Title: Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Awards: Newbery Honor and Sibert Award
Summary: This book describes the experiences of young children who joined Hitler Youth during the Holocaust. It showcases how such innocent naive children were taken advantage of during this historical time period. The book is broken down into various sections that reveal why each child joined Hitler Youth, how Hitler took advantage of them, and what it was like to be a part of Hitler Youth. Bartoletti provides interviews, photographs, letters, and diaries within this book.
Reaction: I do not like to read non-fiction as much as fiction but I think this book would be a great alternative to a text book about the Holocaust. It's hard to believe that Hitler targeted young innocent chilren to carry out his plans for the future. I found the stories of the children to be quite compelling. I honestly didn't realize that Hitler Youth was an actual organization of teenagers who were dedicated to Adolf Hitler. I thought it was just the title of the book. It's sad to learn how so many children idolized Hitler.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to students in grades 6 and up. I think they would find it very interesting to find out how children played a role during the Holocaust. Since this book is written from the perspectives of children, I think they would enjoy reading it over a text book chapter about the Holocaust.
Book talk hook: I would show the students pictures of the children who joined the Hitler Youth organization. I would also read the following passages to them.
This book is the story of the millions of boys and girls who belonged to the Hitler Youth and bore the name proudly. At a time when Germany was suffering from a weak, unstable government, high unemployment, and widespread poverty, the Nazi Party promised young Germans a great future in a great Germany---if they joined the Hitler Youth.
"I begin with the young," said Hitler. We older ones are used up....But my magnificent youngsters! Are there finer ones anywhere in the world? Look at all these men and boys! What material! With them I can make a new world." Hitler counted on Germany's boys and girls. This is their story.
Sounds like a great book. I have always been fascinated by the holocaust and this sounds like a great addition to the books out there. The story being from the perspective of children would be very interesting to other students. I agree that students may prefer this to a fiction book,especially reluctant readers.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Black Potato I look forward to reading another book by Bartoletti.
It is sad to think that these children had to have been brain washed into thinking what they were doing was right. It reminds me of the book I read, A Long Way Gone, about young boys in Sierra Leone who thought that killing people was also right.
ReplyDeleteThis is an amazing but incredibly depressing book. Beautiful, innocent young people were taught to hate for Hitler. It has some sad stories about kids who were attacked by the youth. It does a great job, though, of showing readers how these young people were duped and didn't really know the extent of the atrocities in which they were involved.
ReplyDeleteI am anxious to read this title and hear Bartoletti speak. This type of nonfiction is one of my favorites. I have many students who have high interest in the Holocaust and would be eager to check out this title. I also like the fact that it is written from the child's perspective. I look forward to adding it to the collection.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book. Looking forward to hearing more about it on Tuesday as well!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good book. I purchased it for the eighth grade Holocaust unit, but it is used all the time. It is a fascinating read.
ReplyDeleteI wish I chose this book so I could go to Tuesday's lecture a little more prepared. It normally takes me a couple days to "get over" hearing and learning about the Holocaust.
ReplyDeleteAn essential question about Hitler's rise to power is always how could the German people have bought into his agenda? This book will help students understand how it happened from the point of view of young people at that time.
ReplyDeleteI am excited to hear Susan Bartoletti speak tonight and agree with Dr. Berg that hopefully this book will shed some light on why so many people trusted and followed such a corrupt and hateful man. This is definitely a side of Hitler and the Holocaust that I have never seen...
ReplyDeleteI think that knowing the effects of the Treaty of Versailles and the economic turmoil Germany was dealing with contributed to many people accepting his honest speeches and plan for German power and peace. Unfortunately, Hitler's execution of that plan was disastrous.
ReplyDeleteGreat book! I kind of see this as the previously untold story of World War II. When I taught my Holocaust unit to 8th graders they had a difficult time trying to understand why people supported the Nazis and Hitler. This is a great resource providing first person accounts of the time period.
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