The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

*Review created for Texas Woman’s University graduate level class*

1.       BIBLIOGRAPHY

Steifvater, Maggie. 2011. THE SCORPIO RACES. New York. Scholastic Press. ISBN 978-0-545-22490-1

2.       SUMMARY

The Scorpio Races feature a mix of different legends and myths about the water horses.  In this novel the water horses, called capaill uisce surge out of the ocean every fall, hungry and looking for meat.  Once they come upon shore, teenage boys and men capture the capaill to train.  The Scorpio Races, an event held every year in November is where the horses, sea mad and thirsting for fresh blood, are raced on the beach.  The winner of the races is given an extremely large cash prize.  Puck, or Kate Connelly, an orphan because her parents were killed by the capaill usice decides to ride in the races, the first girl to ever do so, to try to delay her older brother Gabe from leaving the island.  Sean Kendrick is a four time winner of the Scorpio Races, and rides one of the water horses that he himself caught, and trained for his boss.  Sean, who lost his father to the races, loves Corr, the blood red capaill usice stallion, and wants to buy him from his owner.  In order to buy him, he has to win the race, and earn enough money to do so.  Kate and Sean meet, and end up training together for the races, and fall in love.  Will love be enough to save them from the races, can Kate compete on her island pony Dove, and will Sean be able to buy Corr?  I guess you will have to read to find out.

3.       CRITICAL REVIEW

Stiefvater creates an intriguing and beautifully rendered low fantasy novel.  Her story is set on an island in the sea.  Young people frequently leave behind the island for jobs on the mainland.  However, there is something different about this island, the island is home to the water horses, or capaill usice, or the singular capall usice.  The water horses surge out of the sea every October and November; they are vicious, and attack both animals and humans alike.  “The island becomes a map of safe areas and unsafe areas, because unless you’re one of the riders, you don’t want to be around when a capall usice goes crazy.”  Puck is an average tom boy who had to grow up too fast because of the death of her parents.  Her nerve, daring, and sarcasm are engaging, and both girls and boys can relate to her, and her feelings of abandonment.  Sean was left to raise himself after his mother left the island and him behind, and his father was killed in the Scorpio Races.  He takes a job training horses and the capaill usice for the richest man on the island, all the while dreaming of owning Corr, the blood red stallion he caught and trained.  Teen boys are sure to love Sean, a young man who has been alone for too long, and desperately wants freedom. 

The plot moves along, slowly at first, laying the groundwork for both the main characters and their backstory, and allows time for the characters to grow and evolve.  The setting is modern, which we can see from mentions of planes and the Morris, the Connelly’s old ramshackle car which breaks down more often than it runs.  Stiefvater provides vivid descriptions, of both the sea, and the island.  “Even under the brightest sun, the frigid autumn sea is all the colors of the night: dark blue and black and brown.”  Because of the vivid descriptions the reader can see the churning of the dark, forbidding sea.  The theme of the story is common, can love truly conquer all?  Stiefvater, and her vivid, stark descriptions allow the reader to suspend the disbelief that there are horses that surge out of the sea, hungry, and sea mad.  The opening line of the story immediately catches the reader’s attention, begging for more, pleading to understand, “it is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die.”  Readers will want to know why someone will die, why isn’t November 1^st like every other day?

4.       REVIEWS

Starred Kirkus Review

“legend of the water horse into a taut, chilling, romantic adventure.”… Kirkus Reviews

“As a study of courage and loyalty tested, however, it is an utterly compelling read.”… Publishers Weekly

ALA Notable Children’s Books for 2012

5.       CONNECTIONS

Read the Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Stiefavter

Research other water horse legends and discuss the differences between the different legends and Steifvater’s novel

Read other books about faeries, werewolves, and water horses

Brown Bag book report-find objects that relate to the book such as an orange, a honey cake, a car, and a horse figurine

Works Cited

Kirkus Reviews. "The Scorpio Races." Accessed August 7, 2012. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/maggie-stiefvater/scorpio-races/#review.

Maggie Stiefvater. "The Scorpio Races." Accessed August 7, 2012. http://maggiestiefvater.com/.

Publishers Weekly. "Children's Review: The Scorpio Races." Accessed August 7, 2012. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-545-22490-1.

