The Lions’ Run

This immersive WWII novel by Pennypacker (Leeva at Last), set in 1944 occupied France, centers orphaned 13-year-old Lucas, whose Lamorlaye abbey orphanage peers view him as a coward with a “too-soft heart.” Working as a delivery boy means that Lucas is privy to the goings-on at the Lebensborn, a covert Nazi home for pregnant teens, as well as other secrets: a neighbor hiding Jewish children and a priest working for the Resistance. Over the course of Lucas’s employment, he develops a friendship with a new mother at Lebensborn; simultaneously, he bonds with a wealthy, assertive British girl, whom he encounters hiding her horse from the Nazis in an abandoned Chantilly stable where Lucas conceals five kittens he has saved from drowning. Driven by compassion and a sense of justice, Lucas surprises himself with his own small courageous actions, which eventually lead to some enormously dangerous ones, illustrating Lamorlaye abbey Sister Marie-Agnes’s saying: “Little termites taking tiny bites can bring down a cathedral.” The novel is populated by complex, sympathetic characters. Richly descriptive writing and steadily building suspense make for a genuinely satisfying read. Includes a map and author’s note. Ages 8–12. (Feb.)