The Lions’ Run

Lucas lives in Lamorlaye, France in 1944. He is being raised at the local abbey, since his parents have died. There are other boys there, including Marcel and Claude, who bully him mercilessly and even drown a bag of kittens in front of him. After they leave, he rescues them, but one has died. He takes the rest out to a barn in the woods, where he find Alice and her horse, Bia. Alice's father is a British trainer who is trying to work with the Nazis for his own safety, but since horses are being conscripted for the military, she hides Bia. She is not happy to see Lucas and tells him not to come back, but he says he needs to find the kittens mother and will bring her back. Lucas works for the Lamars and delivers groceries. One of the places he delivers groceries is to a maternity hospital run by Mme. Garnier. She is kind to Lucas and allows him to do odd jobs for money. When Alice tells Lucas that the facility is a Lebensborn hospital where the Nazis put young women who are pregnant by Nazi soldiers, he is appalled. The girls are treated well, but forced to give up their babies, who are then adopted by German couples. After talking to one resident, Claire, he knows this is true. Claire claims that she will be able to find her son, Felix, after the war is over, but that seems unlikely. Lucas ends up running notes between members of the resistance, like Father Gustave at the abbey and Mme. Garnier. Mme. Garnier lost her husband and son to the war, and tells Lucas she would like to adopt him, but the war makes things difficult. Soon, Lucas is drawn into Alice's plan to get Bia out of the country by faking documents and saying she is another horse. Bia and the groom will travel to Spain, and then to Kentucky, where Alice has contacted a horse breeder who will care for Bia. When the Nazis arrive earlier than planned to take the babies away, Lucas makes a rash decision to steal Felix, sending him on a perilous journey with Bia. Will they both be able to leave France?

The Lions’ Run by Sara Pennypacker is a middle-grade historical fiction novel set in France during World War II. Thirteen-year-old Lucas, an orphan in Nazi-occupied France, is given the nickname “Petit éclair” by the other boys at the abbey, who see him as a soft coward. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear this label is far from accurate. Lucas gradually emerges as one of the bravest characters.

At the beginning of the book, Lucas saves several kittens that his bullies try to drown. This leads him to hide the kittens in an abandoned stable, where he meets Alice, who is hiding her horse from the Nazis. Lucas’s bravery continues to grow as he delivers messages for the Resistance. When Lucas learns that one of the babies he befriended in the Lebensborn program (German maternity homes) is going to be sent to Germany to be adopted, he acts quickly and helps the baby escape. The last few chapters are action-packed as Lucas goes on the run with Alice’s horse and baby Felix. Page after page, we see Lucas gain courage.

What I Liked: Lucas is such a lovable character, and his kindness is one of his most endearing qualities. He remains empathetic and selfless even though the circumstances of his life could have made him hard and self-centered. The World War II setting was integral to the plot, and I especially enjoyed learning about the Lebensborn program, which was new to me. While World War II can be a heavy topic, Pennypacker does a wonderful job of describing the injustices of the war in an age-appropriate way.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction or stories about unlikely heroes finding their strength.

What worked:
Lucas is a virtuous orphan, even though he’s tired of being bossed around. The other boys in the orphanage treat him unkindly, and the Nazis patrolling the streets look down on him, too. Lucas displays his courage when he keeps two large orphanage bullies from drowning five kittens. He hides them in an abandoned barn, only to have a wealthy girl tell him to leave and never come back. However, Lucas is persistent, and he eventually befriends Alice. Lucas delivers groceries to a hospital for expectant mothers, and one day he snatches a coded message to save a matron, Mme. Garnier, from Nazi soldiers. Lucas decides he's tired of Germans invading his country and convinces her to let him join the Resistance.
Readers know about Nazi concentration camps where millions of men, women, and children were executed. Characters mention a couple of people who are taken to a camp, and they know the chances of survival are slim. Nazis in the streets, night and day, are constant reminders of how quickly characters might be arrested and disappear forever. Spying is a dangerous business, and Lucas risks his life every time he carries a message. Mme. Garnier and Father Gustave are reluctant to let a young boy help the Resistance, but Lucas is in a perfect position to transport coded messages. Young readers will enjoy the mystique of spy work, and the plot maintains constant tension.
The story offers a different perspective on World War II, as the events focus on French citizens. Lucas and Alice talk about the possibility of allied nations saving the country, and they are skeptical that America is truly the land of opportunity. People do questionable things in order to survive, and Alice’s father trains racehorses for the Germans. Mme. Garnier is the only French person working at the hospital where the babies of the pregnant women will become members of the Aryan nation. The author introduces Claire, a French woman carrying a German soldier’s baby. She knows her child will be taken away and adopted by a family in Germany. However, Claire dreams of being reunited with her baby after the war, even though she’s told that won’t happen.
What didn’t work as well:
Various characters speak three languages in the story: French, German, and English. However, the narrative doesn’t differentiate between the languages very well, so readers will mostly read English. Lucas is supposed to speak French, but readers won’t get a sense that he’s speaking anything other than English.
The final verdict:
Readers will root for Lucas as he tries to make a difference during the Second World War. The author assures readers that everything mentioned about the war is true, so they'll get a compelling look at France during this time in history. The plot takes a dramatic turn when Lucas makes a rash, daring decision, leading to an exciting climax. I recommend you give this book a try.