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale

*Review created for Texas Woman’s University graduate level class*

1.       BIBLIOGRPAHY

Hale, Shannon & Dean. 2008. Ill. by Nathan Hale. RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE. New York. Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books. ISBN 978-1-59990-288-3

2.       SUMMARY

Rapunzel grows up believing that the witch Gothel is her mother.  She lives the life of a pampered princess behind the garden walls; all the while feeling like something was missing in her life.  On her 12^th birthday she decides to find out once and for all what was behind the garden walls.  Mine camps, slaves and complete desolation is what she finds.  After meeting her real mother, a slave in the mines, Rapunzel stands up to Mother Gothel, and is then imprisoned. After escaping four years later, she decides to teach Mother Gothel a lesson on how to treat people, and rescue her mother.  On the way she meets Jack and Goldy the goose. 

3.       CRITICAL REVIEW

Ever wonder what would have happened if Rapunzel decided to get revenge on the evil witch?  What ensues is a hilarious look at a whole new side of Rapunzel, and her long locks.  Using her hair to fight crime, and right wrongs, Rapunzel, and her new friend Jack, set out to teach Mother Gothel a lesson about treating people with respect, and to rescue her mother from the mining camp.  High action and adventure move along the story as she meets different inhabitants, from the dwarves who use a pick ax to fish, ranchers, farmers, Witchy Jasper, a traveling band of fools, and of course, outlaws.  The vivid illustrations of the graphic novel help readers visualize the desolation caused by Mother Gothel, as well as to give the impression of the Wild West.

Rapunzel’s Revenge includes two common themes; it affirms that love is more important than power, as well as good triumphs over evil.  Sacrifices must be made, Rapunzel is imprisoned for four years before she manages to escape and rescue her mother, but eventually she triumphs over the evil Mother Gothel and rescues the land from her tyranny.  Rapunzel turns down Mother Gothel’s offer to take over her evil empire more than once.  The distinctive and often humorous language the Shannon and Dean Hale use helps accentuate the setting, “I’ll be swigger-jiggered and hung out to dry” is just one humorous example of the language used.  In addition, the illustrations are invaluable to the story, and provide comedic relief.  When Rapunzel escapes from her prison, “I managed to lasso the tree…swing gracefully from my prison…climb down the tree’s branches…and land triumphantly on the forest floor.”  The expertly done illustrations provide the more accurate view, such as swinging into the tree, falling onto most of the branches on the way down, and landing into a stream on her backside.  Both girls and boys are sure to enjoy the feisty Rapunzel, sarcastic and loyal Jack, and the hair whipping adventures they have in the Wild West. 

4.       REVIEWS

“A dash of typical fairy-tale romance, a strong sense of social justice and a spunky heroine make this a standout choice for younger teens.”… Kirkus Reviews

“With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody.”… Publishers Weekly

YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens

ALA 2009 Notable Children’s Book

5.       CONNECTIONS

Read Calamity Jack the sequel to Rapunzel’s Revenge

Read other graphic novels

Read other novels by Shannon or Dean Hale

Discuss the differences in Rapunzel, from the traditional fairy tale, Disney’s Tangled , and the graphic novel

Works Cited

Hale, Shannon. "Book's: Rapunzel's Revenge." Accessed August 7, 2012. http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_rap.html.

Kirkus Reviews. "Rapunzel's Revenge." Accessed August 7, 2012. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/shannon-hale/rapunzels-revenge/#review.

Publishers Weekly. "Children's Review: Rapunzel's Revenge." Accessed August 7, 2012. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59990-288-3.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

*Review created for Texas Woman’s University graduate level class*

1.       BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gaiman, Neil. 2008. Ill. by Dave McKean. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. New York. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-053092-1

2.       SUMMARY

Nobody Owens, or Bod, is your average boy, other than living in a graveyard and learning the skills of a ghost, Fade, Slip, Fear, Terror, Dream walking, etc., all things one would learn as a ghost, or as a living child adopted by ghosts and given the Freedom of the Graveyard.  Bod comes to the graveyard as a toddler, after his family was murdered he managed to wander into the graveyard, away from the murderer, Jack.  After a kindly ghost woman sees the young boy, and speaks to the boys’ deceased mother, she and her husband decide to hide the boy away from Jack.  Bod grows up in the graveyard and learns about ghouls, Hounds of Hell, all about ghosts, and history, while his guardian tries to find answers.  Eventually Bod must face Jack, but will he survive the encounter or will he live on in the graveyard, as a permanent resident? 

