Written by Neal Bascomb
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
ISBN: 978-0-545-43099-9
Ages 12 & up
Awards:
YASLA Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction Award
Review:
In The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb, readers get a real-life spy novel chronicling the chase, capture, and trial of Adolf Eichmann. Eichmann was the Nazi official directly responsible for sending millions of Jewish people to the death camps during World War II. After the war, he disappeared seemingly without a trace. Many different people, including a blind man, girlfriend of Eichmann's son, Mossad volunteers, and Israeli officials, worked together to capture Eichmann 15 years after the war ended. Readers will live and follow the different hoops they went through, the dangers they faced, and how things came together to bring this war criminal to justice. Bascomb paints a riveting picture of the search for Eichmann. Despite knowing how the story ends, the book is tough to put down as these events are brought to life.
Professional Review
Kirkus Review
Teaching Ideas
All standards listed are from the Virginia Department of Education Standards of Learning.
1 - World History II.12b & English 10.8a
World History II.12 - The student will demonstrate knowledge of the worldwide impact of World War II by b) examining the Holocaust and other examples of genocide in the twentieth century.
English 10.8 - The student will collect, evaluate, and present information to create a research product. a) Use technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate, synthesize, and communicate information.
Students should research the similarities and differences between concentration, labor, and death camps. (Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 2013) They should create a presentation of their findings using a triple Venn diagram, PowerPoint, or other presentation tool.
2 - English 10.8c&d & World History II.12
English 10.8 - The student will collect, evaluate, and present information to create a research product. c) Verify the accuracy, validity, and usefulness of information. d) Make sense of information gathered from diverse sources by identifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting information, point of view, or bias.
WHII.12 - The student will demonstrate knowledge of the worldwide impact of World War II
Students should research newspaper articles, editorials, and other available media from the 1940s (using online and print resources) to investigate what information the world had at the time. They should be looking for what do the articles and editorials suggest about what the public knew and the public opinion during this time period. (Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 2013)
3 - Visual Arts II.5 & 11.13 & English 10.4
Visual Arts II.5 - The student will use contemporary media, tools, and processes to create works of art.
Visual Arts II.13 - The student will examine and discuss social, political, economic, and cultural factors that influence works of art and design.
English 10.4 - The student will read, comprehend, and analyze literary texts of different cultures and eras. (Essential knowledge includes honoring the historical past.)
Students will design and create a monument dedicated to the Nazi hunters or Holocaust survivors. They may use any material of their choosing including digital programs such as SketchUp. They must include a written explanation to go along with their monument. (Florida Center for Instructional Technology, 2013)
4 - World History II.1a & English 10.8e
WHII.1 - The student will improve skills in historical research and geographical analysis by a) identifying, analyzing, and interpreting primary and secondary sources to make generalizations about life in world history since 1500 A.D.
English 10.8 - The student will collect, evaluate, organize, and present information to create a research project. e) Cite sources for both quoted and paraphrased ideas using a standard method of documentation.
Using multiple primary and secondary sources, create a timeline of Adolf Eichmann's life starting from before World War II until he is executed in Israel.
5 - Mathematics 8.3a & Civics & Ecomonics 1b
Mathematics 8.3a - The student will solve practical problems involving rational numbers, percents, ratios, and proportions.
CE.1 - The student will develop the social studies skills responsible citizenship requires, including the ability to b) create and explain maps, diagrams, tables, charts, graphs, and spreadsheets.
As they tried to track down Adolf Eichmann, members of the Nazi hunters flew back and forth from all over the world. Using the information from The Nazi Hunters, other reputable sources, and maps, calculate how many miles were traveled by air from when the first Mossad agent left Israel until the mission ended in Israel.
Further Exploration
Book Trailer - Video book trailer providing a brief summary of The Nazi Hunters
Interview with Neal Bascomb - Written interview with the author about his process for writing The Nazi Hunters and his plan for this next young adult novel.
Meet-the-Author Book Reading - This is an audio file of Neal Bascomb introducing the book and reading an excerpt from it. It would be a great tool to use as an introduction to The Nazi Hunters.
