The Boys from St. Petri

Reach for this book when your teenager is questioning authority or struggling to balance loyalty to friends with their own moral compass. Set in Nazi-occupied Denmark, it follows a group of schoolboys who graduate from petty pranks to dangerous acts of sabotage. It is a profound exploration of how idealism transforms into high-stakes courage and the heavy price of resisting injustice. While the setting is historical, the emotional core is deeply relevant to modern adolescents navigating peer pressure and the desire to make a difference in the world. It provides a safe space to discuss the ethics of breaking rules for a greater good. Due to the realistic depiction of wartime tension and violence, it is best suited for readers aged 12 and up who are ready for nuanced, high-stakes storytelling.