3.       CRITICAL REVIEW

Gaiman provides an interesting take on a ghost story.  Boys will most likely identify with Nobody Owens, or Bod.  He is an intelligent young man, who has no living friends.  He flies under the radar, and is often ignored.  “No one even noticed that they hadn’t noticed him.”  Young adults often feel that they go unnoticed by their parents, teachers, and other adults.  The story does not move fast, however this gives us a chance to see Bod grow up and develop as a character from a young boy to a teenager.  While the story is slow at developing we see the different things that Bod must learn to face the man named Jack and to take his place among the living. 

The setting takes place in England, and we are given several clues to this location such as, “Josiah Worthington, local brewer, politician and later baronet, who had, almost three hundred years before, brought the old cemetery and the land around it, and given it to the city in perpetuity.”  Other comments mention London Town, as well as being close to Caledonia, or Scotland as we know it.  “This was a cold country at the edge of the world, and the only place colder was Caledonia to the North,” implies that Scotland lies to the north.  This fantasy novel has a common theme of good triumphing over evil.  Bod had escaped to the graveyard when we was a toddler, and managed to escape the notice of Jack, the man who had murdered his family.  This theme reaffirms the belief that good must be more powerful than evil.  In addition to this unique take on a ghost story, Gaimans’ use of language is impeccable.  Within the graveyard there are inhabitants who are from many different centuries, one of the oldest is a Roman named Caius Pompeius.  Other characters include the witch Liza Hempstock, the poet Nehemiah Trot, and more. 

Each of the characters has their own unique voices.  Master Trot’s voice is very different from Liza’s voice for instance.  “Of course, brave boy.  The advice of poets is the cordiality of kings!” the language he uses is educated, and is how a poet from the mid 1700’s would have sounded like.  Liza’s language sounds like she is uneducated, and from an earlier time.  “Drownded and burnded and buried here without as much as a stone to mark the spot.”  We can guess at the time period in which she lived because of her mention of the plague.  “But it turned out there was more in that carpet than strong wool and good weaving, for it carried the plague in its pattern, and by Monday five of them were coughing blood, and their skins were gone as black as mine when they hauled me from the fire. “  Other comments made by Liza mention how she was branded as a witch, and was drowned, burned and then buried in unconsecrated ground near the graveyard.  Overall, Gaiman provides a fresh new look at ghost stories and provides us with Bod, a boy many children and teens will identify with.  His choice of language provides each character their own voice.  The Graveyard Book is a true pleasure to read. 

4.       REVIEWS

Newbery Honor Book

Starred Kirkus review

“Wistful, witty, wise—and creepy.”…Kirkus Reviews

“When the chilling moments do come, they are as genuinely frightening as only Gaiman can make them”… Publishers Weekly

5.       CONNECTIONS

Read Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Research the different burial methods of different cultures and places-for instance the catacombs in Rome, and the above ground tombs in New Orleans

Create a model of a graveyard and include famous names from history with dates of birth and death

Works Cited

Kirkus Reviews. "The Graveyard Book." Accessed August 6, 2012. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/neil-gaiman/the-graveyard-book/.

Publishers Weekly. "Children's Review: The Graveyard Book." Accessed August 6, 2012. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-053092-1.

The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich

The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich

*Review created for Texas Woman’s University graduate level class*

1.       BIBLIOGRAPHY

Erdrich, Louise. 2005. THE GAME OF SILENCE. New York. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-029789-1

2.       SUMMARY

Omakayas, or Little Frog, is a young Ojibwe girl who lives on an island in Lake Superior.  The game of silence is played by the children of the tribe during an important meeting; if the children remain silent throughout the meeting they are allowed to pick out a gift.  Common gifts include marbles, dolls, makazinan, leather coats, and knives.  Other gifts may include maple candy, ribbons and more.  It is during this meeting that they learn that the chimookomanag, or white people, want them to leave their home to make room for white settlers.  The Game of Silence describes Omakayas last year on the island she calls home.  The book describes their different settlements based on the seasons; neebin or summer, dagwaging or fall, biboon or winter, and zeegwun or spring, and their move from their island home into the land of the Bwaanag, another Native American tribe. 

3.       CRITICAL REVIEW

Omakayas’ life is full of changes; changes from season to season, growing up, and having to move.  Any child who has ever had to move will relate to her plight.  Her life is full of tasks that her people have been doing for generations such as the girls learning to “sew and bead together, gathered berries, and helped their mothers clean fish.  They also learned early on how to tan hides, a task Omakayas despised.”  Readers may want to learn more about the expulsion of the Native American tribes to western lands, as well as the lives of different Native American tribes. 