The Nazi Hunters Documentary Episode 2 - This 44 minute video from National Geographic was part of "The Nazi Hunters" TV series in which each episode depicted the search for and capture of a Nazi war criminal. The series is narrated by some of actual Nazi hunters that participated in the searches. This would be a great resource for students who struggle with reading or learn much better visually because they would get essentially the same information and be able to participate in class discussions and activities.
Eichmann's Trial - This is a short video clip from Adolf Eichmann's trial in Israel. It could be used to compare and contrast court proceedings today.
Final Solution - Information about the "Final Solution" that Adolf Eichmann was instrumental in carrying out from the United States Holocaust Museum.
YASLA Nonfiction Awards - A list of other books that have received the award for Excellence in Young Adult Nonfiction for students interested in reading additional quality nonfiction books.
Possible Partner Titles
By Elie Wiesel
This is a memoir told from the point of view of a Holocaust survivor who has a lot of guilt over surviving when his family did not. Some of the men hunting Eichmann in The Nazi Hunters have similar feelings about what happened to their families or people they know. Night details how Elie copes with this just like some of the Nazi hunters dealt with their feeling by going after Nazi criminals.
By Markus Zusak
This fictional tale narrated by Death takes place during World War II, when Death is kept quite busy. The story focuses on the lives of regular Germans in a small town outside Munich. The action in this story mirrors the action in The Nazi Hunters with the reader knowing Death will catch up to the characters and that Eichmann will be caught. Both authors have created stories that are difficult to put down.
Publishers Weekly Starred Review (2006)
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti
This nonfiction book presents a different picture of the Nazis as it follows 12 young individuals and their experiences in the Hitler Youth groups. This will be a good resource for students who are interested in exploring more about what was happening in Germany before World War II.
Publishers Weekly Starred Review (2005)
By James L. Swanson
Like The Nazi Hunters, this book is a young adult version of an adult book written by the author. It chronicles the 12 day search for John Wilkes Booth after he shot Abraham Lincoln. The books have a similar style and both read like an historical thriller, so fans of The Nazi Hunters will certainly enjoy this one as well.
Publishers Weekly Starred Review (2009)
By Anne Frank
Edited by Mirjam Pressler and Otto H. Frank
This book, translated from Anne Frank's original diary, depicts the life of a Jewish girl and her family as they try to avoid the atrocities of the "Final Solution" as it is attempted to be carried out by the Nazi's. In this edition, more of Anne's strong personality comes out as it contains 30% more material than the original version.
Publishers Weekly Starred Review (1995)
Resources
Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (2013). A teacher's guide to the Holocaust student activities. Retrieved from https://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/activity/highschl.htm
Gomez, H. (2014). An interview with 2014 nonfiction award finalist Neal Bascomb. Retrieved from http://www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2014/01/21/an-interview-with-2014-nonfiction-award-finalist-neal-bascomb/
Kirkus. (2013). The Nazi hunters. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/neal-bascomb/the-nazi-hunters/
Nazi Hunters. (2009). Nazi Hunters: Episode 2 - Adolf Eichmann. Retrieved from https://indieflix.com/indie-films/nazi-hunters-episode-2-adolf-eichmann-37385/
Publishers Weekly. (1995). Diary of a young girl: The definitive edition. Publishers weekly Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-385-47378-1
Publishers Weekly. (2005). Hitler's youth: Growing up in Hitler's shadow. Publishers weekly, 252(21), 79-80. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-439-35379-3
Publishers Weekly. (2006). The book thief. Publishers weekly, 253(5), 70-71. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/9780375831003
Publishers Weekly. (2009). Chasing Lincoln's killer. Publishers weekly, 256(2), 49. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-439-90354-7
Socialceco. (2011). Adolf Eichmann. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqMvfUnlFb0
Teachingbooks.net. (2015). The Nazi hunters: how a team of spies and survivors captured the world's most notorious Nazi - Meet-the-author book reading. Retrieved from http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=9554&a=1
TheKbeal. (2014). Nazi hunters - How a team of spies and survivors captured the world's most notorious Nazi. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgAJADjH5EA
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2014). Holocaust encyclopedia - Final solution. Retrieved from http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007328
Virginia Department of Education. (2015). Standards of learning (SOL) & testing. Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/index.shtml
Young Adult Library Services Association. (2015). Nonfiction award. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/yalsa/nonfiction-award
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