PLOT SUMMARY
Helmuth Hubner is a young teenager in Germany during the Hitler years. He grows up in a time of national pride and political upheaval as Hitler rises to power promising “Deutschland über Alles!” Helmuth is a smart youth with the ability to write well and a keen eye for seeing the truth about things. When he learns that the Nazi government is not giving the public the entire truth, he takes it upon himself to write leaflets and distribute them through Hamburg. When he is found out, he is tried for treason and sentenced to death.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Bartoletti has taken one of the youth highlighted in her book Hitler Youth and created a riveting novel about a boy who chooses to stand up for what he believes in, even in the face of death. Based on personal accounts, and interviews with family and friends, Bartoletti tells the story of what she imagines Helmuth Hubner’s last days would have been like reminiscing on his younger days in Hamburg. 

Bartoletti includes a long author’s note that describes the timeline of Hitler’s rise to power and Germany’s entering WWII, and a list of books for extension of reading and knowledge about the time period.

I listened to this audiobook without the benefit of the print version so I missed out on the pictures that were included in the Author’s Note. However, Ackroyd did a wonderful job of narrating the story. He even pronounced the German correctly and gave characters different voices and accents. 

I highly recommend including this novel, as well as her non-fiction Hitler Youth, in any curriculum that discusses WWII and the Holocaust.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist – Best Books for Young Adults, and Editor’s Choice 2009YALSA – Best Books for Young Adults
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “[An] inspiring tale of conscience and courage.” 
BOOKLIST: “The teen’s perspective makes this a particularly gripping way to personalize the history, and even those unfamiliar with the background… will be enthralled by the story of one boy’s heroic resistance in the worst of times… This is an important title for the Holocaust curriculum.”

CONNECTIONS (This book is definitely for older readers, grade 9 and up)
*This is a book that should prompt discussion about the holocaust and the ability to think for oneself and do the right thing in the face of danger.  
*Look for these other works about youth during World War II:
Bartoletti, S.C. HITLER YOUTH: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow. Scholastic Inc. 2005. ISBN 0439353793
Doerr, A. ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE. Scribner, 2014. ISBN: 978-1476746586