THE ASSIGNMENT by Liza Wiemer

 

Logan March is looking forward to her class with one of her favorite teachers. Mr. Bartley usually challenges his students to think for themselves and open their minds to different opinions. When Logan and her best friend Cade Crawford enter the new class, they are shocked to hear about their first assignment.

Mr. Bartley wants his students to debate the issue of the Wannsee Conference that supported the idea of ethnic cleansing during WW II. Half the class will be debating their support of the Nazi point of view. Logan and Cade find this to be deplorable. How can Mr. Bartley expect students to take the side of the Nazi regime and defend their rights to exterminate millions of Jews and others they deemed less than superior. 

Logan and Cade speak up and express their feelings that the assignment is immoral, but their protests fall on deaf ears. They take their concerns to the principal who defends Mr. Bartley's assignment and insists they must follow directions. Driven by their disgust toward the assignment, Logan and Cade develop an alternative assignment that they present to the administration, and they are finally given permission to be excused from the debate.

Not everyone feels the same as Logan and Cade, and the result is vandals defacing their lockers, posting hateful comments on social media, and even spray painting hate speech on Cade's family home. The media becomes involved which shines an unwanted spotlight on the school and community. The protest for the assignment even begins to effect Cade's family's business. Can the two successfully make their point and shut down the assignment? Will anything be accomplished or learned from having the debate or will it just rip the school and town farther apart?

THE ASSIGNMENT by Liza Wiemer is inspired by another book titled THE WAVE by Todd Strasser and a real life classroom situation. Readers will experience firsthand how hate can divide and disrupt as they witness Logan and Cade fight for what they believe is right.