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1929, Heroldsberg, Germany. Rolf might only be twelve years old, but he's old enough to know that things have not been good in his country since the end of the Great War. Half of Germany is out of work, and a new political movement is taking hold that scares him. Every night, Rolf's father and older brother, Romer, have increasingly heated arguments about politics at the dinner table. And when two members of the new Nazi Party, Hans and Nils, move to town as part of the Hitler Youth, Rolf is uneasy to see how enamored Romer is by their promises of bringing Germany to glory.
Rolf doesn't trust Hans and Nils for a moment. For all their talk of greatness, they act more like bullies, antagonizing shop owners who are Rolf's friends and neighbors. Yet Romer becomes increasingly obsessed with their message of division, and Rolf watches in horror as his family fractures even further.
When there is an act of vandalism against a Jewish-owned business in town, Rolf fears Romer might have had something to do with it. Can Rolf find a way to intervene before things get any worse?
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
September 24, 2024 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9781665947220
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9781665947220
- File size: 3720 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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June 3, 2024
When strangers Hans and Nils arrive in 11-year-old Rolf’s town of Heroldsberg, Germany, in 1929, Rolf senses something sinister about the pair and their group, the Hitler Youth. Rolf’s older brother Romer, however, quickly falls in with them; at the same time, townsfolk are similarly ensnared by the youths’ speeches promising a better Germany. Soon, Hitler Youth begin targeting Jewish storefronts and Rolf and his friend witness the attack of a Jewish business owner. They’re horrified by this act of violence but even more so by the lack of help provided by the members of their community. When Romer leaves the family to join the Nazi Party, Rolf and his father attempt to find him at Hitler’s rally in nearby Nuremburg. It is there that Rolf realizes, “When things are bad, someone must be blamed. And if you had power, you could blame anyone you wanted.” Via heated arguments between Romer and his father, Spradlin (Close Calls) provides context for WWI’s impact on Germany and the resulting hopelessness and economic hardship. It all coalesces into a thoughtful reflection—
a series launch—on the rise of evil that will have readers drawing parallels to the current political climate. Ages 8–12.
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