Standard boiler-plate kids' WWII thriller. Protagonist starts pro-Nazi and has a change of heart as he sees how Nazis treat community members who express dissatisfaction with the war. Does not get into any of the serious moral issues of WWII, but exemplifies the courage necessary for a boy or man to listen to conscientious friends and step away from involvement in violent groups. ( )

Germany, 1941. 12-year-old Karl Friedmann is looking forward to joining the Hitler Youth, like all boys his age. But when his father is killed, his rebellious older brother Stefan shows him things that leave his faith in the Fuhrer shaken. What does it mean to be a good German? What does it mean to wear the mysterious flower sewn inside his brother's jacket? Who is the real enemy? ( )

I absolutely enjoyed this book and would recommend it for reluctant readers. Karl Friedman is a twelve-year-old growing up in Nazi Germany during World War II. His whole world revolves around the beliefs of the Nazi Party and Hitler as he becomes thoroughly absorbed into the Hitler Youth movement. This all begins to unwind on the day that Karl is forced to hit a classmate who is upset over the death of his father on the front-line. As his conscience starts to grow, Karl too loses his father and learns about an underground anti-Nazi movement called the "Edelweiss Pirates" that his older brother is a part of. Karl is now caught in a loyalty dilemma which unfolds nicely in this well-written work of historical fiction. ( )