Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow is a historical non-fiction text that tells the story of the millions of children who grew up in Nazi Germany during the time of World War II. This book is about Adolf Hitler and how he recruited millions of children to be part of Germany's "Hitler Youth" groups in his attempt to control the masses. Hitler looked at children as a way to increase his following because children were young, controllable, and easy to persuade. This book is filled with many photographs of these children and is written not as a novel, but as individual true stories. Each story focuses on a different child who either questioned what was happening, or who followed the leaders of the Third Reich. Some children were brave enough to speak against this movement, while others went along with it seamlessly. The stories tell of the different "classes" the children had to take, and about the true power that this leader had over millions of lives.

This book can be disturbing when you think about how these children were basically brainwashed through propaganda and exposed to the horrors of Hitler's command. While reading this book I felt very connected to the stories and the people who told them, while also learning about lesser-known facts and details about the Hitler Youth. This generation of young men and women were indoctrinated under false pretenses to follow this merciless leader during a difficult time of war. I would recommend using this book in a history or English classroom to teach about propaganda and how it still happens today in different ways. I would create a lesson to focus on the symbols in America (with either political or social intentions) and how they are used to persuade society. I would use examples from the text supported by examples of symbolism/propaganda in modern times to enhance comprehension. This book is a great tool to teach children about the intensity and realness of this time and how children much like themselves had little control over what they could and could not believe in.

Bartoletti, S. (2005). Hitler youth: Growing up in hitler's shadow. New York: Scholastic Press.