The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler

As President Bush grapples with Saddam Hussein and Kim Jong Il, students may not see that this is history in the making. Students may not understand that, years ago, Hitler invaded Poland partly because his assessment of world reaction led him to believe that England and France would not get

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involved. Certainly as the United States and Iraq and North Korea dance around the possibility of war, it is worth taking a look at history to see what lessons we can learn.

The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler shows Hitler’s rise to power in a way that will cause students to ask questions about world politics today. Giblin’s book is extremely well researched (it won the prize from the American Library Association prize for the very best in young adult nonfiction, the Seibert Prize). It is filled with photos and other graphics from the times in question. The writing style is engaging and every assertion is fully documented in the detailed source notes at the end of the book.

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I would utilize this book in a fifth or sixth grade classroom when learning about WWII and what Hitler and the Nazi's did. The diction throughout the text is at a fifth or sixth grade reading level and may be challenging for some students. Because of this, I would use this as a group book where the

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students take turns reading sections of the book out loud and then discussing it as a class. This allows students an opportunity to ask questions and create discussion, while also giving the educator the chance to talk about something else going on in history at the time. This book could be used along side articles and other texts about the Nazis and concentration camps. Although the book may seem graphic, students should read it because of how significant it has become in the world's history.

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I didn't particularly care for the writing, but it certainly contained exhaustive facts.