We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolf Hitler

By Russell Freedman

"Among the wealth of good Holocaust literature available, Freedman's volume stands out for its focus and concision, effectively placing the White Rose in its historical context, telling the story of Nazi Germany without losing the focus on the White Rose, and doing so in just over 100 pages." (Kirkus starred review)

In his signature eloquent prose, backed up by thorough research, Newbery medalist and nonfiction master Russell Freedman tells the story of Austrian-born Hans Scholl and his sister Sophie. They belonged to Hitler Youth as young children, but began to doubt the Nazi regime.

As older students, the Scholls and a few friends formed the White Rose, a campaign of active resistance to Hitler and the Nazis. Risking imprisonment or even execution, the White Rose members distributed leaflets urging Germans to defy the Nazi government.

Their belief that freedom was worth dying for will inspire young readers to stand up for what they believe in. Archival photographs and prints, source notes, bibliography, index.

A Sibert Honor Book

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 17, 2016
• ISBN: 9780544826588

Russell Freedman

Russell Freedman received the Newbery Medal for LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY. He is also the recipient of three Newbery Honors, a National Humanities Medal, the Sibert Medal, the Orbis Pictus Award, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, and was selected to give the 2006 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Mr. Freedman lives in New York City and travels widely to research his books.

Reviews for We Will Not Be Silent

[jennybeast · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an incredible story of resistance and ideals. Tragic, inspiring, extremely well documented.

[amandabock-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Compelling and horrifying. Fascinating to think of the differences in media, communication, and resistance between then and now.

[sboren-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I purchased this book from GoReads.com to read. ✉ All opinions are my own. ????? We Will Not Be Silent by Russell Freedman. A walk through the life of a family and friends in Germany during WWII that knew what Hilter was ordering done was wrong. This family came to understand the discretion needed to carry out anything the government deemed unacceptable behavior. As time marches forward and the war becomes unbearable leaflets begin to show up slowly at first then spreading quickly through Germany to call upon the people of Germany to rise up against Hitler. However, the all powerful Nazi regime launches an investigation and making several arrests for political treason. Then the voices within will forever tell the story of The White Rose Leaflets from WWII Germany. ✉✉✉✉✉ Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Go Read, Amazon, Twitter @jason_stacie and my blog at readsbystacie.com.

[ewyatt_16 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating look at the Scholl family and the White Rose movement. I didn't know this story. There were original photographs and information about memorials today. This helped me think about everyday people in Nazi German and the ideas of upstanders and bystanders and the incredible risks those who spoke out took.