Hitler Youth
Bibliographic Data:
Susan Campbell Bartoletti. Hitler Youth. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction. 2005.
ISBN 0-439-35379-3
Summary:
The reader is hooked from the first shocking picture of a little boy, probably around the age of 5, dressed in a full Nazi uniform raising his arm in salute and immediately wants to learn more. This book tells the stories of the group of young men and women who were members of Hitlerjugend, Hitler Youth. These members proudly followed the beliefs of Hitler and were instrumental in this appointment to chancellor of Germany. The book chronicles of these young men and women through black and white photographs and quotes from the members themselves. The author even includes an epilogue so the reader can gain closure to the story of the people in the book.
Critical Analysis:
The reader feels immediately drawn to the people in the book after seeing their photographies and reading a short introduction into their lives. Bartoletti shows the accuracy of her text in many ways. She includes quote sources organized by chapter, which makes it much easier for readers. In the back of the book there is also a list of 115 sources. The sources are organized by subject or about a specific person. The book flows in chronological order starting in 1926 with the formation of Hitler Youth and ending with the suicide of Hitler and subsequent surrender of Germany to the Allies. The reader gets a true feeling for the lives of these young people surrounded by all this horror of Hitler's actions. She did not always show the people in the best light, instead she stuck to the facts and told their stories. The black and white photographs could almost tell a story by themselves. The reader is able to put themselves into the story and relate to these young boys and girls. Readers can see that these people are not much different from them, but had to make some tough discussions.
BOOKLIST review: "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."
Awards and Honors:
Sibert Honor Books: 2006
Newbery Honor Books: 2006
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 2005
Top of the List: 2005
Best Books for Young Adults: 2006
Notable Children's Books: 2006
Connections:
Students can select one person from the book and write a journal entry as if they were that person during this time.
Writing prompt: "If you were in these characters' situation, would you have join Hitler Youth? Why or why not?"
Student can create a time line of the events they feel are most important in the story. They will also write why they feel each event was important enough to be included on the time line.
Students write interview questions for one person in the story. Then switch with a partner. Then each student will try to answer the questions as if they were the person from the book.
Students create a Glogster about Hitler Youth.
Chose a photograph from the story and write a new story about what you see.
The Great Fire
Bibliographic Data:
Jim Murphy. The Great Fire. New York: Scholastic Inc. 1995.
ISBN 0-590-47267-4
Summary:
This is an account of the 1871 fire that burned for three days and devastated Chicago. The author takes the reader through a step by step account of everything that happened, including the events that lead up to the fire. He weaves quotes into his text from people who lived through the tragedy throughout the book.
Critical Analysis:
Jim Murphy is an award winning author with a reputation in nonfiction literature. He takes his time when researching and writing on a topic to get across a true story that is filled with factual information but also enjoyable to read at the same time. The author lists numerous sources from which he gathered his information for this book. The story progresses along with the path of the fire, highlighting different areas in the order the fire got to them. There is also a map of Chicago at the time of the fire that is picture numerous times starting on pages 24 and 25. As the fire destroyed the land the map changes to show the path of destruction. The reader gets a wonderful display of the sheer volume of land that was affected by the fire on the final map on pages 122 and 123. This creates an image in the reader's mind of the vastness of this fire. There is a mixture of both illustrations and photographs that help the reader relate to the people and places devastated by this fire. Both graphic features are from the time period of when the fire happened.
Review Excerpt:
BOOKLIST review: "Photographs and illustrations of the conflagration and the damage it left behind only add fuel to the author’s dramatic text, a riveting narrative that combines the details of the fire itself with personal anecdotes gleaned from newspaper accounts and books written during and immediately after the fire."
Awards and Honors
Booklist Editors' Choice: Books for Youth, 1995
Newbery Honor Books: 1996
Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers: 1996
Best Books for Young Adults: 1996
Notable Children's Books: 1996
Connections:
Students create newspaper article written on the Wednesday after the fire stopped. Article can include interviews of people mentioned in the book.
Students write letter to someone who survived the fire. Students must ask at least five questions about the situation that were not answered in the book.
Students create a timeline of important events that correlates with the final map on pages 122 and 123.
What to do About Alice?
Bibliographic Data:
Kerley, Barbara. What to do About Alice? Ill. Edwin Fotheringham. New York: Scholastic Press. 2008
ISBN 978-0-439-92231-9
Summary:
This story follows the precocious daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt. He may have been able to rule over the people of the United States, but at times seemed to have a harder time keeping his own daughter out of trouble. Alice was a free spirited girl who marched to her own beat, choosing to teach herself instead of attending traditional school. She eventually grows out of her rebellious behavior and manages to act in her "best official behavior" at times.
Critical Analysis:
This book is a great transition for younger picture book lovers. The style is familiar and welcoming to younger readers, who may be intimidated by more traditional biographies. There are words written in bold text and all capital letters that draw attention from the reader. The illustrations can help younger readers connect to Alice through the clear pictures showing emotions of the people included in the book. The drawings also help add to the feeling of the time period in which Alice lived. Younger readers may not have another connection to that time period. The illustrations may be more entertaining than photographs. Students think they are reading a funny story about a girl getting into trouble, when they are actually learning about the daughter of a President. While the style may be closer to a picture book than a traditional biography the author still does a good job of incorporating facts into the story. She offers five sources from which she gathered her information listing full bibliographic information on each and page numbers for quotes. She also lists a person who fact checked her text and artwork.
Review Excerpt:
BOOKLIST review: "Kerley’s text has the same rambunctious spirit as its subject, grabbing readers from the first line."
BOOKLIST review "Irrepressible Alice Roosevelt gets a treatment every bit as attractive and exuberant as she was....The large format gives Fotheringham, in his debut, plenty of room for spectacular art."
Awards and Honors
Sibert Honor Books: 2009
Notable Children's Books: 2009
Connections:
Writing Prompts:
Would you be friends with Alice? Why or why not?
Would you like to be the son or daughter of the President? Why or Why not?
What does Alice mean when she says she is "eating up the world"?
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