Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction. ISBN-13: 978-0439353793

Plot Summary:
Susan Bartoletti tells the reader at the beginning of Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow that the book is not directly about Hitler. Instead, this is a book about the children of the Nazi Youth, how they came to follow Hitler, and the effect Hitler had on their lives. Bartoletti uses this informational young adult novel to show that these children were not the cruel, cold blooded, automatons that history sometimes shows them to be. Bartoletti shows them to simply be children who were inspired by propaganda and a man that managed to convince and coerce a nation into doing the unthinkable.

Critical Analysis:

Any author that chooses to examines Nazi Germany must take care in their approach of the subject matter. Bartoletti handles the subject matter with care by focusing on a microcosm of Hitler's regime and counter balancing her exploration of these youth with stories of Jewish children as well. Through her writing, she even manages to evoke sympathy in the readers for the children of Hitler's Youth. Bartoletti shows that the children in the pictures at the beginning of the book were human and fell victim, as so many did, to Hitler. She draws the reader to these children with the pictures and with brief explanations of how each child came to Hitler Youth and how each participated in the Hitler Youth. Their stories are told throughout the book and woven together with information found through Bartoletti's exhaustive research.

Authenticity is given to Bartoletti's text through her obvious, in-depth, research and the occasional use of the German language that appears through the book. She presents a Germany not often seen in other informational texts through her use of primary sources. The use of interviews of Hitler Youth, examination of books written by the children of the youth regime, articles from the 1930s, and her own visit to Germany to see the location of Nazi atrocities not only show the depth of her research but gives the book credibility. At times, informational books fall into a trap of becoming boring through the use of such primary sources because the details overwhelm the reader in dry facts; however, Bartoletti's book does not fall into this trap. She uses the facts of the primary texts and the interest in the subject matter to immerse the reader in Germany during Hitler's rise to power. Her writing has an emotional tone that appeals to the reader and makes the presentation of facts and details interesting. The reader becomes invested in the history and considering that the targeted readership may not know that much about Hitler, other than he was bad, and Nazi Germany, her way of drawing the reader into the text through emotional appeals is good because it keeps the reader's attention.

While I consider myself fairly educated about World War II having had several family members who fought in Europe and Japan during the war, I learned quite a bit from this book. I am also generally not a fan of non-fiction (although, I'm converting to the "dark side" thanks to a good friend who is a rhetoric professor in the DCCCD) because of the usual dryness of the subject matter, but not only is Baroletti's book interesting, it is educational, even for those that think they know a great deal about Hitler, Nazi Germany, and even the Hitler Youth, which, admittedly, I did not know that much about...I thought they were heartless children who did Hitler's bidding without a second thought. Through the presentation of these children and their stories, I learned why they chose to do what they did and why they followed him. It is an eye-opening exploration of this part of Nazi Germany and of the power of propaganda and rhetoric.

Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow is a heart-wrenching and view changing look at this part of Hitler's regime. It forces readers (like myself) to question their beliefs about this sect of Hitler's Nazi Germany and proves the stereotypes associated with the children of Hitler Youth to be incorrect. These children were victims of Hitler, too.

Review Excerpts:

"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." School Library Journal, Andrew Medlar, Chicago Public Library, IL Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information

"Formed in 1926, the Hitler Youth involved seven million boys and girls by 1939 and was instrumental in Hitler's rise to power. Bartoletti makes it clear what appealed to youth: "Excitement, adventure, and new heroes to worship," hope, power, and the "opportunity to rebel against parents, teachers, clergy, and other authority figures." She covers Hitler Youth, the resistance movement among young people and the de-Nazification process after the war in this study of Hitler's horrifying 12 years and the courageous moral stance of those who resisted. Case studies of actual participants root the work in specifics, and clear prose, thorough documentation and an attractive format with well-chosen archival photographs make this nonfiction writing at its best." Kirkus Reviews

Awards:

2006 Newbery Honor Book
2006 The Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
2006 Orbis Pictus Honor

Connections:
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow would complement any unit about World War II or Nazi Germany.

The intended age group usually reads The Diary of Anne Frank, and Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow would present another view of being a young person in Nazi Germany. Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow does discuss life for Jewish children as well as the individuals singled out as part of the youth regime.

Older readers exploring Night would also benefit from Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow. An interesting lesson for Night on readwritethink.org has students create photomontages over symbolism. The pictures in Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow, while not a photomontage, would give students a visual lesson of the youth in Nazi Germany.