Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

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

2006 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book & 2006 Newberry Honor Book

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow is a fascinating account of the youth of Germany under Hitler, both those who supported and those who opposed the Third Reich.  Through first person interviews of German youth of the 1930s, examination of archives, and use of primary sources, Susan Campbell Bartoletti exposes how Hitler preyed on the most idealistic of his citizens, luring them into fanatical allegiance.

Bartoletti arranges the text by subject in chronological order which allows the reader to see the development of Nazism and the culture that led to the horrors of the Second World War.  She examines the discipline and organization of the Hitler Youth group, the changes in education under Nazism and the anti-Semitism that brought about devotion from young people yearning for strong leadership and a cause in which they could believe.  From first person accounts we learn that children would report their own parents for anti-Nazi beliefs, despite that they were aware that it would lead to imprisonment.  One of the most upsetting chapters of the book concerns the end of the war, at which time the Nazi army was so desperate for replacement soldiers that they called up the youngest members of Hitler Youth.  Boys as young as 13 or 14 fought fanatically as the Allies invaded, even after the death of Hitler.

Bartoletti also discusses the Resistance movement which existed in Germany.  Many youth either were never convinced of Hitler's ideas or grew disillusioned by the Nazis.  Bartoletti uses the example of a brother and sister, Hans and Sophie Scholl, who distributed leaflets expressing anti-Nazi views.  For their actions, they were both executed.  By reading about personal stories that Bartoletti presents(rather than dry textbooks), readers can make connections and understand the true human toll of the regime.

Hitler Youth  very effectively makes the Nazi era come alive for young readers.  By focusing on  youth, Bartoletti shows students how people of their own age became involved in Nazism or bravely fought against it.  In addition to text full of first-hand details, there are over 100 photographs that portray the individuals and events discussed, bringing them to life.  The book includes a lengthy bibliography which notes sources of particular interest to young readers in addition to an index.  Bartoletti is the author of several books for young people including another Sibert award winning book on the Great Irish Famine.

This book is appropriate for upper elementary students and older.  The text is written simply enough for a fifth grader to understand, but the depth of the information would be useful for a high school research project.  As with most books dealing with the subject of Nazism, the subject matter is often disturbing and the maturity of the student must be kept in mind.