The treaties were broken repeatedly by the chimookomanag, and the tribes were given rotting supplies, and blankets that were covered in diseases like small pox.  Erdrich gives details of the year, 1849, through the clothing the white settlers wear, the descriptions of the landscape, as well as the descriptions of the priest looking for souls and the tribe describing the priest as a “soul stealer”.  Readers will be able to identify with Omakayas and her fears of growing up, the love she has for her siblings, even Pinch who drives her crazy, and the love she has for her parents. 

4.       REVIEWS

“Eager readers beguiled by her sturdy and engaging person will scarcely notice that they have absorbed great draughts of Ojibwe culture, habits and language”… Kirkus Reviews

“this meticulously researched novel offers an even balance of joyful and sorrowful moments while conveying a perspective of America's past that is rarely found in history books”… Publishers Weekly

Winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

ALA Notable Children’s Book

ALA Booklist Editor’s Choice

5.       CONNECTIONS

Visit the local museum to see any Native American exhibits

Have children play a game of silence in class for rewards such as extra credit, candy bars, and free homework passes among others

Read The Birchbark House the prequel to The Game of Silence

Read The Porcupine Year, the sequel to The Game of Silence

Works Cited

Harper Collins Publishers. "The Game of Silence by Louise Erdrich." Accessed July 26, 2012. http://www.harpercollins.com/book/index.aspx?isbn=9780060297893.

Kirkus Reviews. "The Game of Silence." Accessed July 26, 2012. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/louise-erdrich/the-game-of-silence/#review.

Publishers Weekly. "Children's Review: The Game of Silence." Accessed July 26, 2012. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-029789-3.

Catherine, Called Birdy

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

*Review created for Texas Woman’s University graduate level class*

1.       BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cushman, Karen. 1994. CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY. New York. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 978-0-06-440584-3

2.       SUMMARY

Catherine, also called Birdy, is not your average young maiden; not only does she not like the typical womanly things such as spinning, but she can also read and write.  During the Middle Ages, literacy is rare, even among men and nobility, let alone for a young maiden.  In order to avoid spinning, a chore she hates, she writes in her journal.  What results is a hysterical look into the life of a young noblewoman in the Middle Ages, trying to avoid her father’s machinations to marry her off to the wealthiest suitor.

3.       CRITICAL REVIEW

Catherine is stubborn, intelligent, and voices her opinion.  She swears, would rather be a peasant than a noble woman, and definitely doesn’t want to be married.  Set in 1290, readers see what life was like in the Middle Ages, and the chores that a young maiden is responsible for, such as spinning, soap-making, making tonics for villagers, counting linens and sewing.  In addition to portraying the daily life and chores of the time, Cushman also presents aspects of living in the Middle Ages children are unlikely to think about, namely fleas, and poor personal hygiene.  Baths during the winter were few and far between and people often considered taking a bath to be bad for their health.  For instance, her entry is one example of the poor hygiene of the Middles Ages, “picked off twenty-nine fleas today.”   One other passage shows Birdy wanting a bath, “I wanted to take a bath, thinking that the dirt on my skin made the rash worse, but the bathing tub is being used as an extra table the kitchen and I cannot have it until spring.”  If I were Catherine in this instance I would be swearing, “Corpus bones”, or my favorite, “God’s thumbs!” 

Readers should be able to relate to the high spirited Catherine in her quest to outsmart her parents.  While readers will enjoy Birdy’s escapades, they may find it difficult to understand why a young girl would be getting married so young, or why she does not have a say in the marriage, but they will appreciate the creative ways she has to scare off potential suitors, including setting a privy on fire.  Cushman does a good job of balancing the culture and social mores of the Middle Ages with the expectations and morals of today’s society.  She does this by showing an independent and strong girl still having to fight against the shackles of her society for the opportunity to have a choice in which suitor she marries.  An overall interesting read that young adults are sure to enjoy. 

