The Boys Who Challenged Hitler

Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club

by Phillip Hoose
Phillip Hoose

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At the outset of World War II, Denmark did not resist German occupation. Deeply ashamed of his nation's leaders, fifteen-year-old Knud Pedersen resolved with his brother and a handful of schoolmates to take action against the Nazis if the adults would not. Naming their secret club after the fiery British leader, the young patriots in the Churchill Club committed countless acts of sabotage, infuriating the Germans, who eventually had the boys tracked down and arrested. But their efforts were not in vain: the boys' exploits and eventual imprisonment helped spark a full-blown Danish resistance. Interweaving his own narrative with the recollections of Knud himself, The Boys Who Challenged Hitler is National Book Award winner Phillip Hoose's inspiring story of these young war heroes.

"These teenagers risked all—and lost much ... This energetic work of nonfiction ... will cheer the hearts of readers whatever their age."—The Wall Street Journal

A Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor Winner • A Boston Globe–Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Winner • A Booklist Editors' Choice • A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year and Best Teen Book of the Year • A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year • A New York Public Library Notable • A Washington Post Best Children's Book of 2015

Creators
Publisher

Recorded Books, Inc.

Edition: Unabridged
Awards
- Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor
Release date

May 25, 2015
Formats
- OverDrive Listen audiobook
  - ISBN: 9781490664361
  - File size: 139964 KB
  - Duration: 04:51:35
Languages
- English
Reviews
- AudioFile Magazine
  
  Hoose offers a fascinating glimpse of a little-known historical moment when a group of Danish schoolboys, infuriated by their country's lack of resistance, committed acts of sabotage to protest German occupation, ultimately inspiring their nation to act. The book alternates between passages of meticulously researched historical narrative-- read ably by the author, who masters challenging Danish names and words--and Knud Pedersen's first-person accounts, performed by Michael Braun. Listeners of all ages will be captivated by Hoose's thoughtful portrayal of courage under fire: Using only bicycles and relying on sheer nerve, the boys stole weapons and defaced Nazi property. Meanwhile, Braun's dramatic presentation of Pedersen's recollections adds an immediacy that rounds out this astonishing account of a time when a handful of brave boys helped change history. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
- Publisher's Weekly
  
  Starred review from March 16, 2015
  Hoose (Moonbird) vividly recounts the true story of the courageous and brazen teens who inspired the Danish resistance movement in WWII. Angered and embarrassed by his nation’s lack of opposition to the German invasion, 15-year-old Knud Pedersen, his older brother, and a few classmates formed the secret Churchill Club (named for the British prime minister they admired). For five months in 1942, club members committed daring acts of sabotage, often from their bikes and mostly in broad daylight (“Arson became our game. We took to carrying a small quantity of petrol with us... stuffing the canister in a school bag ”). Hoose’s narrative alternates with Pedersen’s verbatim recollections (taken from a weeklong interview with him in 2012). Though readers initially may have trouble knowing when Pedersen’s quotations end and the author’s segues begin, this gripping story quickly gathers momentum, and the shifts between narrators flow smoothly. Archival photos break up the text, while an epilogue details what happened to each young resister after his imprisonment and the war’s end. A bibliography and source notes conclude this inspiring account. Ages 12–18.
- School Library Journal
  
  September 1, 2015
  Gr 7 Up-A group of Danish middle school boys, led by 15-year-old Knud Pedersen, decided to resist German occupation in Denmark despite the government's acceptance. Like soldiers, they were determined and disciplined, being careful not to blow their cover. Naming themselves the Churchill Club, they began by changing directional signs and cutting communication wires. Eventually they got their hands on grenades and started blowing up German cars. Organized but untrained, they stole rifles left unattended by German soldiers and began to kill Germans with their own weapons. The Churchill Club was eventually caught, tried, and imprisoned. Listeners will have to decide if what the boys did was justified or mischievous. Michael Braun's narration is well done. VERDICT Many students will be interested in this work of nonfiction that shows a different perspective of life during World War II.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI
  
  Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
- The Horn Book
  
  November 1, 2015
  During the German occupation of Denmark in WWII, young Knud Pedersen and his brother Jens rallied a group of schoolboys to steal munitions and perpetrate sabotage, disrupting the occupying forces and eventually giving birth to the Danish Resistance. The young men risked their lives, day after day, pilfering weapons, destroying infrastructure, and standing up to their own government's cooperation with Hitler's regime, ultimately landing in prison. Hoose reads the body of the text, while actor Braun voices Pedersen's interspersed first- person accounts. While the quick pace of the alternating voices contributes to the gripping suspense, Braun's performative intensity clashes a bit with the author's more natural reading. Still, hearing Hoose's genuine response to the events he uncovered and their place in history makes for especially rewarding listening. thom barthelmess
  (Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)