The Lions’ Run
by Sara Pennypacker; with art by Jon Klassen
Ages 8-12
“Lucas DuBois is proof that a mere kitten can be the bravest of lions by always standing up for what’s right.” —Alan Gratz, New York Times bestselling author of Refugee
The acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of Pax delivers an historical novel about an orphan during WWII who discovers unexpected courage within himself when he becomes involved with the Resistance.
Petit éclair. That’s what the other boys at the orphanage call Lucas DuBois. Lucas is tired of his cowardly reputation, just as he’s tired of the war and the Nazi occupation of his French village. He longs to show how brave he can be.
He gets the chance when he saves a litter of kittens from cruel boys and brings them to an abandoned stable to care for them. There he comes upon a stranger who is none too happy to see him: Alice, the daughter of a horse trainer, who is hiding her filly from German soldiers.
Soon Lucas begins to realize they are not the only ones in the village with secrets. The housekeeper at the German maternity home and a priest at the orphanage pass coded messages; a young mother at the home makes dangerous plans to keep her baby from forced adoption; and a neighbor in town may be harboring a Jewish family.
Emboldened by the unlikely heroes all around him, Lucas is forced to decide how much he is willing to risk to make the most courageous rescue of all.
Perfect for fans of Alan Gratz, Ruta Sepetys, and Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, this accessible novel, told in short chapters, illuminates a little-known aspect of World War II history.
Praise for The Lions’ Run
FIVE STARRED REVIEWS!
★ “A beautiful tribute to bravery in its many forms and the power that children and women can wield.” —Booklist
★ “A page-turning and ultimately triumphant tale of heroism.” —The Horn Book Magazine
★ “Richly descriptive writing and steadily building suspense make for a genuinely satisfying read.” —Publishers Weekly
★ “Compassionate and complex.” —Kirkus Reviews
★ “Pennypacker’s work of historical fiction that seems all too real will intrigue reluctant readers from the first startling chapter.” —School Library Journal
“Pennypacker’s illuminating and stirring historical fiction will leave middle grade readers feeling deeply inspired, righteously angry and firmly resolved.” —The New York Times