Starred Review Freedman's latest paradigmatic work of narrative nonfiction truly is a profile in courage, as it records the lives of Hans and Sophie Scholl, courageous siblings who helped found the White Rose, a student resistance movement that targeted Hitler's regime in WWII Germany. University students by day, the two ong with other young people oduced freedom-extolling anti-government leaflets, of which thousands of copies were distributed. The Scholls' actions were considered treasonous, and when they were ultimately discovered, the two young people were sentenced to death and executed. But the White Rose movement lived on, turning the Scholls into heroes of legendary status, as evidenced by a memorial to them being placed at Munich University, right alongside a White Rose museum. In this smoothly written, relatively brief book, Freedman recreates the lives of Hans and Sophie, who were models of intelligence, integrity, and bravery. He also brings to life the context for their actions, giving readers an exacting portrait of life and its hideous injustices in Nazi Germany. The milieu is also made vivid through the many black-and-white period photographs, including a number of portraits of Hans, Sophie, and their closest friends. Together they celebrated the human spirit in ways that will be long remembered. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Few people have Freedman's level of cred in youth nonfiction: a Newbery Medal, three Newbery Honor Books, the Sibert Medal, and on and on. Stock up.

Gr 6-8 Though the story of the White Rose student resistance in Nazi Germany has been told elsewhere, Freedman's focus on the youth of the participants will resonate with readers. Hans Scholl, a free-spirited teen who became disillusioned by the enforced conformity of his Hitler Youth group, joined a banned rival group that discussed forbidden books, and there were no uniforms or marching. Younger sister Sophie got in trouble for reading a book by a Jewish German poet and questioning the pervasive anti-Semitism of her society. While attending school in Munich, the siblings became active in a group of anti-Hitler pamphleteers. The story has its share of dark turns, including arrests, lengthy detentions, and the eventual trial and execution by guillotine of Hans and Sophie. But Freedman treats these aspects gracefully, and the overarching message is one of defiant resistance in the face of overwhelming evil. "You will go down in history," their father, an outspoken pacifist, told them after their conviction. "There is such a thing as justice despite this. I am proud of both of you." Stock photos from the period are adeptly interspersed with personal snapshots and portraits to create a strong visual component. VERDICT A highly readable and well-documented overview of a fascinating aspect of World War II.— Bob Hassett, Luther Jackson Middle School, Falls Church, VA

Freedman's latest photohistory is an excellent overview of the White Rose resistance movement, a group of university students who, beginning in June 1942 in Munich, Germany, risked their lives to write and distribute leaflets denouncing the Nazi regime. Freedman not only writes with clarity and pace but augments his text with primary-source quotes and photographs that add power and immediacy. Bib., ind.