Soldier Boys

Reach for this book when your teenager begins questioning the complexities of war, the nature of heroism, or the ethics of following orders. It is a powerful tool for a child who is ready to move beyond black and white views of history and explore the shared humanity of people on opposite sides of a conflict. Through the parallel stories of Spence, an American paratrooper, and Dieter, a young German soldier, the novel explores themes of indoctrination, the loss of innocence, and the heavy burden of duty. While it deals with the harsh realities of combat during World War II, it emphasizes compassion over glory. This is an ideal selection for fostering empathy and critical thinking in readers aged twelve and up who are grappling with what it means to be a good person in a broken world.