The Boy Who Dared

Helmut’s story of Nazi rule in Germany and how he was enthralled with patriotism is so exciting to read. I loved that there were pictures of him and his family. I think this places you in a realistic yet surreal place much like that of a person in Germany during Nazi rule would have felt. I have

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always like books about Nazi Germany and this book was a great one. I think that the poem at the end from Helmut was hopeful and endearing . He learns a lot about suppressing the lives of others that he feels is wrong. It is a tale of moral expression.

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This is the fictionalized story of Helmuth Hubener's last day in a German prison camp. Helmuth tells the story in flashbacks through his final day: he was a German school boy who was drawn to the Nazi's fancy uniforms and patriotic speeches. He gradually came to realize that the Nazis were slowly

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chipping away at every freedom the German people had, and that they were a group that ultimately ruled by fear, not by law. Helmuth's brother sneaks home a powerful French shortband radio, which has been outlawed in Germany, and Helmuth begins listening to radio broadcasts from England. He realizes how much the Nazis are lying, and he enlists two friends to help him make and scatter pamphlets containing the information from the radio broadcasts. They are caught, tried for treason -- and Helmuth realizes that all three will be executed unless he does something drastic to save his friends. This is a powerful, short Holocaust story with many parallels to questions of today -- if we give up the freedoms we have in order to be safe, are we really still free? Is it treason or free speech to speak out against what the government does? 8th grade and up.

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I love reading anything to do with World War II or the Holocaust. This book came as quite a surprise. This book was a fictionalized telling of the last day in Helmuth Hubener, age 17. Helmuth grew up in Germany as Hitler came to power. A strong Mormon in his beliefs he stood against the teaching of

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Hitler. He thought he would be working for the "Fatherland" if he told the truth. What he didn't know was that most people didn't want to know the truth. Susan Bartoletti has done extensive research to track down as many facts as she can to tell the story that Helmuth didn't live to tell. Although it is a fictionalized account, as she says, no one can know his last few hours, we can imagine based on other testimonies of those who did survive that this is pretty accurate. I believe this should be a part of all history lessons. We never want to forget the atrocities against the Jews, and anyone else Hitler decided he hated. However, few know of the atrocities against Germans loyal to their country who did not agree with Hitler. This is not a book you can sit and read just a bit and then leave. You must sit and read until you have finished this book. It is that powerful.

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“Silence is how people get on sometimes. I don’t expect you to understand.” These are the words that Helmuth Hubener’s mother spoke to his brother, Gerhard, when he asked her how she could court a Nazi soldier. Susan Campbell Bartoletti’s novel, The Boy Who Dared, is based on the true

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story of Helmuth, his family, and friends. It is the story of the German population that disagreed with Hitler’s actions, but was silent. More importantly, it is the story of why those people were silent. The book opens when Helmuth is a small boy, before Hitler came to power. As Helmuth grows, so does Hitler’s influence, and we watch as Helmuth joins the Hitler Youth and feels a strong patriotism for his country.
As Helmuth gets older, he begins to question Hitler’s motives. His family can no longer buy pastries from their favorite Jewish baker, school papers must be pro-Nazi or you get marked down, and only German books and radio stations are allowed. Indeed, many things become “verboten” (forbidden). When he and his friend Rudi make up a fake detective agency and the ID cards to go along with it, the Gestapo interrogates Rudi, because the fake agency has an English name, therefore Rudi must be an English spy and traitor. When Helmuth is sixteen, his brother Gerhard smuggles a radio in from France that can pick up stations outside of Germany. Through BBC broadcasts, Helmuth learns that the German government is not telling its people the truth about what is really happening in the war, so he begins to type pamphlets that contain the correct information. Together with his friends Karl and Rudi, Helmuth distributes the pamphlets throughout Hamburg. But the Nazis have eyes and ears everywhere, and soon Helmuth’s luck runs out.
This gripping novel opens when Helmuth is on death row at just seventeen years old. It describes the situation of non-Jewish Germans, and the fear and oppression that ruled their lives during Hitler’s reign. It is the story of the silence they kept out of fear, and the self-loathing that often accompanied it. The Boy Who Dared is about a young man who chose to speak his mind at a time when doing so could get you killed. Compelling and unnerving, this book could easily become a staple of World War II children’s literature and should be stocked in all libraries. Recommended for grades 6 and up.