4.       REVIEWS

Newbery Honor Book

“at once comic and thought-provoking, this first novel is a delight”… Kirkus Reviews

“an admirable heroine and pungently evokes a largely unfamiliar setting”… Publishers Weekly

Starred Kirkus Review

5.       CONNECTIONS

Read The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman

Create a fashion magazine of medieval clothing and explain their functions

Create a calendar with the saint’s day

Listen to Medieval style music, such as Gregorian chanting

Works Cited

Kirkus Reviews. "Catherine, Called Birdy." Accessed July 27, 2012. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-cushman/catherine-called-birdy/#review.

Publishers Weekly. "Children's Review: Catherine, Called Birdy." Accessed July 27, 2012. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-395-68186-2.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

*Review created for Texas Woman’s University graduate level class*

1.       BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY. London. Penquin Group. ISBN 978-0-14-242059-1

2.       SUMMARY

Lina Vilkas is a fifteen year old, opinionated, outspoken and intelligent girl.  She dreams of becoming an artist and attending an art school in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania.  Her dreams are shattered when one night the NKVD barge into her home and arrest her, her brother Jonas, and her mother.  She later learns that her father is being sent to a prison, away from the rest of them, her and the rest of her family is sent to Siberia first, and then later to a village near the North Pole.  Her story becomes a story about survival; surviving the below freezing temperatures of the Arctic, the systematic starvation, the demanding labor, filthy conditions, the constant threat of separation from her family, and death.  Her story is one of love, and a story of hope that she and her family will be reunited and will make it back home.

3.       CRITICAL REVIEW

Sepetys presents a heartbreaking story about the Soviet imprisonment and murder of thousands of innocent people from Europe.  Lina is likeable, and young adults can readily identify with her and her art.  Lina’s worldview is black and white, right and wrong, and we see her identify herself as an artist, heavily influenced by Munch, in “shades of gray”.  Many historical novels tend to sugar coat the more tragic, despicable , or horrible moments in our world history.  Between Shades of Gray is a heartbreakingly authentic account of one of history’s most shameful moments.  The novel takes place in 1941, during World War II.  Sepetys provides haunting descriptions of the landscape that passes through the hole in the train, the village in Siberia, and the village of Trofimovsk.  Lina describes one of the last looks she has of her native Lithuania, “flowers burst with color against the June landscape.” Her description of Troimovsk is that of a desolate wasteland, “it was completely uninhabited, not a single bush or tree, just barren dirt to a shore of endless water.”  Other descriptions include the filthy living conditions she is forced to endure, “the smell of rotting flesh had become unbearable in the hot car. It made me retch.” 

Overall, young adults will want to learn more about the events of the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States.  Many of the deportees of these countries never made it home again because of the slave labor conditions, lack of food, shelter, proper clothing, and lack of medical care.  The conditions of filth they were forced to live in were more than appalling, and are reminiscent of the concentration camps of Germany.  “My head was curdled from the stench, and I itched terribly.  Lice were biting down the side of my hairline, behind my ears, and in my armpits.” 

4.       REVIEWS

Starred Kirkus Review

“This bitterly sad, fluidly written historical novel tackles a topic woefully underdiscussed in English-language children’s fiction: Joseph Stalin’s reign of terror”… Kirkus Reviews

“A harrowing page-turner, made all the more so for its basis in historical fact, the novel illuminates the persecution suffered by Stalin's victims”… Publishers Weekly

5.       CONNECTIONS

Read A World Apart: Imprisonment in a Soviet Labor Camp During World War II by Gustaw Herling

Discuss the similarities and differences between the Holocaust and the Soviet Occupation during World War II

Read Night by Elie Wiesel

Works Cited

Kirkus Reviews. "Between Shades of Gray." Accessed July 27, 2012. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sepetys-ruta/between-shades-gray/#review.

Publishers Weekly. "Children's Review: Between Shades of Gray." Accessed July 27, 2012. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-399-25412-3.

Final Thoughts

“Evil will rule until good men or women choose to act.”  Ruta Sepetys
It is my hope that we will always remember the horror in our shared past, so history will not be doomed to 
repeat itself.

Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartolette

Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler’s Shadow by Susan Cambell Bartoletti

*Review created for Texas Woman’s University graduate level class*

1.       BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. 2005. HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER’S SHADOW. New York. Scholastic Nonficiton. ISBN 978-0-439-35379-3

2.       SUMMARY

Hitler Youth describes the youth who followed Hitler, as well as young people who opposed him.  The book describes the Hitler Youth, or Hitlerjugend, an organization of teenagers that were dedicated to the leader of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or the Nazi party.  Bartoletti describes the mandatory participation in the Hitler Youth, the increasing responsibility of the Youth, the fanaticism of some members, and the courage of others to resist the Nazi regime.

