Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow Book Review

 Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s Shadow. Scholastic Inc., 2016. 

ISBN: 0439353793

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

 Hitler Youth begins with the murder of Hebert Norkus of the Hitler Youth. He joined after his mother died and enjoyed the activities on the weekends. The Red (Communists) were on the attack and he had to be careful while passing out propaganda. One day, a group of 40 Reds chased him down and stabbed him to death. Hitler called him a martyr and planned an elaborate funeral which inspired more youth to join the cause. The Nazi party rose to power with the help of their youth. 70,000 of them turned out to listen to Hitler at a rally. This led to many ready to die for their cause. In the first chapter, the book focuses on Hitler’s rise to power first as the Chancellor (2nd in line of power). He wanted to unify Germany to fight back on sanctions from WWI. In the second chapter the Hitler Youth expand their numbers exponentially when Hitler becomes the President of Germany. All Aryan youth join the program, pay dues, wear issued uniforms, and educated by a law of National Socialism. This law brought the numbers to over 8 million; parents began to call the program the Brown Pest. Chapter 3 is about book burning and the Nazi-approved curriculum for schools. Racist teachings led to Jews being targeted as they were perceived as a threat to Germany and world peace. This led to them being forced out of schools. Books were censored and thrown into large burn piles in city squares. In Chapter 4, the persecution of Jews ramps up. The Nuremberg Race Laws stripped Jews of their citizenship and businesses and synagogues rampaged. Many Hitler Youth joined Kristallnacht in which Jews and their businesses and homes were attacked. They were beaten, murdered and taken away in Army trucks. Many attempts were made to emigrate but countries would not take them. The Nazi’s put them in slave labor in factories. In Chapter 5, Hitler works on regaining income in Germany by putting the Hitler Youth to work for cheap labor in the Reich Labor Service. When war broke out, Hitler Youth were required to live in dorms for a year working. Hitler rearmed the army to 500,000 soldiers. Hitler Youth received specialized training to strengthen their army as well. Hitler withdrew Germany’s signature on the Treaty of Versailles to regain part of their country given up. World leaders gave into Hitler’s demands. Chapter 6 begins with Hitler Youth attending a rally in which Hitler calls them the future of the world. They invaded Poland in the false pretenses that they had  been fired upon and they were only defending themselves. This began the Holocaust in Poland and Hitler Youth invaded to give homes to Germans. In Germany, Hitler Youth took over jobs from older family members drafted into war. Invasions continued into other countries. Allied bombing led to young children evacuated to camps run by Hitler Youth. They also gained more responsibilities with more men being drafted like digging trenches. Chapter 7 introduces the horrors of the Holocaust and the euthanasia of mentally and physically disabled infants, children, teenagers, and adults to save money. This continued in secret even after public outcry. Another mass-murder program was already underway eliminating Europe’s Jews. It was decided that bullets were a waste of money so gas chambers were erected in concentration camps. Hitler Youth did not believe the killings to be true Chapter 8 follows those Hitler Youth who left and began the White Rose to inform the Germans of the horror of the killing of the Jews. Rebels of the Hitler Youth were to be arrested and sent to youth concentration camps. They continued printing and distributing thousands of leaflets speaking out against the Nazis. Once caught though, they were tried and beheaded. Chapter 9 is about Hitler’s boy soldiers. With their army numbers dwindling from war casualties, Hitler instituted the recruitment of teenage boys for service. 20,000 boys were added but unfortunately for Germany, the invasion of Normandy was about to begin. Hitler Youth were fearless in their attempts to hold off their enemies. In the end they retreated back to Germany. Hitler congratulated each young man who had fought bravely. Russia invaded Berlin and quickly overtook the army. Chapter 10 begins with Hitler Youth preparing a last stand in Munich even though Hitler was dead. Seeing the amount of tanks, they surrendered. They were taken to a liberated concentration camp to see the devastation of Hitler’s Socialism had created. Hitler Youth were not put on trial like Nazi officials and leaders. They were, however, tried in civilian courts and ruled to be banned from public office, prison time, or sentenced to hard labor. They were also required to watch documentary films of concentration camps. The chapter goes on to give what happened to Germany after the war and ends with the question: What are you willing to do to prevent such a shadow from falling over you and others? 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Hitler Youth contains bibliographic references of 115 sources with the page numbers they reference. Bartoletti sought to learn more about the Hitler Youth after reading an article “Nazis under 21” and Mein Kampf. She used libraries, museums, and archives. In Washington D.C. she visited the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and the Holocaust Museum.. She then traveled to Germany to continue research. She includes a forward, introduction, and quote sources. The organization of the book includes a timeline of events of the Hitler Youth. She uses real people in her chapters including Hitler Youth and young people opposed to Nazis. There is a table of contents, an index, and an author’s note. Chapters are laid out in chronological order. The chapters show both the Nazi and opposition sides simultaneously. The design of the book is very readable with large print and several photographs depicting real people in the stories. The black and white photographs capture the emotions of the subjects in a way that captivates the readers. The style of Hitler Youth matches the suggestive age of middle schoolers. Because the story is presented in such a way as to how Hitler influenced the youth and nation so easily, readers will be drawn into how that unfolded. The last sentence of the book poses the question: What are you willing to do to prevent such a shadow from falling over you and others? This will plant the seed to encourage them to think critically about how they can’t repeat that kind of history. Hitler Youth  received the Newbery Honor Award and the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Booklist starred (April 15, 2005 (Vol. 101, No. 16))

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.

5. CONNECTIONS

Similar book:

Students can choose a historical fiction book to compare to Hitler Youth.  One example is: Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York, N.Y., Knopf, 2005. ISBN: : 9780375842207