We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler

Honestly, as I read this I was thinking how it stacked up against last year's [b:The Boys Who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club|25445456|The Boys Who Challenged Hitler Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club|Phillip M. Hoose|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430245146s/25445456.jpg|42246997]. And I was thinking about how those saboteur Churchill Club boys were more exciting than the pamphleteer Scholl siblings. But then I got to the end of this book and BAM. Whoa. I teared up. I felt awful for thinking for even a minute that the White Rose story was tame by comparison. If I had known from the beginning how it ended for Sophie and Hans I think I would've read the story in a different light.

Beyond my personal reaction, I show more think this story is told with admirable precision (I read it in about an hour) which makes it appealing for younger readers. But there are some very rattling, morbid parts of the story that make me think it's generally best for 6th grade and up.

You could definitely have quite a discussion around the themes, particularly how the Scholl siblings both professed to know right from wrong by looking inside themselves. Do human beings have an innate sense of good and evil? Or can we only know what we're taught? Hans Scholl: "I'm searching for myself, just myself, because this much I do know; I'll only find the truth inside me." Sophie Scholl: "We carry all our standards within ourselves, only we don't look for them closely enough. Perhaps because they are the severest standards." show less

During Hitler's rise to power, German children got swept up in the patriotic excitement and at first enjoyed the youth groups they could join. However, some of them, like the Scholl children, started to get frustrated with the conformity, the inability to share opinions, and later were very upset by the attacks on Poland and on Jews. This is the story of the Scholls and their friends, from childhood to young adulthood, and how they resisted Hitler's rule in the White Rose student movement.

My thoughts: I love this true story itself, revealing that regular people can be heroic, defying horrifying rules and acts (although not necessarily safely). I also love that this book is written for children, reminding and encouraging them to stand up show more for what they believe. The quotes from the young people were striking and the photos contributed to both understanding and connection with the story. 4.5 stars.

Perhaps a few maps could help children who are new to European and German geography. show less

In the heart of Germany, a student resistance movement called the White Rose took a courageous stand to denounce the Nazis.

“They could have chosen to throw bombs,” but the young members of the White Rose chose to oppose Nazi Germany with printed words. The clandestine student activists, including Hans and Sophie Scholl and Christoph Probst, wrote leaflets decrying Nazi atrocities, urging German citizens to resist the Nazi government, and denouncing the Nazi “dictatorship of evil.” Cranking out thousands of mimeographed leaflets at night in a secret cellar, the students proclaimed to Nazi leaders, “We are your bad conscience,” imperiling their lives. Among the wealth of good Holocaust literature available, Freedman’s volume show more stands out for its focus and concision, effectively placing the White Rose in its historical context, telling the story of Nazi Germany without losing the focus on the White Rose, and doing so in just over 100 pages. Archival photographs are effectively integrated into the text, and the typeface at times resembles the typewriter’s text on mimeographed leaflets, a nice design choice. The selected bibliography includes volumes for young readers and the superb German-language film Sophie Scholl: The Final Days (2005).

A thorough and accessible introduction to the Holocaust and the students who dared to take a stand against evil. (source notes, picture credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

-Kirkus Review show less

This book tells the story of the White Rose resistance group during Nazi Germany. Students learn who started the movement, what actions they took, and why their message mattered. Academic vocabulary such as resistance, propaganda, and dictatorship build historical literacy. This text supports instruction on evaluating primary sources and historical nonfiction (TEKS 8.12A). Middle school readers are drawn to the bravery of teens fighting injustice. It belongs in a classroom library because it teaches moral courage and critical thinking about history.

Fascinating look at the Scholl family and the White Rose movement. I didn't know this story. There were original photographs and information about memorials today. This helped me think about everyday people in Nazi German and the ideas of upstanders and bystanders and the incredible risks those who spoke out took.

We Will Not Be Silent chronicles the lives of brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl and their friends, who were instrumental in forming an underground student organization bent on debunking Nazi propaganda and inciting protests against Hitler's regime.

Told in a simple, straightforward manner, the author chronicles the Scholl children's formative years: from their enthusiastic participation in Hilter's youth programs (despite their father's denouncement), to their eventual disillusionment with the Nazi rhetoric, and most importantly, their commitment to be a dissenting, outspoken German voice in spite of the dangers this posed. Their impending deaths are portrayed as noble, even heroic, sacrifices and the aftermath shows that Hans, show more Sophie and their White Rose allies did not die in vain. A somber, but important piece of history that illustrates the power of personal convictions and the brave young people who felt compelled to voice them. Recommended for middle grade readers. AR 7.7, pts. 3 -JF show less

WE WILL NOT BE SILENT: THE WHITE ROSE STUDENT RESISTANCE MOVEMENT THAT DEFIED ADOLF HITLER by Russell Freedman is the true story of siblings who stand up against the Nazis by distributing resistance leaflets.

This well-researched work of nonfiction tells the story of Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie who join the Hitler Youth, but soon realize they don’t agree with the movement. Along with their friends, they create the White Rose campaign against Hitler and the Nazis. Their underground movement includes distributing leaflets. Using photographs and easy-to-understand prose, these young people fought for their beliefs risking imprisonment and sometimes even execution. The book concludes with useful source notes, credits, and an show more index.

Designed for ages 10-14, librarians will find that youth will connect with this very accessible story of young people fighting for their beliefs. This little-known story is an excellent way to engage students in a discussion of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust.

Look for this title on the “best of nonfiction” lists for 2016.

Published by Clarion on May 2, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher. show less