Sibert Honor Book

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing Up In Hitler’s Shadow. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439353793

Overview:

Hitler’s Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow provides a fascinating look at the young people who dedicated themselves to the Hitler Youth organization and enabled the expansion of the Nazi Party in the 1930’s. Accounts from former Hitler Youth members and also from those who opposed the Nazi movement come together to reveal the choices, experiences, and outlook of the young people during Hitler’s rise to power.

Critical Analysis:

Through personal interviews and years of research Bartoletti is able to give readers an accurate understanding of the role of young people during Hitler’s rise to power.  The overall understanding that the reader achieves is well-rounded because of the perspective Bartoletti offers from both the youth that supported Hitler’s reign and the youth that suffered persecution for opposing it. Henry Metelmann stated, “We met together, marched, and played together.” From  direct quotes, such as this, and the medals and prestige the Hitler Youth were given, readers get a sense of where the choice of loyalty to Hitler had come from. On the other hand, Bartoletti writes about Alfons Heck’s teacher who bullied Jewish students and how the students were encouraged to despise them. The style Bartoletti uses in sharing so many voices among the youth of this time creates opportunities for reflection  and critical thinking for readers as they sort through the “whys” and “hows” of this time in history.

The black and white photographs and captions in the book could almost provide readers with an understanding of the Hitler Youth all on their own. The innocence and youth of the children in the photographs will astound readers. Bartoletti includes Hitler’s propaganda pictures, pictures of the everyday life of the Hitler Youth, and news photos that documented the events during Nazi regin. Several personal photographs are also included from several of the voices that are heard in the book. These photographs provide a powerful connection between the reader and the voices of the Hitler Youth.

The book is 176 pages and is 27 cm making one of the larger books on the shelves. It is organized into chapters and readers can easily select sections of the book that spark their interest. Prior to the introduction Bartoletti introduces the young people from the book with their picture and short description of their role during the Nazi rise to power, which quickly takes the large and somewhat intimidating read to a quaint personal account. Finally, Bartoletti dedicates several of her final pages to a timeline, notes about her experience in writing the book, information about the photographs, and cites a vast number of sources giving readers a sense of accuracy within the pages of the book and ultimately more information about growing up in Hitler’s shadow.

Awards and Reviews:

Newberry Honor Book

Robert F. Sibert Honor Book

2005 Parent’s Choice Gold Seal Award

“Bartoletti lets many of the subjects’ words, emotions, and deeds speak for themselves, bringing them together clearly to tell this story nlike anyone else has.” --School Library Journal

“This solid offering deserves wide readership by today’s young people, ans it is certainto promote extensive discussion.” --The Bullitenof the Center for Children’s Books

Connections:

-Visit a local museum such as the Holocaust Museum in Dallas.

-Compare and contrast a Hitler Youth member from the book and a member who opposed the Nazi Party.

-Put together a “Did you know?” display to share new information and id