BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow. New York: Scholastic Inc. 2005 ISBN 0-439-35379-3
Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow. New York: Scholastic Inc. 2005 ISBN 0-439-35379-3
SUMMARY
In 1925 Hitler wrote of his intentions to defy the Treaty of Versailles and outlined his plans to “Nazify” young people. By 1939 over seven million Hitler Youth became indoctrinated in National Socialist tyranny. More people were killed in World War II than in any other war in history. It left an estimated 53 million dead, including Jews, Catholics, young men in their late teens and early twenties, women and children, the elderly, the physically or mentally handicapped, and anyone who showed dissent to the Reich. Primo Levi, a Holocaust survivor, wrote of “willed ignorance,” asking, “How is it possible that the extermination of millions of human beings could have been carried out in the heart of Europe without anyone’s knowledge?” In her book, Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s Shadow, Susan Campbell Bartoletti shares personal letters and interviews from many of the youth caught up in this horrific time. What will happen to the world if new generations of our young people sacrifice everything in order to serve the ideals of a despot? This riveting book is an account of the young citizens who devoted themselves to the Hitler Youth organization, even to the point of reporting their own family members to Nazi authorities.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In the author’s notes Bartoletti explains that her idea for this story was sparked by an article she read in a 1944 issue of The Nation magazine. As a result, she felt compelled to investigate the phenomena of Hitler’s rise to power in more detail. During her research she visited countless libraries, museums and other archives in the U.S. and Germany, where she poured over thousands of newspapers, magazines and photos. She has skillfully used extensive interviews, email and other correspondence together to convey this compelling piece of history. Many characters are depicted throughout the book in the black and white photos, showing some who remained devoted to Hitler and others who became disillusioned. The sidebars and photo captions remind the reader that these were real people, teenagers and young children with hopes and dreams much like any child in the world. Yet they became Nazis. Not only does Bartoletti share a captivating piece of history, she also provides additional details in the epilogue, bibliography, timeline and author’s notes at the back of the book. This historical work is her attempt to makes sense of the adults who taught their children to hate and the choices the young people made to kill. It is an outstanding resource that will help us understand the role of young people in Hitler’s rise to power and remind us that we should never let this happen again.
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist starred review- “The handsome book design, with black-and-white historical photos on every double-page spread, will draw in readers and help spark deep discussion, which will extend beyond the Holocaust curriculum.”
Newbery Medal/Honor 2006
Notable/Best Books (A.L.A) 2006
School Library Journal starred review- “Bartoletti lets many of the subjects' words, emotions, and deeds speak for themselves, bringing them together clearly to tell this story unlike anyone else has.”
Seibert Honor Books 2006
CONNECTIONS
Other nonfiction books for intermediate students:
*The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti 2008. ISBN-10: 0439680131
*An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy 2003 ISBN-10: 0395776082
*The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain 2007 by Peter Sis
ISBN-13: 9780374347017
Picture:
Vardell, Sylvia. Children’s Literature in Action. Westport, CT. Libraries Unlimited. 2008.
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