The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
You know how sometimes you have a billion books on your TBR list, you already have ten other books checked out from the library, and piles of books scattered throughout the house that you haven’t read yet? And then somehow, you find a book that you weren’t planning on reading and you find yourself not doing anything else until you’ve finished it? That’s what The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti did for me. It was one of those books that was on display at the library, I couldn’t resist, it made it’s way home, it got bumped ahead of all the other books and I couldn’t put it down.
I knew nothing about The Boy Who Dared when I started reading it, which made it even that much better. It’s like discovering a whole new subject of study. The Boy Who Dared is the fictionalized account of a real German youth named Helmuth Hubener. Helmuth believes in doing what is right and in being patriotic to ones country and supporting the nations leaders. But can he do both when the Nazi’s take control of Germany?
Helmuth soon discovers after listening to banned radio broadcasts from London that the Nazi’s are lying to them. He knows he has to do something but is unsure of what he, a sixteen year old boy, could do to make a difference. I’m not sure how much of this story I should give, but I really want to discuss it all, so I’ll just say ***SPOILER*** Helmuth knows of only one way to fight back and that is through the written word. Together with a couple of his friends, he distributes leaflets challenging Hitler ideology including the contents of the foreign radio broadcasts. Helmuth was later executed by the Nazi government at the age of seventeen for his activities, the youngest freedom fighter to do so.
I can’t imagine being that mature at that age to be able to decide to actively fight against the Nazi’s. What was I doing when I was seventeen? I was probably thinking about homework, friends, and prom. I certainly wasn’t thinking about risking my life to fight for something that I knew was wrong, albeit I wasn’t under Nazi control, but still! I am continually amazed at what kids can do when placed in difficult situations. Helmuth’s story made me want to stand up for what I know to be right. He was very inspiring.
I ought to state, that Helmuth was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Susan Campbell Bartoletti certainly did her research and the book was a very accurate portrayal of what I must have imagined it to be like for the LDS living under the Nazi regime. And on a side note, if you are scared of LDS literature, I ought to point out that this is not LDS literature (nor is the author LDS). It just so happens that the main character is LDS. I could easily see Helmuth being a active member of any church whether he be Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, etc and it would play out the same. Although, if you have an interest in the LDS in literature, this book is for you. Like I mentioned earlier, I knew nothing about this book when I began reading it, so I was pleasantly surprised by this dynamic.
I was halfway through The Boy Who Dared, when I thought, that his story was really beginning to feel familiar but I couldn’t place it. I did a google search and saw a part of the story that I hadn’t gotten to yet (which I then hurried and closed my browser, really what was I thinking?). But it confirmed that I had seen (not read or heard, but seen) this story before, but I still couldn’t place it. I hate it when that happens. Then it all came back. Taylor and I were at a alumni event at our alma mater and they were showing films. I saw a trailer for this movie (movie based upon the original true life events of Helmuth, not based upon Susan Campbell’s book)! It’s Truth and Treason, which is currently in pre-production starring Haley Joel Osmont as Helmuth. I really wanted to embed a video for you but it wouldn’t let me, nor could I find anything on YouTube or Google. So visit the website for some great footage. It looks really good and now I can’t wait.
Many of you may already know Helmuth Hubener’s story, although The Boy who Dared was my first introduction. In fact, Susan Campbell Bartoletti already wrote about him in her Newbery Award winning book Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow. His story so moved her that she went on to write this book. And she’s not the only one, Michael Tunnel wrote a fictionalized account of the same story in Brothers in Valor, plus Rudi Wobbe and Karl-Heinz, Helmuth’s friends both wrote memoirs entitled Before the Blood Tribunal and The Price respectively. You can also find out more about Helmuth Hubener’s story at Utah History to Go and good old Wikepedia which will point you to areas of further study.
I would highly recommend The Boy Who Dared and I’m now even more interested in this amazing young man that I’m off to read more about him.
