Quote 1
The door of the publications office opened again and now Carl slipped in. Seeing Laurie and Alex there he smiled. "Looks like I've stumbled into Anne Frank's attic," he said. (12.47)
This passage suggests that Carl, Alex, and Laurie are familiar with the story of Anne Frank. And you know what? Anne Frank's story might have been a great place for Ben to start when he was trying to answer Laurie's question about why German civilians didn't stop the Nazis. Anne Frank's story, as you may know, doesn't even take place in Germany. It takes place in Holland, one of the many countries the Nazis were controlling during World War II. How could German civilians stop something that was happening not just in Germany, but all over Europe? Non-fiction accounts like Anne Frank's diary, and even fictional stories like The Book Thief can help answer some of the tougher questions. (We're talking to you, Teacher Ben.)
Quote 2
"Well, I think The Grapevine still should have a story reporting that it exists, at least," Carl said. "I mean, a lot of kids are wondering what it is." (9.47)
In Germany, the Nazis had complete control over the media. They controlled not only the news, but popular media like film and books (books deemed unacceptable by the Nazis were burned in mass bonfires). Luckily, during Ben Ross' experiment-gone-wrong, the media remains free of the influence of The Wave.