War Stories for Teen Readers

Books based on and in times of war, some fictional and some true. Suitable for teen readers.
Updated January 22, 2023
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Code name Verity /
Wein, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Don't miss Elizabeth Wein's stunning new novel, Stateless! The beloved #1 New York Times bestseller, a "fiendishly plotted" (New York Times) "heart-in-your mouth adventure" (Washington Post) that...
Rose under fire /
Wein, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning World War II thriller where a young female pilot will have to confront the realities of hope and bravery if she wants to survive capture. 
All the Light We Cannot See
Anthony Doerr
Paper Book
*NOW A NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES--from producer and director Shawn Levy (Stranger Things) starring Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and newcomer Aria Mia Loberti* Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist, the beloved instant New York Times bestseller...
All quiet on the western front /
Remarque, Erich Maria,
Paper Book
The masterpiece of the German experience during World War I, considered by many the greatest war novel of all time--with an Oscar-winning film adaptation now streaming on Netflix.   "[Erich Maria Remarque] is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank."--...
Auslander /
Dowswell, Paul.
Paper Book
JUV016060 = When his parents die, Peter is sent to an orphanage in Warsaw. But Peter is a "Volksdeutscher"-German-People's: German blood. With its blond hair and blue eyes, seems a perfect specimen of the Hitler Youth. Someone want to adopt it and that's what making. Kaltenbach professor and his...
Black dove, white raven /
Wein, Elizabeth
Paper Book
Don't miss Elizabeth Wein's stunning new novel, Stateless Emilia and Teo's lives changed in a fiery, terrifying instant when a bird strike brought down the plane their stunt pilot mothers were flying. Teo's mother died immediately, but Em's...
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain
John Boyne
Paper Book
The Boy at the Top of the Mountain by John Boyne, the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, is another extraordinary historical fiction about World War II and innocence in the face of evil. When Pierrot becomes an orphan, he must leave his home in Paris for a...
Code talker :
Bruchac, Joseph,
Paper Book
Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved...
Girl in the blue coat /
Hesse, Monica.
Paper Book
This bestselling and award-winning novel about a teenage girl in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam speaks powerfully to the realities of grief, heartbreak, and bravery, perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Ruta Sepetys. Amsterdam, 1943. Hanneke spends her days procuring and...
Heroes don't run /
Mazer, Harry
Paper Book
To honor his father who died during the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor, seventeen-year-old Adam eagerly enlists in the Marines in 1944, survives boot camp, and faces combat on the tiny island of Okinawa.
The lost crown /
Miller, Sarah,
Paper Book
Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia.  Like the fingers on a hand--first headstrong Olga; thenTatiana, the tallest; Maria the most hopeful for a ring; and Anastasia, the smallest. These are the daughters of Tsar Nicholas II, grand duchesses living a life steeped in tradition abd...
The Nazi hunters :
Bascomb, Neal.
Paper Book
A thrilling spy mission, a moving Holocaust story, and a first-class work of narrative nonfiction. This Sydney Taylor Book Award- and YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award-winning story of Eichmann's capture is now a major motion picture starring Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley, Operation Finale<...
No better friend :
Weintraub, Robert.
Paper Book
Discover an extraordinary tale of friendship and survival between a man and a dog in World War II in this young readers' adaptation of the New York Times bestseller No Better Friend. No Better Friend tells the incredible true story of Frank Williams, a...
Salt to the Sea
Ruta Sepetys
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal! "Masterfully crafted"--The Wall Street Journal For readers of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See, Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this...
Soldier boys /
Hughes, Dean,
Paper Book
Spencer Morgan And Dieter Hedrick, one American, one German, are both young and eager to get into action in the war. Dieter, a shining member of the Hitler Youth movement, has actually met theFührerhimself and was praised for his hard work. Now he is determined to make it to the front lines, to push...

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