The Edelweisss Pirates by Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren

Title: The Edelweiss Pirates
Author/Illustrator: Jennifer Riesmeyer Elvgren/ Daniela Stamatiadi
Genre: Fiction
Age: 8-12

This book is about students who take action during Hitler's tyrant. A young boy by the name of Kurt wants to be like his older brother who is an Edelweiss Pirate, which means they boycott Hitler and are defiant to his beliefs. Kurt's older brother Albert plays Jazz music at a local area, even though they're not supposed to be playing jazz music they could get in big trouble for it Albert does it anyway. Before he could argue with his brother, he handed him an album by Louis Armstrong and he couldn't wait to listen to it. That weekend he invited his friend Fritz over, who was Jewish and snuck him in through a side door, so that he wouldn't be seen by patrolling Hitler Youth. They listened to the Jazz record over and over again until they both were able to play it, Kurt on his trumpet and Albert on his sax. The next day in class there were portraits of Hitler hanging in the classroom. One girl was presenting her presentation on the First World War and said that Jews were traitors to Germany, which made Fritz very uncomfortable. While siting at his desk Kurt was becoming very upset and to calm himself down he started imagining himself playing Louis Armstrong's Saint Louis Blues. That night Albert was sneaking back into the room, since his parents didn't allow them to play Jazz music and Kurt asked him what he had played tonight. Albert told him they didn't play any music and instead went and painted over the swastika graffiti under a bridge. Albert had mentioned he left his code name and Kurt was curious to know what it was and Albert finally told him it was Swing, since he enjoyed swing music. Kurt wanted to be and Edelweiss Pirate very bad but his brother wouldn't allow him to become one. At school the math teacher made them raise their arms and say "Heil Hitler" and everyone did it accept Fritz and the teacher smacked him in the shoulder with a ruler. This angered Kurt and he wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words to do so. So, he practiced his fingerings to Saint Louis Blues under his desk. Once again his brother returned home and again they didn't play music this time they passed out anti-Hitler leaflets and were going to do some more the next day.  Kurt wanted to help so bad, but once again his brother refused. He asked if he would be at his band concert and his brother said he would. During their literature class the teacher made Fritz read a story aloud about how Jews were the enemy, and Fritz was very upset in doing so, so Kurt asked to go to the bathroom and there he hummed his song until he felt calmer and returned to class, and still he wished he could do something. That night at their concert Kurt didn't see his brother, but as they started playing one of Hitler's composers Kurt could only think about Fritz and how he had been treated. before he knew it he was playing Saint Louis Blues and it grew louder and louder, and soon Kurt's brother came in with his band and they joined him in playing the song. At first the audience members didn't dance because they knew it wasn't what Hitler would want but they soon joined in and actually enjoyed themselves. The Maestro was mad at him but Kurt didn't care he finally stood up for his friend and his brother noticed. The next morning when he was getting ready for school he saw this letter and it was from his brother saying he was finally a member of the Edelweiss Pirates ad that his code name was Blues.

I really enjoyed this book and how it shows the courage one student had for his friend. Even though in the beginning he wasn't always bold with his disgust his confidence and courage to take a stand grew over time, seeing his best friend constantly ridiculed. He was finally able to become and Edelweiss Pirate and by him sticking up for his friend was his test. This best suits students in 3rd - 6th grade. I think if I used this in a lesson it would be apart of something over the time of World War and the Holocaust. Of course depending on the grade it would be appropriate but I would use this to show how they were treated differently, but one child had courage to stand up for his friend and be apart of something bigger than himself.
- Peace. Love. Giraffes.

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