Module 11: Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Bibliographic Citation: Bartoletti, Susan C. Hitler Youth Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2005.

Plot Summary:

Hitler's youth was very extensive, well over seven million boys and girls belong to Hitler's youth, they followed Hitler's ideals and wanted to be a part of the movement.  The book focuses on 12 kids that followed Hitler.  The kids would do anything to support Hitler and they went through various trainings to be a part of Hitler's regime.  These kids had special meetings where they learned about all about Nazi's, they attended camps, wore uniforms, earned badges, etc.  It was this youth that enabled Hitler to be as powerful as he was.  

My Impressions of the Book:

I thought this book was very informative and I found it to be interesting reading.  I like how it gave the perspective of teens who had no idea they were contributing to such a horrible thing.  I also liked the pictures throughout the book, they give a glimpse into the world Hitler and what young people thought of him at the time.  The point of view in this book is different from the usual Holocaust books, this one gives the point of view of young people who didn't know any better and worshipped Hitler.  

Review(s) About the Book:

Amazon Editorial Review

 From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5-8–Hitler's plans for the future of Germany relied significantly on its young people, and this excellent history shows how he attempted to carry out his mission with the establishment of the Hitler Youth, or Hitlerjugend, in 1926. With a focus on the years between 1933 and the end of the war in 1945, Bartoletti explains the roles that millions of boys and girls unwittingly played in the horrors of the Third Reich. The book is structured around 12 young individuals and their experiences, which clearly demonstrate how they were victims of leaders who took advantage of their innocence and enthusiasm for evil means. Their stories evolve from patriotic devotion to Hitler and zeal to join, to doubt, confusion, and disillusion. (An epilogue adds a powerful what-became-of-them relevance.) The large period photographs are a primary component and they include Nazi propaganda showing happy and healthy teens as well as the reality of concentration camps and young people with large guns. The final chapter superbly summarizes the weighty significance of this part of the 20th century and challenges young readers to prevent history from repeating itself. 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.–Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0439353793/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Amazon Editorial Review

 From Booklist

*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. What was it like to be a teenager in Germany under Hitler? Bartoletti draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there. Most of the accounts and photos bring close the experiences of those who followed Hitler and fought for the Nazis, revealing why they joined, how Hitler used them, what it was like. Henry Mentelmann, for example, talks about Kristallnacht, when Hitler Youth and Storm Troopers wrecked Jewish homes and stores, and remembers thinking that the victims deserved what they got. The stirring photos tell more of the story. One particularly moving picture shows young Germans undergoing de-Nazification by watching images of people in the camps. 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. The extensive back matter is a part of the gripping narrative. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0439353793/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Use in Library Setting:

I would display this book if we had a Holocaust display.  This book can also be used to educate teens about the Holocaust and Hitler.