Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler's shadow

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell.  2005.  Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler's shadow.  New York: Scholastic Nonfiction.  ISBN 0439353793

Old-fashioned parents and school-yard brawls aren’t read in the same context in Hitler Youth as in other young adult books. Bringing to the surface an uneasy connection between the idea of the misunderstood youth of any generation and the Hitler Youth, Bartoletti details the involvement young Germans had in Hitler’s Germany.

Through the stories of several children who fought for, fought against or were victims of the Nazi regime and through several supporting black and white photographs, this book adds yet another layer to the devastation of the war.

These are sad and startling accounts of young Germans who were lied to by the German government and media and who often had no idea of the broader crimes being committed during the war, as well as the sad, tragic tales of those young Germans and Jews who were silenced by the government for their race, religion, anti-Nazi ideals and activism.

Bartoletti draws her information from personal interviews, journals, published speeches, books and other documentable sources to expose the conditions under which children were raised and educated in Nazi Germany. Particularly helpful tools are the bibliography, which includes notations for additional reading suitable for young readers, and a "Time Line of the Hitler Youth," which outlines major events and their corresponding years.

A scarring part of history, this book and its stories will be an indelible source for students learning about World War II. The stories affecting so many school-aged children may also create a new understanding of the ideologies of the time for today’s youth, for, in addition to their perceptions and accounts pertaining to the war, its crimes and its causes, the children’s accounts also touch on broader themes of family, camaraderie and respect.

This is a haunting, yet extraordinary, work of informational literature in which the author is able to allow the unadulterated stories of victim, hero and villain to be told.

Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler’s shadow is the winner of the Carolyn W. Field Award (2006) and the Top of the List Editors’ Choice (2005). It has also received the following honors: John Newbery Medal (2006), Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children (2005), Parents’ Choice Award-Gold (2005), and the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal (2006).

“This solid offering deserves wide readership by today's young people, and it is certain to promote extensive discussion.”(Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books/June 2005)

"...this superb book is unreservedly recommended for middle school and high school readers." (Association of Jewish Libraries Newsletter/Sept./Oct. 2005)