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This historical fiction book is best read by the male and female middle school audience; however, the story is so compelling it is enjoyable far beyond the middle school years!
The courage and strength displayed by the main character, Helmuth Hubener, during his adolescent years in Nazi Germany is

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inspiring. Although faced with death, a young man chooses to do right by humanity and goes against the iron fist that ruled his country. Bartoletti bases her writing on the information provided to her by the friends and family of Helmuth, as well as numerous books on the Third Reich, Hitler’s speeches, and documents that surrounded Helmuth’s arrest and death. The author also offers pictures of Helmuth, his friends and family, as well as a map of the boarder of Europe in 1936 and a Third Reich time line to authenticate her writing.

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I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the author speak about her [Hitler Youth]. This served as research and catalyst for this work on fiction. It was very well written; and gives the reader a sense of what life was like in Nazi Germany. It is a story of courage and strength.

Totally engaging story,especially after reading the nonfiction "Hitler Youth" by same author. This would be an amazing book for any 5th - 10th grader studying WWII.
One of the most interesting and intriguing kids' books I've ever read. This book totally brings Nazi Germany to life for the reader.

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What a hero this boy was. This book should be a 'must' for anyone studying WWII.

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Helmuth was a boy growing up in Hitler Germany who decided he just couldn't accept the Nazi philosophy. He and his friends start listening to the illegal broadcasts by the BBC. Soon they decide that listening is not enough - they want everyone else to know what is really going on. But then they are

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caught, and the penalty is death.

I enjoyed this story. I first heard of Helmuth Hubener because of a play performed about him at BYU. Hubener is a bit of a folk hero in Utah because he and his friends were LDS. I have read a biography written by one of his friends.

The reason for the relatively low rating is because that this was a book for teens. In fact, my daughter read it in 9th grade. Even for them, though, I think it skews a little young. My 12 year old could read this easily. I think the writer could have gone a little deeper. She talks about some of the torture that the Nazis used to break down Helmuth and his friends Brother Worbs, but doesn't give much detail about the emotional impact all this had. Maybe I'm a little harsh and on another day I would rate this higher. I think it would be a good book for a 12 or 13 year old to start learning about the World War II.

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The Boy Who Dared is a devastating story about a 17 year old boy who is executed for telling the truth. Although he had always deamed of being a soldier and fighting for Hitler, he now understands the truth of what is going on and sticks to his words. He is not one of the many cowards that hide

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behind Hitler. This book shares the anticipated death of the 17 year old boy.

This book is not one of my favorites, only because of the story it tells. I completely agree with the morals of this book, but I always enjoy lighter moods in my readings. The Holocaust was a horrific time and it is sad to read about the experiences that some had to endure.

This book can be introduced in lessons on the Holocaust or in telling the truth, no matter what the consequences are. Although most would agree that nothing is close to the devasting consequences of the Holocaust, it still portrays the morals of standing your ground.

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In 1942, 17-year-old Helmuth Hubener was executed for listening to foreign radio broadcasts and subsequently writing and distributing pamphlets in an attempt to educate the German people about the lies they were being told by the Nazi party. In this book, Bartoletti creates a fictional account of

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Hubener’s time in prison awaiting his execution. Hubener reflects on his life up until this point, starting from a very young age. In this manner, Bartoletti uses Hubener’s life to examine the rise of Hitler and Nazism in this beautifully written and moving story. Supplementary material includes an author’s note, in which Bartoletti provides the reader with additional details about Helmuth’s friends and family after his execution, and a timeline of the Third Reich. My only complaint with this book is the choice of narrator for the audio version. Ackroyd is a fine narrator, but his deep baritone voice is clearly that of an adult male, which did not seem fitting for a young adult novel about a teenaged boy.

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It is a very good book and it has to do with real events. It was most compelling when they decided if he was going to live or die. It was a very good book and I like reading books about true events. AHS/RB

Based on a true story, Helmuth finds himself of death row during World War II. The story is told in a series of flashbacks surrounded by Helmuth's thoughts while he is on death row, charged with treason for anti-Nazi activity.
An interesting read about a topic not typically portrayed in World War

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II historical fiction, a book about a German youth.

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In October, 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hübener, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people.

Really excellent story of a boy who dared to listen to the BBC while living in Germany during World War II, thus being one of the few who truly understood what was happening. He felt the need to share what he learned to dire consequences.

