This makes a strong contribution to WW2 middle grade, splitting open a story/experience that will be new to most kids.

Pennypacker delivers a heartfelt story brimming with unique insights into the going’s on in France during WWII. I knew nothing of the Lebensborn, so I know my middle school readers will find the information fascinating. Jon Klassen’s cover art is gorgeous and very compelling.

I absolutely loved this story. I have never heard of a Lebensborn, so I learned a lot about another horrible part of WWII and the Nazis. The way that Pennypacker develops Lucas's character from a scared and quiet orphan to a brave and resilient rescuer is phenomenal.

Sara Pennypacker's writing blew me away. This is an historical fiction novel that is carefully researched, and frightening to consider. I was impressed that the author did her homework and included a note stating which parts of the novel were made up, and which were based on fact. I really rooted for the characters, especially the bully-turned ally, Alice, the wealthy daughter of a horse trainer, Claire, the naive mother of Felix, and Lucas of course.

This book uncovers a lesser-known aspect of history and weaves a rivting story throughout. There were only a few places I, as an adult and a mother, had to suspend my disbelief/discomfort (riding horseback with a newborn, leaving him alone) but children will find this powerful and brave, in addition to being upset by the events of our history.

Overall, this is a very important read and it should be included in schools and libraries so that the atrocities of the past never happen again.

This was a very sweet story with lots of admirable themes and messages throughout for a young reader, like having the courage to stand up for what you believe in and the power of kindness. I typically love WWII stories but it did leave more to be desired, although I am not the intended reader age so take that with a grain of salt. The cover art is absolutely beautiful! Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There are so many middle grade historical fiction books that center around World War 2 that it takes a real gem to stand out for me. Unfortunately, this book was not one for me. It’s not bad, but I can’t say it adds anything new or exciting for this audience.

While browsing books on Netgalley, I saw this cover and instantly recognized the work of my favorite children's book illustrator, Jon Klassen. I mashed the Request button so fast, I barely registered that it was a middle grade chapter book.

Approved for the advanced readers copy, I quickly flipped through hoping to feast my eyes on a bit more art by Jon Klassen, but there is just a repetitive illustration at the top of each chapter. A note to those who may be coming into this with similar hopes!

That's fine with me though. The cover is honestly more than enough Jon Klassen, and the premise of the book is interesting to me. I was only vaguely aware of the Nazi Lebensborn program and though it feels very sanitized/watered down for younger readers, The Lions' Run sparked a curiosity that led me down a research rabbit hole for a few hours.

I have a bone to pick, but first I'll say that I'm sure that most people will be pleased with this story. There's almost a Disney quality to the core group of characters that makes for a cozy read. The plot is well fleshed out, the climax is satisfying, and, as I said before, the historical context is likely to spark its own curiosity voyage outside of the text.

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Now for a little criticism: I think that middle grade readers could handle a bit more honesty.
There is a gratuitous amount of animal violence among the orphan boys, but only one scene that comes close to showing the cruelty and barbarism of Nazis. I read Night in middle school! Kids can handle a less cartoonish version of what happened, and they deserve to read books by authors that trust that they can handle these heavy truths, especially now in 2025, when history is repeating itself and topics of forced pregnancy, child kidnapping, and mass deportation are extremely relevant.

Aside from that, the thing I ended up getting really hung up on was the fact that this reads like American propaganda. The British are mentioned, the Allies are mentioned, but Russia and the USSR specifically are only mentioned in author's notes at the beginning and end of the book, and only for the purpose of saying that 1. this book is relevant because modern day Russia is stealing Ukranian children just like the Nazis did, and 2. Nearly half a million horses were seized from the USSR, France, and Poland during WWII.

Um.

