Facing the Enemy: How a Nazi Youth Camp in America Tested a Friendship

Based on real-life events from 1937 to 1941, this illuminating verse novel by Krasner (Ethel's Song) traces the evolution of a Nazi youth camp in suburban New Jersey during Hitler's rise to power and its effect on the friendship of two teens: Jewish American Benjy and German American Tommy. When Tommy's alcohol-dependent father--still grieving his first-born son who died in Germany before Tommy was born--forces Tommy to attend nearby Camp Nordland to "embrace" his German heritage, Tommy eagerly complies, desperate to win his father's love and approval. He is quickly swept up in the group's pro-Hitler/anti-Jewish rhetoric and casts aside his bewildered longtime best friend Benjy. Meanwhile, Benjy, his father, and their Jewish community form an anti-Nazi vigilante organization intending to shut down Camp Nordland. Krasner's depiction of Tommy's shifting loyalties between his political stances and his feelings for Benjy reads as somewhat implausible; Benjy's acutely expressed grief and confusion over the loss of his and Tommy's friendship, by comparison, portrays Benjy as a deeply sympathetic character, making for uneven narration. Major characters are white. An author's note, glossary, timeline, and historical photos conclude. Ages 12-up. (Dec.)

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"(An) illuminating verse novel..."—Publishers Weekly

"The story of a friendship torn apart when Nazi ideology arrives on America's shores... (e)ach boy struggles with different types of personal adversity, and the challenges of their relationship highlight an important, lesser-known chapter in U.S. history."—Kirkus Reviews

"The novel's action moves back and forth between Tommy's and Benjy's first-person accounts, doing a nice job of adding complexity to the plot...Good for independent reading and, especially, classroom use." —Booklist

"Facing the Enemy offers a frightening glimpse into a little-known slice of America's history. Two best friends—one Jewish and one of German heritage—pit themselves against each other as antisemitism rises alongside German nationalism in a corner of New Jersey in the years leading up to World War II. Poetry is the perfect form for this well-researched, chilling read."—Kip Wilson, award-winning author of White Rose

"Barbara Krasner's compelling poetry brings to life a time in US history that must never be forgotten. Benjy's courage, conviction, and determination will inspire young readers to standup for what is right, even when it means risking everything. Tommy's ability to look deep within himself, question what he's been taught, and learn to think for himself is an important life lesson for us all. I hope this page-turner of a book garners the widest audience possible."—Lesléa Newman, author of Gittel's Journey: An Ellis Island Story