Thoughts:
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a beautiful age-appropriate tribute to Sophie and the White Rose. I wish there was a book like this around when I was younger as someone who loved reading and history but never got to see strong girls like me in the books available to me. The cartoon map was great to help with my terrible geographical skills and the other graphics accompanied the story perfectly. I like direct quotes from real letters/leaflets in italics so we can see the actual words of those we’re reading about and especially liked the bit about after her death.

Favourite Quote:
“He who does not act does not exist, wrote the philosopher Gottfried Leibniz -and although Sophie cruelly lost her life when she was so young, she exists in our minds for ever through acting as she did.”

Wow, just wow. I have read a lot of books about the Holocaust, but I had never heard of The White Rose or Sophie and Hans Scholl. This was a fast paced and interesting read, perfect for middle grade and adults alike! Recommended!!

What a suspense-filled book, perfect for tweens, teens and even adults! Haydn Kaye writes of the real-life exploits of student Sophia Scholl, her medical-student brother Hans and three other University of Munich medical students in distributing anti-Nazi leaflets across Germany. Calling themselves The White Rose Resistance Group, these students’ courage inspired resistance and even protests against the Nazi regime.

I’m so glad that readers outside Germany (where The White Rose are considered national heroes) can finally be inspired by their valor. Highly, highly recommended.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Pushkin Press and Pushkin Children's Books in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book quite fascinating. I had never heard of Sophie Scholl before, and it was quite interesting to read about her activities in the resistance against Hitler, within Germany. It was heartwarming to see how the members of her group stuck together and worked to try to keep the others safe. The only thing I did not appreciate about the story was how they lied—but I totally understand why they did it. The end of Sophie’s story was predictable, but tragic and triumphant at the same time. This would be a good book for young teens to read, to learn what people just older than themselves experienced during World War II.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

From a slightly sporadically-produced series, a sporadic reissue – and this one is on the hot-headed teenaged girl that didn't have to leave Ulm for Munich University, but did anyway, who didn't have to be so keen on joining her brother's political circle, but did anyway, and who didn't have to be practically his sole colleague at the end where publishing illegally anti-Hitler leaflets was concerned – and yet was.

The book is a novelised history piece, so crammed with made-up dialogue and thoughts – mostly from Sophie's own view, but also from the Gestapo man, Mohr. We see the group try and build, learning of the need to carry out their actions at every turn of the war. That said, the bravery was leaving the core of the rebels when just Sophie and Hans, her brother, were arrested for spreading their sedition. The book is a straight pass of the past, not trying to equate the 1940s with the 2020s – although the fact that the leaflets from the White Rose movement so regularly quoted classical philosophers does kind of prove that what they thought then, we should be thinking now. A welcome and readable return to the presses for this four-star effort.

Thank you so much to Pushkin Press/Pushkin Children’s Books and NetGalley for the ebook to read and review.

When she was only 20 years old, Sophie Scholl courageously joined her brother in the the White Rose, a non-violent Nazi resistance movement in Germany.

So often, we try and shield our children from the mere knowledge and scale of such crimes against humanity. In truth, more often than not, the adults in our communities aren't the ones who resist those atrocities:

They're the ones committing them.

In the 1950s and 60s, many leaders of the US Civil Rights were barely into their twenties. When John Lewis spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, he Lewis was 23 and all only 25, when Alabama State Troopers beat him and fractured his skull on Bloody Sunday in Selma.

In 1943, 23-year-old Mordechai Anielewicz led the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a resistance largely comprised of children, teenagers, and young adults. Like the overwhelming majority of those in the Warsaw Ghetto, he perished at Nazi hands.

In "The Girl Who Said No to the Nazis," Haydn Kaye masterfully recounts Sophie Scholl's courageous stand against the brazen inhumanity of the Nazi regime. Without sacrificing historical accuracy or Scholl's suffering at Nazi hands, Kaye builds an age-appropriate narrative for a younger audience.

I highly recommend this piece. It's a nuanced and haunting recounting of one of the worst horrors this world has ever seen.

One of my favourite things to read in the historical fiction genre is when you are told about events you know so well but from a different, more unique point of view. This was compelling, powerful and intense. Brilliant.

This book was very difficult to get in to. I stopped and started several times, but found the story unremarkable. The character development was weak. I don't recommend this title.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. Even though the White Rose Society was made up mostly of university students; that didn’t stop them from taking a stand against the injustices they saw happening around them. One person can make a difference. Even whilst being interrogated; they still held firm to their beliefs and didn’t back down in the face of death. Because of their courage and bravery; they are still remembered to this day.

