The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti is a recent addition to one of my childhood's favorite genres -- WWII history. This is a fiction account of the true story of a German teenager put to death for listening to foreign radio broadcasts and writing leaflets about what he heard. It starts with his life in prison waiting for execution and tells the story of his life in short flashbacks.I was actually hoping for more about a childhood in the Hitler Youth as I've read other books about German executions. Helmuth's religion was a bit of a novelty -- I haven't read many books about German Mormons. His friendships through the church and his struggle between conflicting religious commandments gave him depth -- his Church both demanded he respect the truth and that he obey the law. It was a very deep view, however, as the book is aimed at young readers. Bartoletti has actually written a book about the Hitler Youth, which I may have remembered and messed up my expectations. I'll leave it out for the seventh grader.
1 comment:
Hey, it sounds like you're having a good time. Thanks for stopping by my blog. Too bad your boys are with their dad this weekend but they could write reviews anytime they'd like. We love to hear what boys are reading. I'm having a hard time getting free time to read this weekend. Does it count when you take 15-minute breaks? I'd read for a while , take a couple of minutes for bathroom, read some more, get up and grab a dink or snack, etc. etc. Only once or twice I've sat and read a whole hour.
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