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Overview
Her name was Heidi, and she was Hitler's daughter.
It began on a rainy morning in Australia, as part of a game played by Mark and his friends. It was a storytelling game, and the four friends took turns weaving tales about fairies and mermaids and horses. But Anna's story was different this time: It was not a fairy tale or an adventure story. The story was about a young girl who lived during World War II. Her name was Heidi, and she was Hitler's daughter.
As Anna's story unfolds, Mark is haunted by the image of Hitler's daughter. He wonders what he would have done in her place if he had known his father was an evil man leading the world into a war that was destroying millions of lives. And if Mark had known, would he have had the power and determination to stop him?
This intriguing novel poses powerful questions about a frightening period in history and will force readers to examine moral issues in a fresh, compelling light.
After hearing a fictional tale about Hitler's daughter, Mark, an Australian boy, wonders what it would be like if someone he loved and trusted turned out to be evil.
Synopsis
Her name was Heidi, and she was Hitler's daughter.
It began on a rainy morning in Australia, as part of a game played by Mark and his friends. It was a storytelling game, and the four friends took turns weaving tales about fairies and mermaids and horses. But Anna's story was different this time: It was not a fairy tale or an adventure story. The story was about a young girl who lived during World War II. Her name was Heidi, and she was Hitler's daughter.
As Anna's story unfolds, Mark is haunted by the image of Hitler's daughter. He wonders what he would have done in her place if he had known his father was an evil man leading the world into a war that was destroying millions of lives. And if Mark had known, would he have had the power and determination to stop him?
This intriguing novel poses powerful questions about a frightening period in history and will force readers to examine moral issues in a fresh, compelling light.
Lynn Evarts <%ISBN%>0060086521 - VOYA
A storytelling game on a rainy day at the bus stop turns quite thought provoking for Ben as his friend Anna weaves the tale of Hitler's secret daughter. Heidi lives with her caretaker in the country, and on occasion, Duffi, her father, gets time away to visit her. Heidi believes that her father keeps her hidden because of her lame leg and facial birthmark. She is completely ignorant of the war and its impact on her. As Anna's tale progresses, Ben finds that he has more and more questions about the evil of Hitler and why the German people supported a man who was killing so many innocents. As Anna prepares to end her story, the astute reader is left wondering whether the story she invented has some basis in truth. The issues French raises in this book are timely moral dilemmas relating to war and genocide. The Australian angle makes it even more interesting because after World War II, many survivors were sent there, adding some credence to the book's mysterious ending. Middle-level historical fiction or WWII buffs will enjoy Anna's story. Reluctant readers might appreciate the straightforward dialogue, and French's handling of the time shifts between the present and war time will not bother any level of reader. PLB
Editorials
Children's Literature
A group of Australian children pass the time waiting for the school bus by telling stories. Anna is the best storyteller, and her newest tale is not only fascinating but also seems almost real, especially to ten-year-old Mark, who senses much more than just a fantasy. Could Hitler really have had a daughter, an imperfect child hidden away from the world, a little girl who loved her seldom-seen father and knew little, questioned nothing, he was doing on the outside? And did this mean that any child—Mark, for instance—shouldn't question a parent even if his family lived on land that originally belonged to Aborigines and somehow now was theirs? These two threads run simultaneously through this intriguing book for middle-graders, a well-written and believable invention that could really be true. Astute readers will pick up fairly early the implication that Anna has a personal involvement beyond just that of a storyteller, but the truth is kept hidden until the very end. This is a worthwhile book for both its story and the moral dilemmas it raises, and is courageous in leaving them for the reader to ponder rather than neatly solving them. 2003, HarperCollins, Ages 8 to 12.— Judy Chernak
VOYA
A storytelling game on a rainy day at the bus stop turns quite thought provoking for Ben as his friend Anna weaves the tale of Hitler's secret daughter. Heidi lives with her caretaker in the country, and on occasion, Duffi, her father, gets time away to visit her. Heidi believes that her father keeps her hidden because of her lame leg and facial birthmark. She is completely ignorant of the war and its impact on her. As Anna's tale progresses, Ben finds that he has more and more questions about the evil of Hitler and why the German people supported a man who was killing so many innocents. As Anna prepares to end her story, the astute reader is left wondering whether the story she invented has some basis in truth. The issues French raises in this book are timely moral dilemmas relating to war and genocide. The Australian angle makes it even more interesting because after World War II, many survivors were sent there, adding some credence to the book's mysterious ending. Middle-level historical fiction or WWII buffs will enjoy Anna's story. Reluctant readers might appreciate the straightforward dialogue, and French's handling of the time shifts between the present and war time will not bother any level of reader. PLB— Lynn Evarts <%ISBN%>0060086521