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    The Boy Who Dared
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    The Boy Who Dared
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    The Boy Who Dared
    Audiobook4 hours

    The Boy Who Dared

    Written by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

    Narrated by David Ackroyd

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Newbery Honor Winner Susan Campbell Bartoletti explores the life of a heroic German youth who dared to stand up against the Nazis.

    Bartoletti has taken one episode from her Newbery Honor Book, Hitler Youth, and fleshed it out into a thought-provoking novel. When 16-year-old Helmuth Hubner listens to the BBC news on an illegal short-wave radio, he quickly discovers Germany is lying to the people. But when he attempts to expose the truth with leaflets, he's tried and executed for treason.

    Praise for THE BOY WHO DARED:
    "...an absorbing drama..."-Publishers Weekly, starred review


    From the Compact Disc edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateJan 13, 2009
    ISBN9780739374061
    Unavailable
    The Boy Who Dared
    Author

    Susan Campbell Bartoletti

    Susan Campbell Bartoletti is the acclaimed author of many award-winning nonfiction books, including the Newbery Honor winner Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler’s Shadow, the Sibert Medal winner Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, and Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America. Susan makes her home in Pennsylvania. Visit her online at www.scbartoletti.com.

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    Reviews for The Boy Who Dared

    4/5

    285 ratings44 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Incredible story of courage and bravery. The story flashes between Helmuth in prison to the events that lead up to his sentencing.in prison account is in italics. It is a work of historical fiction. Helmuth and his friends were all real individuals. The author used documents, history and people to piece the story together. While it is an incredible story, it is not a page turner.
    • 3/5
      Based on the real life of Helmuth Hubener, this historical novel is set in Germany during World War II. Helmuth is seventeen years old and in jail, waiting to find out whether he's to be executed for his crimes. Much of the story is told in flashback as Helmuth remembers his life. As a young child, Helmuth was staunchly patriotic, fully supporting the Fatherland. But as a teenager, he begins to question the Nazi regime. When he gets access to a radio that will play the BBC news broadcasts, Helmuth learns that the Nazis have been lying to the German people and he is determined to share the truth, even though he knows he could die for it. Fictionalized biographies are not my thing and I think I would have liked the book better if it had been either a true biography or written about made-up characters based on the real event. That said, this is a riveting and interesting event that will appeal to teens and deserves to have a wide audience.
    • 4/5
      Look for my review, coming soon to an Alan Review near you.
    • 4/5
      This was an excellent book about a boy named Helmuth. It starts off with him in prison and he remembers his story. I found the book to be fast passed and very interesting. I was rooting for Helmuth the whole way through. I won't give away the book. I found his character to be one of high integrity for a teen. I was very proud of what he accomplished for someone so young.
    • 5/5
      This novel is based on the true story of Helmuth Hubener first introduced in Bartoletti's award-winning book Hitler Youth.
    • 3/5
      I just don't know what to do with reviewing this book. It's probably well done for its type, but it's not the kind of book I like to read. When I talk about books that are crunchy, good-for-you type things - this is what I mean. It's the type of book that says to me,"Hey, did you ever doubt that WWII was a terrible time to be a German? Well, let me fill you in just how awful it was, whether you were a Jew or not." I pretty much already got that point from my history courses; I really don't need a fictionalized historical biography to ram the point home. The Caudill list recommends this for 6th-8th grade, but I can guarantee you if I read this at that age it would have freaked me out and I would have been in tears.

      However - given all of that - there are 6th-8th graders who would absolutely adore this book; who would eat it right up and ask for more. I think there are teenagers who it would appeal to as well. Hence my dilemma on how to review it - I most emphatically did not like it, but I think it's a pretty good book. Not in the same league as Number the Stars or The Devil's Arithmetic, but well done and all the more powerful for being based on a real person's life. So, three stars it is, I guess.

      Oh and the narration was fine, but not stellar. I found it somewhat flat in between the sections with dialogue, but I think that's a function of the writing style which fit better in my mind once I realized it was based on a true story. I found the choice to use German accents for all the dialogue interesting, but not off-putting.

      Listened to Random House audio edition narrated by David Ackroyd.
    • 4/5
      MSBA display 2009-2010