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Category: Book Reviews, Fiction, Young Adult
Tags: A-D Author, A-D Title, banned, published 2008
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Thanks for the fabulous review, Natasha! (I skipped the spoiler part, because I don’t know anything about his story.) You have definitely sold me on this one!
on May 9th, 2008 at 4:14 amI skipped the spoiler part too but you’ve definately got me adding this one to my tbr list. Sounds fascinating.
on May 9th, 2008 at 6:34 amHi-
on May 9th, 2008 at 7:01 amI found your blog through Joy’s and I have enjoyed myself a lot. I will be back.
OK, this is sooo weird–but your first paragraph is almost verbatim the one that I was going to write this a.m., except replace your title with the one I pulled off the shelf, The Fiction Class! That is just freaky. And I am adding your book to my TBR list!
on May 9th, 2008 at 7:22 amThis sounds like a great book. I’ve heard of Helmuth Hubener but I had no idea there were so many books about him. I’ll definitely pick this one up.
on May 9th, 2008 at 7:49 amSounds like an excellent book . . . that will lead to reading a lot of other great books and seeing some movies!
on May 9th, 2008 at 1:11 pmThis sounds like an excellent book. I’m in the middle of The Book Thief right now, and I’ve been wondering about more situations in Nazi Germany, preferably true. This sounds great.
on May 9th, 2008 at 4:50 pmThis is interesting. I am really interested in the movie. I saw a documentary a few years back, I think done by BYU. I also picked up a bio about him but was really disappointed by how badly it was written and did not finish it. Such a great story but it was ruined by poor writing. I will have to add this book to my TBR list.
on May 9th, 2008 at 9:35 pmThanks for another great review!
Interesting review. There is an excellent non-fiction account of the White Rose group, which is probably the group Helmuth belonged to, called The White Rose.
They were a group of students who distributed anti-government leaflets around there college. There is also a very good German language movie with the same title.
Both of these focus on Sophie Schull, who was the teen-age sister of one of the young men involved in the White Rose.
None of them came to a happy end, but they were certainly admirarble people.
For an excellent look at how Christianity both contributed to and resisted the Nazi movement, check out the documentary movie about Dietrich Bonhoffer, called Bonhoffer (I think.) It’s a very compelling movie, don’t be put off because it’s a documentary. Bonhoffer was a divinty student and a pacifist who ended up supporting the group that tried to assisinate Hitler.
on May 10th, 2008 at 6:52 amIt sounds like a remarkable book. I am not at all familiar with his story even though it has been told many times. Thanks for bringing this book to my attention!
I second the recommendation of the Sophie Scholl movie, btw. It’s very sad as you can imagine, but excellent.
on May 10th, 2008 at 10:39 amNatasha: THANK you for catching my totally wrong author’s name (Breen, not Green)!! How mortifying! I hope you aren’t offended but I deleted your comment because I am so embarrassed, and hopefully you are the only person that noticed it so far as I just posted it! Phew! Thanks for saving me! (I might need to check into bifocals….)
on May 10th, 2008 at 10:52 amHappy Mother’s Day, Natasha!
on May 10th, 2008 at 9:58 pmWow sounds like a very riveting book. Yeah at 17 I was much more preoccupied with my own life. I am adding that one to the list.
and ps I tagged you for my meme
on May 11th, 2008 at 7:42 pmDebi & Nicola – Yeah, I usually skip spoilers too, but I wasn’t sure how to write about this one without it.
Amy – Hi! I’m glad you’ve found me! I do admit, I’ve been to your blog to add reviews to my database here. I’ll be sure to explore it in depth more.
Smallworld – Funny! I was on Susan Breeen’s blog tour for The Fiction Class. You can see me review here: http://blog.mawbooks.com/2008/04/04/the-fiction-class-by-susan-breen/
Kim, Rebecca & Liviania – I do hope you read this one. I find anything that has to do with Nazi Germany absolutely fascinating.
Jeanette – I did come across something that said that there was a documentary done by BYU (my alma mater. I really would love to read more about his story.
CB James – I’m definilty going to look into The White Rose. Thanks. I don’t think Helmuth was a member of this group, I didn’t see it mentioned anywhere (but then again I haven’t delved very deep yet either), plus he wasn’t college age, he was just sixteen. I know that he worked with two of his best friends. And I love documentary movies. I’ll look into that one as well. I’ve enjoyed seeing how normal, Christian Germans dealt with the Nazi movement and would love to learn more.
