Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. (2005) Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow. New York: Scholastic Press.

This is a well written informational novel appropriate for middle and high school students that tells the story of all the young people involved in Hitler's rise to power. This begins in 1926 telling the story of the young people that campaigned tirelessly to get Hitler and the Nazi Party into power. Bartoletti makes note of the fourteen young people that died becoming "martyrs" for their cause. She makes note of startling historical truths including the over 7 million membership of the Hitler Youth by 1939. The Hitler Youth program focused on military and physical prowress and appealed to many young people. Bartoletti does not leave out the rebels of the Hitler Youth, the free thinkers. Those free thinkers created "The White Rose," rebelling against Hitler. They were all eventually killed. This book takes an interesting approach at the history of the Holocaust teaching students about a lesser well known part of history. This book teaches students about Hitler. This book states the truth and allows the students to form their own ideas about him as a leader and as a person.