Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Apr. 15, 2005 (Vol. 101, No. 16))
What was it like to be a teenager in Germany under Hitler? Bartoletti draws on oral histories, diaries, letters, and her own extensive interviews with Holocaust survivors, Hitler Youth, resisters, and bystanders to tell the history from the viewpoints of people who were there. Most of the accounts and photos bring close the experiences of those who followed Hitler and fought for the Nazis, revealing why they joined, how Hitler used them, what it was like. Henry Mentelmann, for example, talks about Kristallnacht, when Hitler Youth and Storm Troopers wrecked Jewish homes and stores, and remembers thinking that the victims deserved what they got. The stirring photos tell more of the story. One particularly moving picture shows young Germans undergoing de-Nazification by watching images of people in the camps. The handsome book design, with black-and-white historical photos on every double-page spread, will draw in readers and help spark deep discussion, which will extend beyond the Holocaust curriculum. The extensive back matter is a part of the gripping narrative. Category: Books for Older Readers--Nonfiction. 2005, Scholastic, $19.95. Gr. 7-10. Starred Review

Susie Wilde (Children's Literature)
Yes, the Hitler youth is mentioned in most young adult nonfiction on the subject, but to see through this lens creates a completely different book! Bartoletti is quickly becoming a nonfiction writer who tops lists with her engaging writing, viewpoint, obvious dedication to research and knowledge of how important pictures are to the telling for this audience. Her book is filled with chilling quotes, anecdotal stories derived from research and interviews, and stories about how Hitler’s young were manipulated and used as a primary source of his power and vision for the future. There are many facts revealed that may be new to readers. For example, the required year of service after graduation, the Landjahr, required youth do everything from clearing forests to shoveling “gravel through sieves for seven full hours” and by 1938 “the Reich Labor Service has turned so many acres of forests and swamps into useful land that it made up for nearly all the territory Germany had lost in the Treaty of Versailles.” The author threads through the pages the stories of young heroes who stood up against Hitler, such as Sophie and Hans Scholl who wrote and distributed pamphlets until they were executed. 2005, Scholastic, $19.95. Ages 11 up.

CCBC (Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices, 2006)
Adolf Hitler not only saw youth as Germany’s future but knew they could play an important role in the present. The Hitler Youth was formed in 1926, offering children and teens in a struggling Germany a sense of purpose, as well as “excitement, adventure, and new heroes to worship.” Author Susan Campbell Bartoletti looks at the lives of twelve children and teens who were members of the Hitler Youth. Some of them joined in spite of their parents’ misgivings or disapproval: it was the thing to do (as long as you weren’t Jewish or otherwise excluded). To not join was a stigma difficult to overcome. As she follows each of the twelve youth, Bartoletti shows how some remained loyal to Hitler, even turning in family members, while others, as they matured, began to question the Nazis and even to work actively against them, joining existing resistance efforts or establishing their own. Among the latter were Inge, Hans, and Sophie Scholl of the White Rose Movement, and Rudi Wobbe, who secretly listened to foreign broadcasts and distributed anti-Nazi leaflets. Bartoletti’s carefully researched, fascinating narrative is a compelling work of non-fiction. She provides extensive documentation in a volume that not only informs but also inspires readers to ask difficult questions about choices they may face in their own lives. CCBC Category: Historical People, Places, and Events. 2005, Scholastic Nonfiction, 176 pages, $19.95. Ages 13-18.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2005 (Vol. 73, No. 7))
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. Essential for WWII collections as well as teaching units on conformity, peer pressure and resistance. Superb. (epilogue, time line, author's note, about the photographs, quote sources, bibliography, index) 2005, Scholastic, 176p, $19.95. Category: Nonfiction. Ages 12 up. Starred Review. © 2005 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Esther Sinofsky (Library Media Connection, October 2005)
Bartoletti highlights an often-overlooked aspect of the Nazi rise to power, stranglehold on Germany and Europe, and last ditch defense effort-the Hitler Youth. Through the lives-and sometimes deaths-of twelve young Germans, Hitler's diabolical plan unfolds to mold Germany's children and teenagers into a generation devoted and obedient only to himself. In fluid prose that brings history alive, Bartoletti shows how the Hitler Youth began as an organization that "offered its members excitement, adventure, and new heroes to worship" as well as "hope, power," and a chance to rebel against adults. As Hitler continued his rise to power and led the world into war, the Hitler Youth evolved into the recruiting ground for the military, especially the Waffen-SS. But, some Hitler Youth turned their backs on their indoctrinations and formed the basic German resistance to Nazism. The B&W photographs offer chilling depictions of German youth and the lengths to which their fanaticism took them. Included are a chronology of the Hitler Youth, an author's explanatory note, bibliography, and an index. The book is an excellent starting point for class discussions of "What would you have done?" Recommended. 2005, Scholastic, 176pp., $19.95 hc. Ages 11 up.

