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

by Russell Freedman

Overview

A 2017 Sibert Honor Book

In his signature eloquent prose, backed up by thorough research, Russell Freedman tells the story of Austrian-born Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie. They belonged to Hitler Youth as young children, but began to doubt the Nazi regime. As older students, the Scholls and a few friends formed the White Rose, a campaign of active resistance to Hitler and the Nazis. Risking imprisonment or even execution, the White Rose members distributed leaflets urging Germans to defy the Nazi government. Their belief that freedom was worth dying for will inspire young readers to stand up for what they believe in. Archival photographs and prints, source notes, bibliography, index.  
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544223790
Publisher:	HMH Books
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	353,927
Product dimensions:	9.70(w) x 9.70(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	640L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Russell Freedman has received a Newbery Medal, two Newbery Honors, the Sibert Medal, and countless other accolades including a National Humanities Medal. He lives in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

Robert F. Sibert Honor Award winner
2016 Kirkus Prize Finalist
Chicago Public Library Best of 2016
Kirkus Best of 2016
Raleigh News & Observer Best of 2016
Nonfiction Detectives: Best of 2016

* "A highly readable and well-documented overview of a fascinating aspect of World War II."
—School Library Journal, STARRED review

* "Among the wealth of good Holocaust literature available, Freedman's volume 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."
—Kirkus, STARRED review

* "Thoroughly researched, with numerous archival photos, this well-told story of the White Rose opposition unfolds chronologically and with building suspense."
—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review

"As always, Freedman not only writes with clarity and pace but augments his text with primary-source quotes and photographs that add power and immediacy."
—Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

★ 03/01/2016
Gr 6–8—Though the story of the White Rose student resistance in Nazi Germany has been told elsewhere, Freedman's focus on the youth of the participants will resonate with readers. Hans Scholl, a free-spirited teen who became disillusioned by the enforced conformity of his Hitler Youth group, joined a banned rival group that discussed forbidden books, and there were no uniforms or marching. Younger sister Sophie got in trouble for reading a book by a Jewish German poet and questioning the pervasive anti-Semitism of her society. While attending school in Munich, the siblings became active in a group of anti-Hitler pamphleteers. The story has its share of dark turns, including arrests, lengthy detentions, and the eventual trial and execution by guillotine of Hans and Sophie. But Freedman treats these aspects gracefully, and the overarching message is one of defiant resistance in the face of overwhelming evil. "You will go down in history," their father, an outspoken pacifist, told them after their conviction. "There is such a thing as justice despite this. I am proud of both of you." Stock photos from the period are adeptly interspersed with personal snapshots and portraits to create a strong visual component. VERDICT A highly readable and well-documented overview of a fascinating aspect of World War II.—Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson Middle School, Falls Church, VA

School Library Journal

★ 2015-10-19
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 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 Reviews

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