Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow

 

Citation:

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction, 2005. Print.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Annotation:

“I begin with the young. We older ones are used up…But my magnificent youngsters! Look at these men and boys! What material! With them, I can create a new world.” Adolf Hitler. So indeed does Hitler use the youth of his country to forward his vision of the world. Follow12 youth who were really there and see their paths as they live life in evil’s shadow.

Nomination Justification:

Bartoletti spent two years researching this book. The end result is a book that comes alive with authenticity. People often wonder how Hitler could brainwash so many people. A big answer to that question can be found in the Hitler Youth. This was an organization that a many German children belonged. They pledged their very lives to Hitler and his Germany. No longer did they belong to their parents, they were Hitler’s. You can see in this book how innocently they are indoctrinated to believe all Hitler tells. Underneath the fun of almost Boy Scout activities, a steady stream of propaganda is pushed on the Hitler Youth. Children are forming the foundation of their thinking and morality and with the right nudge, some can fall prey to fascism. Hitler Youth even could be trained to turn on their parents. As this book also shows, some refuse to go along with party line and do so at great cost. I believe this highlights one of my tenants in life- we have free-will and choice.

Bartoletti’s writing honestly and as exactly as possible conveys the words and thoughts of her subjects. The reading is almost more brutal because of the straight forward way she writes about the children’s lives. Here is a writer who respects that YA can handle some very ugly truths and grapple with them as they try to make sense of life. I personally don’t find her the most eloquent of writers but her methodical approach backed up with years of research more than make up for any loss of lyrical quality. There is a certain chill reading the book knowing how badly WWII ended and all the lives lost. This book provides many answers for how it could happen. YA will have an easy time following the chronological approach. This helps also to place events in context.  The horror of WWII slowly builds, ratchets up and ends in shear shock over how it all came to be. The pictures provide additional support for YA who may need extra help building the story in their head. There is a timeline of WWII, glossary, explanations of the photographs used in the book and epilogue to complete book. 

This book is engaging, well researched and offers valuable lessons for today... especially considering the convergence of politics, media and advertising in the lives of YA and us all. I’d like to throw this book in the nomination ring.