Short chapters make for a swiftly paced account of the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Born in 1906, he was a singular child in a large, progressive German family. Drawn to religion, he studied theology and pursued a career in the ministry. Bonhoeffer believed the German Lutheran church had a responsibility to have an impact on the lives of ordinary people, and to speak out against injustice. His ideas were further informed by a visit to the United States, when he saw the travesty of racism and experienced the energizing, uplifting Black Abyssinian Baptist Church. He returned to Germany and furthered his activism against the rising National Socialist Party. Eventually asked to serve as a spiritual guide to would-be Hitler assassins, Bonhoeffer concluded that putting an end to the atrocities taking place in Germany and across Europe meant setting pacifism aside. Along with his co-conspirators, he was eventually caught and executed, but his writings are considered critical works on the intersection of religion and social justice and were among those read and cited by Martin Luther King Jr. The compelling narrative includes occasional black-and-white photographs and concludes with source notes and a bibliography. (Age 12 and older)

Perfect for fans of suspenseful nonfiction such as books by Steve Sheinkin, this is a page-turning narrative about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and pacifist who became an unlikely hero during World War II and took part in a plot to kill Hitler. Written by two-time National Book Award finalist Patricia McCormick, author of Sold and Never Fall Down and coauthor of the young reader’s edition of I Am Malala.

It was April 5, 1943, and the Gestapo would arrive any minute. Dietrich Bonhoeffer had been expecting this day for a long time. He had put his papers in order—and left a few notes specifically for Hitler’s men to see. Two SS agents climbed the stairs and told the boyish-looking Bonhoeffer to come with them. He calmly said good-bye to his parents, put his Bible under his arm, and left. Upstairs there was proof, in his own handwriting, that this quiet young minister was part of a conspiracy to kill Adolf Hitler.

This compelling, brilliantly researched account includes the remarkable discovery that Bonhoeffer was one of the first people to provide evidence to the Allies that Jews were being deported to death camps. It takes readers from his privileged early childhood to the studies and travel that would introduce him to peace activists around the world—eventually putting this gentle, scholarly pacifist on a deadly course to assassinate one of the most ruthless dictators in history. The Plot to Kill Hitler provides fascinating insights into what makes someone stand up for what’s right when no one else is standing with you. It is a question that every generation must answer again and again.

With black-and-white photographs, fascinating sidebars, and thoroughly researched details, this book should be essential reading.