3.       CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Bartoletti describes, with heart wrenching sadness, the corruption of the German youth and the lies Hitler told the children, and their families.  She uses quotes from members of the Hitler Youth as well as stark black and white photographs to show the systematic corruption and betrayal of the Hitler Youth.  Her book is visually grabbing through her use of photographs.  She captures the reader’s attention and keeps the reader wanting to know the fate of the members.  She showcases the increased discontent and rebellion of Sophie and Hans Scholl, young college students who became involved in the White Rose.  The White Rose was a group of students from the University of Munich who decided to speak out against the horrors and atrocities of Hitler’s regime; an action that would lead to their execution.  Hans was a young man who had at first been an eager member of the Hitler Youth, but had “rebelled against the conformity and loss of individual rights.” 

Bartoletti does an excellent job of sharing information and facts about the Hitlerjugend.  She invites readers to learn more with every page, but is careful to not overload the reader with information.  In addition, she does a wonderful job of maintaining the timeline of war in relation to increased involvement of the Hitler Youth.  In addition to her superb writing style, she also has a section at the end that gives further information about the German youth that are mentioned in Hitler Youth.  This is a fascinating section and invites readers to learn more about the Holocaust and war.  Hitler Youth has a bibliography section that includes more than 100 sources, many of them from firsthand accounts.  It is hard to imagine anyone not wanting to learn more about the Holocaust and World War II after reading Hitler Youth. 

In 1932, Hitler asked, “What can happen to a people whose youth sacrifices everything in order to serve its great ideals?” As Bartoletti says, “No one could have predicted the answer to that question”.  She also leaves us with one startling thought, “could another despot like Hitler rise to power on the shoulders of young people?” 

4.       REVIEWS/AWARDS

ALA Notable Children’s Book

Newbery Honor Book

Robert F. Sibert Honor Book

“ Essential for WWII collections as well as teaching units on conformity, peer pressure and resistance. Superb. “ … Kirkus Reviews

 “This excellent history shows how he attempted to carry out his mission with the establishment of the Hitler Youth.” … Starred review from School Library Journal

5.       CONNECTIONS

Read A Child of Hitler: Germany in the Days When God Wore a Swastika, The Burden of Hitler’s Legacy, and Parallel Journeys by Alfons Heck (Former Hitler Youth featured in Hitler Youth.  Parallel Journeys coauthored with an Auschwitz survivor

Read Through Hell for Hitler and A Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Germany in the 1930s by Henry Metelmann (Former Hitler Youth featured in Hitler Youth)

Read On the Run in Nazi Berlin (Featured in Hitler Youth, a Jewish youth during WWII)

Watch the documentary, Heil Hitler! Confessions of a Hitler Youth based on Alfons Heck. 

Read The Price: The True Story of a Mormon Who Defied Hitler by Karl-Heinz Schnibbe (a teen who defied Hitler with Helmuth Hubner, who died for his friends and his beliefs, and Rudi Wobbe)

Watch Truth and Conviction: The Helmuth Hubener Story about Helmuth Huebner, Karl-Heinz Scnibbe and Rudi Wobbe

Read Before the Blood Tribunal coauthored by Rudi Wobbe. 

Read The White Rose: Munich 1942-1943 by Inge Scholl, sister of Sophie and Hans Scholl who died for their convictions

Read The Diary of Anne Frank

Read other books written by Holocasut survivors; Primo Levi, Nechama Tec among others. 

Look at http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/ a website about survivors of the Holocaust

Ask children to consider how the world would be different if Nazi Germany had won the war

Final Thoughts

Some of the most atrocious crimes ever committed in the history of mankind were committed during the Holocaust; as members of the human race, no matter what creed, nationality, sex, religion, or sexual orientation, we are bound by our duty to remember it.

“Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.”  Edmund Burke

“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.” Maya Angelou

Works Cited

Brainy Quote. Accessed July 17, 2012. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/history.html.

Kirkus Reviews. "Hitler Youth ." Accessed July 17, 2012. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/susan-campbell-bartoletti/hitler-youth/#review.

Menszer, John. Holocaust Survivors. Accessed July 17, 2012. http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/.

Medlar, Andrew. "Book of the Week." School Library Journal. Accessed July 17, 2012. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA604629.html.