Susan Campbell Bartoletti

The story is very historically accurate and based on the life of Helmuth Hubener, a German boy who was part of the youth SS, while his father was an SS officer. Helmuth got upset with the SS regime and felt as though they were lying to him about the war, and so he began listening to BBC radio on an illegally-imported radio that he shared with his two friends. He created a secret youth group that would make mini pamphlets, which would then be distributed around town, but eventually he gets ratted out by the fourth member of his little group. Helmuth was sentenced to death and his friends were given other punishments. This book is incredibly important, especially since the horrors of the Holocaust are being downplayed in today's society, and the rise of anti-Semitism is becoming quite alarming. As someone with Jewish/Israeli heritage, this story had a profound impact on me when I read it. The idea that this young boy didn't just take the information he was given and actually did his own research is a great lesson to teach students. Today, with social media and the strong influence of celebrities and "influencers," the younger generations are struggling to think for themselves and to make informed and educated decisions.… (altro)

My friend, Jenny, sent this to me for my birthday. I flew through it---very interesting story. At first I was a little taken aback by the juvenile writing style for what I thought was an adult book. Then I realized it's written for juveniles and begin to think it was pretty in-depth for kids. Ha! Anyway, I'm going to have my teens read this. I think they'll think it's pretty interesting.

Based on the evidence in this book alone, it's hard to sympathize with Mary. Though she may have honestly been unaware of her condition as a healthy carrier, once she was made aware, she should have taken precautions for the health of society. To continually put herself in situations where she could infect others---especially the maternity hospital AFTER being presented with clear evidence of her sickness---was inexcusable.

I would have liked to know more about her later years working with the doctor and details about those last years of her life. Perhaps this information is unavailable.… (altro)