      Book about the Holocaust and Hitler Youth. I thought it was a sad book. Based on a true story.
    • 3/5
      A look at what Hitler did to Germany and the brain-washing of the Hitler Youth told by one of the young men that spoke out against the Nazi Regime. Based on a true story, gives the historical facts within a ficional story with the realism of war without being too graphic. However, there is violence and torture described. Includes photographs of Helmuth Hubener and his family.
    • 5/5
      I read this as part of an 8th grade reading project with my daughter. Beautifully written. I cried. And I can't stop thinking about Helmuth's story. A brave boy in the face of unspeakable evil.
    • 5/5
      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 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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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 what was going during the time.
    • 3/5
      I liked this book as well as I can like a book about war and war times.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      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 II historical fiction, a book about a German youth.
    • 4/5
      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 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.
    • 4/5
      I didn't like the writing style of this book - it is too factual, more like a biography than fiction. However, the last 50 pages or so are powerful and moving.The end of this book includes quite a long historical note, complete with photographs."The Boy Who Dared" is about a 16 year old member of the Hitler Youth in World War II Nazi Germany, who dares to defy his government and his country by constructing an underground organization supporting peace. It is a good story, especially because it is true.However, far better novels portray plots exactly like this one much more powerfully. If you like this book, read "Daniel Half Human" by David Chotjewitz.
    • 5/5
      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. What a hero this boy was. This book should be a 'must' for anyone studying WWII.
    • 5/5
      Very good, nice writing style too.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 3/5
      From the Newbery Honor author of Hitler Youth comes a novelization of the life of one of the boys profiled in the earlier title. Told in flashback from his cell on death row in Berlin on the day of his execution at the age of seventeen, Helmuth Hubener's short life is the story of a young man who refused to take the safe and easy path.
    • 4/5
      A great read for teenagers.
    • 5/5
      Great use of facts to tell this story and help us remember what happened to good people.
    • 5/5
      Great story about a boy who stood up to opposition. I Would use this book in middle grades and pair it with Hitler Youth to teach WWII and literacy development in comparing and contrasting texts.
    • 5/5
      This book is based on the true story of Helmuth Hubener. Helmuth is a boy who is growing up as Hitler and the Nazis are rising to power in Germany. Helmuth is very bright and realizes quickly that he must always play the part of the good German boy following the "Fuhrer's" rules, when in fact he is a young activist who feels that he and everyone else in Germany deserve to know the truth. He distributes pamphlets telling this truth with the help of his two friends until he is caught. Helmuth was tortured, and although he gave up the name of his friends who helped them, he also saved their lives by sacrificing his own. While some of the content in the book was fictionalized, Helmuth was a real person, real-life hero.
    • 3/5
      Excellent! Powerful story. Well written and well researched.
    • 5/5
      The Boy Who Dared is an inspiring work of historical fiction based on the real life exploits of a German teenager who dared to defy Hitler's edicts during World War II and payed the ultimate price for his bravery. I'm sure most tweens and teens today have some awareness through their history classes of the atrocities committed by Hitler against the Jews, but I wonder how many know of the thousands of non-Jewish Germans who were tortured, imprisoned and even put to death for their beliefs. This book would be a great starting point for young people to learn more about the German Resistance movement. It also imparts a strong message about thinking for oneself and not becoming a blind follower, as well as standing up for what's right even in the face of impossible odds or even death. Helmuth Hubener was a boy who did exactly that. I was very impressed by how intuitive he was. Even at a young age, Helmuth seemed to have an instinctive sense of right and wrong. He was never entirely comfortable with the things Hitler did and became even less so as Hitler imposed even more restrictions upon the German people. In school, Helmuth wrote what he had to to make it sound like he supported the Reich but hated every minute of it. He also was forced to join the Hitler Youth, but again was not comfortable with their activities. After graduating, Helmuth got an apprenticeship with a company where he was shocked to find forbidden books in the basement. He began borrowing them, and they continued to solidify his belief that Hitler was lying and he must do something to enlighten his fellow Germans. When Helmuth's brother came home from Reich Labor Service with an illegal radio he purchased on the black market, it proves too much of a temptation for Helmuth. Every night he listens to the BBC and learns the truth about what's really happening in the war. This only further fuels his anger until he comes up with the idea of producing pamphlets and flyers detailing the things he learns on the radio and passing them on to other people. He and three friends daringly acted alone as a small insular pocket of resistance against Hitler's reign of terror.I can't even imagine how much courage it must have required to take a stand like that. I was only reading a fictionalized account of these events long after they happened and could still feel the fear and tension emanating off the pages of the book. I know that sometimes extraordinary circumstances can make ordinary people do things they might never have thought themselves capable of, but what makes this story so notable is the age of its protagonist. Helmuth began his subversive activities when he was only sixteen, and even before that, he was a very intelligent and articulate young man. Just these actions alone could be called heroic, but when he was arrested at the age of seventeen, he essentially fell on his own sword so to speak, taking as much of the blame upon himself as he could and even goading the judges, so that his friends lives might be spared. I think Helmuth's example of standing up for what's right is one that all teens can and should learn from.The narrative of The Boy Who Dared jumps back and forth between Helmuth in prison on death row and past events starting in his early childhood leading up to his imprisonment. In my opinion, this added some suspense to the story because it kept me wondering how he got there and if there was any hope of him being pardoned. The book is written in present tense. I don't think I've ever read a book written like this, so it took me just a little while to get into it. Once I adjusted to the unfamiliar writing style, I was completely engrossed by the story. Although the author used her own imagination to fill in the missing pieces of Helmuth's life, I would say, based on her notes at the end of the book, that she did her homework extremely well, trying to bring as much authenticity to the story as possible. She even had the privilege of personally interviewing Helmuth's brother and one of the friends who also went to prison for helping him. By reading this book, I felt that I learned not only about the life of a heroic person, but a few other historical details as well (eg. I had no idea the guillotine was still in use during WWII or that there were Mormons in Germany at that time). If one pays attention, I think this book could also be a cautionary tale of taking care not to repeat the mistakes of the past. I have to say that I found Hitler's words very disconcerting, because of the fact that some politicians of the present day use similar rhetoric. Overall, The Boy Who Dared was an amazing and inspiring story that I highly recommend. Although it has no truly objectionable content and I felt the author took care not to sensationalize any of the violence, the subject matter is still rather mature. As I mentioned earlier there is a palpable sense of fear which might lead younger and more sensitive readers to fret and worry with good cause for Helmuth's safety. They also may not understand and/or be disturbed by certain events in the story as well as the ending. For this reason, I recommend it for middle grades and up, but it is definitely a book from which both kids and adults alike can glean a great message.