This Book was Fantastic, It made you immerse yourself in to the world during would war 2, It showed the courage of Sophie and Hans and the White Rose Collective. A truly fantastic read. I would definitely recommend this for younger children. On to have a class read or in there reading corner.

thank you for allowing me to read.

I always read stories about brave Sophie Scholl when I come across them. She was so young when she faced off against the Nazis, and it's so important to remember that everyone needs to stand up for what's right.
Sophie Scholl never got a chance to do all the things she could have done, and she had so much potential, but she will never be forgotten. This is the first story I've read about her that was directed at a younger audience, and it was well done, with appropriate language and not too many harsh details. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

This book was designed for a younger audience but the topic interested me right away. The illustrations are well done and the writing was incredible. I learned about someone I never knew before and I am glad I did. A real life story of a young girls courage and strength. Highly recommend this read!

Thanks to NetGalley and Pushkin Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Sophie Scholl, her brother, and their friends were ordinary German university students. But the world that they were living in was not as the Nazi Party held power. So Sophie and the others created the White Rose Resistance group and their actions of resistance got under the skin of their fascist leaders. Inevitably, it would end in them being caught by the Gestapo and executed by the state.

I had read books and watched films about Sophie Scholl before so while the material wasn't new, this book series is targeted at youth audiences. The chapters are relatively short and the plot moves along at a good pace. The descriptions don't get into too graphic detail when it comes to Sophie's time with the Gestapo. Nor do we get horrific details about her execution. Above all, it is a solid introduction in introducing students to the life of Sophie Scholl.

As an educator, I would add this title to my classroom library.



#TheGirlWhoSaidNototheNazis #NetGalley.
Expected Publication Date 07/01/25
Goodreads Review Date 05/11/25

I have never heard of Sophie Scholl before. Believe me, I would have remembered. What an amazing story of courage and faith against unspeakable evil. And although her life was short, she is still remembered as an inspiring figure today. This book is well written, not too long or short, and clear without getting into graphic details. There was also just the right number of illustrations, which all fit very well with the timeline and theme of this book. Sophie’s story should be required reading for all students. I would rate this for teens and up. Highly recommend!
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book courtesy of Pushkin Press through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to Pushkin Press / Pushkin Children’s Books and Netgalley for the ebook to read and review.

This gripped me instantly, I honestly couldn’t stop reading and would honesty happily read it again as it was so incredible. There is so much history surrounding World War Two and I hadn’t known this piece, for some reason I hadn’t heard about it, I’m so glad I have now.

The white rose group a secret rebellion organisation within the walls of Germany, going against Hitler, in a very scary and dangerous time. These young college students were so very incredible and so brave doing everything they did to fight against the cruel, inhumane treatment of the people.

Sophie was such a force to be reckoned with, she was utterly fascinating to me, from the second you meet her you know she’s going to find her voice and it will be a strong one. I’m so glad reading this how much she fought, how much she wanted the true Germans to hear her, to see her actions and take action themselves.

It was inevitable what truly happened to them all, getting caught, being made an example of to the people. But they all, did the right thing, they stood up for everyone and made a huge change for the people, sharing hope during a dark time that need all the hope it could get.

I’m still shocked I didn’t know about this piece of history, I will now be finding out more as it was so fascinating and I was just gripped the whole time. If you love history this book is a complete recommend read, it’s so detailed, it doesn’t skirt around the truth, you’ll be hooked from the start.

This was another strong story in the True Adventures series, it uses the concept that I was hoping for and enjoyed the historical element to it. The characters felt like they were meant to be in this time-period and thought the story worked well overall. I enjoyed the way Haydn Kaye wrote this and am excited for more.

This book recounts the story about a young German woman named Sophie Scholl who stood up against the Nazi regime. I'd never heard the story before about Sophie, her brother Hans, and the several friends who were part of a group called The White Rose that actively fought against the Nazi movement and encouraged others to do the same by secretly distributing leaflets throughout the country. Although I should have seen where the story was going, I just didn't because I'd never learned about it. Haydn Kaye shares the story through the eyes of Sophie which makes it more immediate. It's an important read and I thank Haydn for writing this book for young readers. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy of this book.

This is the incredible true story of Sophie Scholl, her brother Hans and their friends who, together, made up the White Rose resistance group in Germany during World War Two. I have read accounts of Sophie and Hans's life and work before so I knew what to expect and I was pleased that, while events haven't been sugarcoated, the book has been written in such a way that I would be comfortable recommending it to the children I work with (UKS2), despite the obviously harrowing content.

Another excellent addition to this series.