman, a renowned surgeon, to operate on Raff Brinker, whose condition has deteriorated to the point of nearly causing a tragic accident with his wife. Only Gretel's quick action averts disaster. When Dr. Boekman visits the Brinker home, Dodge introduces further plot elements that uncover links between the doctor's estranged son and the circumstances surrounding Raff's injury. Moreover, Hans's behavior impresses Dr. Boekman, who decides to make him his assistant. The novel concludes with the Brinker family's financial and emotional recovery.

In another scene, they laugh together, skating hand in hand along the canal, oblivious to the strength of the ice beneath them...
Amidst the events of Raff Brinker's surgery, the race for the silver skates is nearly overlooked. Despite being written over a century ago, Hans Brinker advocates for equal athletic opportunities for both girls and boys. Dodge includes separate races for each gender, with the winner of each race receiving a pair of silver skates.