Hitler's Daughter

Gr 4–8—Two parallel stories address the question: What if Hitler had a daughter? In modern-day Australia, a group of children make a game of telling stories to themselves while they wait for the school bus each day. Usually frivolous, the game turns serious when one of the children shares a highly detailed story about "Heidi," the daughter of Hitler. Heidi's existence was a well-kept secret from the world because she was the antithesis of Aryan: dark-haired, with a birthmark on her face, and a lame leg. Anna goes into such realistic detail in her storytelling that it spurs her friend Mark into questioning his parents about how his great-great-grandfather acquired their family's ranch (which was originally inhabited by Aborigines), Hitler and the Holocaust, and modern genocides in the news. Caroline Lee adeptly uses a myriad of vocal nuances to differentiate characters. Her performance breathes life into the stories. Musical cues are given at the beginning and end of each disc to help set the story's tone. This recording would be useful as a discussion starter not only for units about the Holocaust, but also for discussions about bullies and bystanders.—Stephanie Bange, Wright State University, Dayton, OH