Daniel Half Human: and The Good Nazi.

Citation: Chotjewitz, D, & Orgel, D. (2004). Daniel Half Human: and The Good Nazi. Atheneum Richard Jackson Books.

Annotation: At the rise of Hitler’s regime, Daniel’s life and relationships are threatened by a sudden revelation and Daniel can’t trust even his best friends.

Nomination (Accept or reject): Accept

The horror and unimaginable prejudice inflicted upon the Jewish people is the backdrop for this unexpected journey through relationships, self-revelation and hardship.  The book attempts to answer many of the questions that go through teens’ (and others’) minds - are we defined by our religion? Our heritage? Our genetics? Our friendships? Our family? Our country? When the revelation that Daniel is half-Jewish comes to light, he suddenly devalues himself, as he sees his friends and countrymen devalue Jews throughout his homeland.  However, as he realizes that nothing has changed except his heritage, he soon learns that no one else can see past it.  Instead of being angry and resentful, as many teens would be, Daniel uses the revelation to discover that is better than his friends and the regime he so hoped to join.  His self-discovery and strength against an unimaginable change in circumstance is inspiring for any teen to read.  In addition, the path for friendship between Daniel and Armin echoes that of middle and high school friendships where allegiances change and new paths are forged.  The wonderful story is sandwiched into a historical setting that many teens don’t know enough about and are doomed to repeat it if they can’t understand it.  The pacing of the book changes dramatically, but the reader stays interested throughout the novel, anxious to learn about Daniel’s family’s fate.

Genre: Realistic experience, historical fiction, coming of age.