F. Todd Goodson (The ALAN Review, Spring/Summer 2005 (Vol. 32, No. 3))
Hitler Youth provides a readable and compelling examination of the manipulation of adolescents in the Third Reich. The stories of 11 young people are traced through the rise and fall of National Socialism in Germany. We follow teens smitten by Nazi ideology, teens who went along reluctantly, teens who became part of the resistance movement in Germany, and Jewish teens victimized by the Nazi regime. Along the way, we arrive at a deeper understanding of the complex forces targeting young people during this period. The book is oversized and filled with black and white photographs that capture the conflict of the time--both the conflict between nations and the conflict within individuals. Hitler Youth would certainly be a valuable addition to units of study devoted to the Holocaust and/or World War II, providing a view of the effects of the war on Germany’s adolescents as well as the effect German adolescents had on the war. Category: Nonfiction/World War II. YA--Young Adult. 2005, Scholastic, 176 pp., $19.95. Ages young adult.Manhattan, KS

Hope Morrison (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, June 2005 (Vol. 58, No. 10))
Between the years of 1926 and 1945, more than seven million young people joined Hitlerjugend, or Hitler Youth, the official youth group of the Nazi party. Drawn by Hitler's promises of a better, stronger Germany for future generations, these young men and women played an extraordinary role in the machinations of the National Socialist Party during the twelve years of the Third Reich. This carefully researched and powerfully narrated examination of the Hitler Youth follows the lives of an assortment of young people on all sides of the story through these years, drawing on historical research, memoir, interviews, quoted materials, and extensive photographs. The story is at times horrific: the youth of Germany, drawn by accessible notions of spirit and patriotism, were systematically indoctrinated "to become a part of the machinery of murder," despite their general ignorance of the scale and gross inhumanity of the murders to come. This well-contextualized narrative allows readers largely unfamiliar with the history to gain a solid understanding not only of Hitler and his legions of youth but of the deeper connections back to the first World War, the Treaty of Versailles, and the anti-Semitism of the nation, and the abundant details effectively function to broaden understanding rather than dragging the plotline down. Consideration of multiple perspectives allows readers to examine the organization from various angles: converted believers, persecuted Jews, underground resisters. A clean layout and an abundance of archival photos further support the storytelling. This solid offering deserves wide readership by today's young people, and it is certain to promote extensive discussion. A timeline, author's note, note about the photographs, list of sources, bibliography, and index are included. Review Code: R* -- Denotes books of special distinction. (c) Copyright 2005, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2005, Scholastic, 176p, $19.95. Grades 8-12.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2005)
With clarity and apt quotation (scrupulously sourced), Bartoletti's tracing of the Hitler Youth movement particularizes the events of Nazi Germany from rise to fall and is given further specificity by her recurring attention throughout to several individual young people. Many period candid and propaganda photographs are well married to the text by strong captions and placement. Reading list. Bib., ind. Category: Nonfiction-History. 2005, Scholastic, 176pp, 19.95. Ages 14 to 18. Rating: 1: Outstanding, noteworthy in style, content, and/or illustration.

Monica Irwin (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 18, No. 1))
Filled with numerous historical photographs and details, this book will fulfill the needs of researchers and avid readers alike. The book begins with the murder of Herbert Norkus in 1932. Norkus is a member of the Hitler Youth and is chased down and killed by what was described as a young gang of Communist sympathizers. His death and funeral were used for propaganda purposes by the Nazi party. The book continues with the stories of several individuals who served as part of the Nazi Youth for even a short time. Some of these later left the party and actually fought against them. Some of them have become well known like Hans and Sophie Scholl. While sharing the history of Hitler’s rise to power, this book is not about Hitler. Rather it is about the children who served in his youth movement. It also discusses why some served and why some rebelled. Using numerous quotes and stories from those who actually lived it, the book will most definitely find an audience. As a book of quality, this book will be a positive addition to any school library. There is an extensive bibliography and a list of sources for the quotes which will assist researches in further study. Nonfiction (943.086), Highly Recommended. Grades 4 and up. 2005, Scholastic Nonfiction, 176p., $19.95. Ages 9 up.

Kevin Beach (VOYA, August 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 3))
How could so many Germans go along with Hitler's inhumane public policies that led to the deaths of millions? This book, through the testimony of youth, successfully answers that question. The Hitler Youth program offered its often-impoverished members hope, excitement, and even power. The dangling carrot of camping trips, uniforms, and parades enraptured tens of thousands of children. From the story of its first martyr to the executions of those who left its ranks in the war's waning years, the history of the organization, and on a wider scale the story of the Holocaust, is told against the backdrop of Germany's youth, used as campaigners, informants, laborers, and even soldiers. The program infiltrated churches and schools and intimidated teachers and clerics to conform to Nazi policies of anti-Semitism, book burning, and eradication of all things "non-German." As these policies became more outrageous, many tried to leave, but by then it had become dangerous to challenge the mob mentality. This profusely illustrated book relates the stories of youth who were-and still are-supportive of Hitler's deeds as well as those who resisted, and in some cases died, trying to sway public opinion. Heartbreaking photographs include images of the infirm, and mentally and physically handicapped being sent to eradication centers, and in the final chapter, images of astonished Germans watching films of Holocaust atrocities that they had helped to bring about, many unwittingly so. This book offers through simple and powerful primary sources an important though tearful lesson in history, citizenship, and responsibility. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2005, Scholastic, 176p.; Index. Photos. Maps. Biblio. Source Notes. Chronology. Appendix., $19.95. Ages 11 to 18.