Nymeth – This was my first introduction to this story as well and look forward to seeing what else has been written.
SmallWorld – He, he. No problem. I’ll go over and comment again, although now I see you have a blog dedicated to just books.
Carrie – Thanks! Happy Mothers Day to you as well. I took a nap and we made Thai food for dinner. A very nice day.
Kim – I really like your meme. I hope to get a post up in the next couple days or so. I’ve only been blogging for about six months but I’d love to share what I’ve learned since then and get other great advice. Thanks.
on May 11th, 2008 at 8:26 pmOooh, this sounds amazing. I didn’t read all of the review because I saw that “spoiler” thing in there, but I read around that and now it’s on my TBR list. Thanks for the review!
on May 11th, 2008 at 11:05 pmDon’t you love a great book that grabs you–especially unexpectedly? Lots of WWII books lately for you.
on May 15th, 2008 at 8:28 pm[...] reviews The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell [...]
on May 19th, 2008 at 5:51 amRebecca – I hope you enjoy. It’s an amazing story. Makes you wonder what you were doing when you were sixteen.
Trish – My WWII kick isn’t over yet. I do seem to go in spurts with my themes.
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on June 18th, 2008 at 5:11 pm[...] Campbell Bartoletti who based that story off of one of the accounts she featured in Hitler Youth (read my The Boy Who Dared review here). In addition, Hitler Youth is a Newbery Honor book, so what better timing than to read it now to [...]
on June 25th, 2008 at 3:21 pmI teach middle school and am using The Boy Who Dared for my bookclub. I find that this is an extremely powerful and valuable story for anyone to read.
on November 18th, 2008 at 8:08 pmChristine – I agree. I’d be curious to know how your middle school kids respond to this book.
on November 19th, 2008 at 1:14 amSo, I realize this post is quite old, but I just finished this one. I, like you, picked it up without really knowing anything about it and really enjoyed it. What an amazing kid!
on December 17th, 2008 at 7:19 pmGreat book!
on February 18th, 2009 at 4:04 pmHaving taught the Holocaust at my synagogue for many years I’m familiar with the literature.
on April 6th, 2009 at 9:28 pmWhat makes this an exception is that it is about ordinary working class Germans and how they were duped into believing in their Messiah. It is a testament to the goodness in most people that Ann Frank spoke about. That Helmuth fails in the end to change the evil he fought against is not as important as that he tried. Sad to say Hegel was right in that “What we learn from History is that we learn nothing from History”. When will we ever learn?
This is an amazing book!…It is very easy to read. After you read it you will want to try and find out more about this.
on April 23rd, 2009 at 3:55 pmim reading this book right now lol
im 13 years old yahh a wierd book for someone my age
but anyway i really do think this book is good for people who like old time things i never did but now i do …and Helmuth is very much cute
on April 30th, 2009 at 4:08 pmi realy liked this book i had to read for a book report and i can;t wait for the movie!
on April 30th, 2009 at 9:13 pmthis is cool
on May 14th, 2009 at 12:26 pmMe and my sister read this book, and we both LOVED it! I am 14 and she is 11 and it’s inspirational that a 17 year old was able to stand up for what he believed to be right even in the face of death. He has even inspired me to stand up for what I believe to be right even if someone gets mad at me. I am obsessed with Helmuth Hubener ( yes that’s a little freaky) and want to know everything I can about him. Can’t wait to see the movie( and cara I sort of agree with the last thing you said!!!that’s a little freaky too!!!)
on May 20th, 2009 at 11:30 amomg! last year i read this book and at the time i wasn’t that into books and i was 12 but when i started reading it, i got so into it, that it inspired me to actually read books for fun. now im obsessed with books and i will NEVER forget that book. I CANNOT BELIEVE THEYRE MAKING A MOVIE OUT OF IT LIKE I WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO SEE IT! btw im 13…x]
on June 18th, 2009 at 6:54 pm