I liked this book as well as I can like a book about war and war times.

I loved how this book chronicles the life of Heinrich Himmler using flashbacks over the course of his execution day. The story is powerful, gripping, and unforgettable. Baroletti did and amazing job presenting the true story of this young boy and remaining true to the historical period.

A great read for teenagers.

A very interesting book about a boy revolting against his country in WWII. A very interesting story with most of the story told through a flashback while helmut is in a concentration camp and sentenced to death.

This book is an excellent tool to use in a history class. This book is centered around a German boy who gives his account or his perspective on WWII in Nazi German. This book may help teachers teach that all Germans didn't agree with Hitler, and may provide some helpful, more detail accounts on

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what was going during the time.

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The Boy Who Dared tells the story of a young German boy named Helmuth during WW2. Helmuth goes through so much during this book, including becoming a Hitler youth and ultimitely realizing that he didn't agree with what the Nazi party and Hitler was doing to people all over Europe. Helmuth, along

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with a few of his friends, set out to let the German people know information about the war which the Nazi party was keeping from them. He an his friends printed fliers and secretly spread them around their city. He was eventually caught and took the blame for the whole sceme. Helmuth died for his country, for the pursuit of the truth and for his community and his friends...something that not many people would be willing to do!

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This historical novel is based on a real person named Helmuth Hubener. The story starts when he is three and describes how life was in Germany after World War One, “The Great War”, through World War Two. As Hilter takes over Germany with his Nazi party, life became difficult—you follow the

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Nazi way or be punished. Helmuth never liked what Hitler and the Nazi party were doing, but because he knew better, he did his best to show that he was a good German and doing his part to help the Fatherland. As Helmuth discovers the truths about the war, he decides that others should know also, well knowing that there would be serious consequences if he would be caught.

It never ceases to amaze me the courage and strength people have. I enjoyed reading about World War Two from a German perspective.

This book would be a great addition to any unit on World War Two (with a concentration on Germany during the war since there are so many details revolved around the war). There are also several vocabulary words that would be good to use to create a world wall and go over how important and useful it is to use context clues to figure out what unknown words mean. If students have a good background to many of the events and situations of World War Two, students can compare and contrast views from different countries—Germany not being completely honest with its people, the United States putting Japanese-Americans from the west coast in camps, the Holocaust, etc.

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This is a wonderful book about the courage of a young boy in Germany as Hitler rises to power and the second world war begins. It is based on a true story which makes it all the more compelling to read.
It tells the story of Helmuth Hubener as he grows up in Germany and finds himself rejecting the

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teachings of the Nazi party and rebelling against them. Although it is very dangerous Helmuth listens to the BBC on a short wave radio obtained by his brother and learns that the German government is lying to its people. He cannot stay quiet about this and decides to make fliers to inform his people and encourage them to speak out against Hitler. He enlists the help of his friends to distribute them even though the risks are very high. They are unfortunately caught. Helmuth is sentenced to death and his friends receive prison sentences. Throughout the book the narration switches from Helmuth awaiting execution, present time, and the events in the past that led to his imprisonment. This gives us extra insight into his thoughts and the reasons he feels so strongly about what he did no matter what the consequences end up being.
This story has a great insight on the power of the human spirit. At such a young age Helmuth was able to recognize that what was happening was wrong and that something must be done. Most adults around him did not have the courage and kept silent. The recklessness of his youth may have been at fault, but he did the right thing and I'm glad he is being recognized for it.

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An intense book about a boy who was raised in Nazi Germany. This book is based on a true story. Helmuth, a courages young boy attempts to stand up for the mistreatment of Jews and restrictions of put upon the German people.

I thought the book was very interesting due to the use of foreshadowing and how it related to history. I could pick up the many struggles that I learned about in textbooks and in my history classes. Even though I have read much about the Nazi rule over Germany I have never read a long and detailed

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first person account of the historical account. In the book we can see that not every German citizen supported anti-Semitism and were often forced b y the Nazi to participate in these beliefs. The school boy Helmuth Hubener is put onto death row because he refuses to believe in these false ideas and creates a private newspaper based on intercepted radio waves which are illegally obtained. He spreads these ideas to his neighborhood. I thought that he was really brave to do this and took a very high risk in order to spread the right ideas. Over all I think this book was a 3/5 and was very interesting.

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