I know she's mentioning the horses because it's relevant to the story she crafted. But at the risk of veering into Whataboutism, what about the nearly 30 million Russian soldiers that were slaughtered while fighting Nazis? I know this is France so you might be thinking, well, it was really the USA and the British that liberated France and so who cares that Russia was left out of this book? But to my eye it's a bit of historical revisionism to have the French characters under Nazi occupation wax poetic about how America is so wonderful, America will save us, America is the land of opportunity, in America coal miners can become doctors, etc. (After recently finishing Upton Sinclair's King Coal, that last bit felt especially out of touch.)

There are 34 references to America or Americans that read like boomer patriotism, but again, only those 2 author's notes about Russia, none of which give even a sliver of credit to its outsized role in this war.

Some relevant info/quotes from my research:

- Just after the European fighting ended in May 1945, a poll by the French survey group Ifop found that 57 percent of the French thought Moscow had contributed the most to the war effort, compared with just 20 percent who named the United States.

- "In 1945, the great ally was Stalin and the USSR -- their role was absolutely clear for the French," -- Stephane Grimaldi, director of the Caen Memorial Museum for World War II in Normandy.

- "From a purely historical point of view, overlooking the absolutely critical role of the Soviet Union is absurd," -- Denis Peschanski, a senior research fellow at France's CNRS institute, who has long studied the evolution of France's collective memory of the war.

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For me, this was a 2.5 rounded up for the beautiful cover illustration. I'm sure that majority of other people will enjoy this book-- there is a lot to love, but I personally got tripped up on the questions of collective memory and how historical myths and omissions can be perpetuated through mediums as seemingly innocuous as a middle grade children's novel.

Lucas DuBois, a timid orphan boy in Nazi-occupied France, is eager to prove his bravery. His chance comes when he rescues kittens and discovers others secretly resisting the Nazis—like Alice hiding her horse, a priest and housekeeper passing coded messages, and a mother protecting her child. Inspired by these quiet acts of courage, Lucas must decide how far he will go to stand up against injustice and make a daring rescue of his own.

I am a fan of WW2 literature, but this one fell a little flat to me. There were some plot elements that I thought would be for older readers instead of middle grade ones.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This story is about an orphan named Lucas and takes place during WWll. He is tired of feeling like he's a coward and wants to prove to himself that he can be brave. He saves kittens from a bully. I like the message that it sends to young folks that is okay to step out of your comfort zone and stand up for what you believe is right. I definitely went into this book with my 11 year old in mind. Lucas along with Alice, whom he met hiding a horse from the Nazis, go on the biggest adventure of their lives. I say adventure, because the book gets a little fantastical from there and for me, a bit improbable. But it's perfect for a kiddo. All the important facts and historical information is correct and accurate. If your kiddo enjoys historical novels, they'll enjoy this. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read and enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed this book, lots of good history and great characters. I learned a lot of things that I have never heard of before and they are things that should be more well known. Honestly, I wasn’t very surprised about a few things, they sounded just like something the Germans would have done. While I did enjoy this book, I probably wouldn’t hand it to someone unless I know they are mature enough to read it and not very sensitive. There were several things that just weren’t something I think a middle grade kid should be reading. Plus, if they are sensitive about animals and animal cruelty, I definitely wouldn’t give it to them. But I liked it and if I think someone could handle this book, I would definitely give it to them.

Lucas is considered a coward who will never do anything brave. This changes the day he rescues kittens from being drowned by bullies. He then meets Alice who hides her horse Bia. The children grow close over their desire for companionship, understanding, and freedom. The Nazis of the town are running a breeeding facility for girls pregnant for German soldiers. This serves as a backdrop to the story as Lucas learns to become brave. This will be an entertaining tale for youths interested in history. I noticed a line error at the start of chapter 17 and so on whenever there was dialogue at the start of the chapter. There are true events in the story as well as the location of the setting. You will cheer for all heroes.

The Lion's Run is a historical fiction story written for younger readers (aged 8-12).
Lucas is orphaned and living in a Nazi occupied village in France. His nickname is Petit Éclair, and Lucas is sick of it.
He's sick of everything! Once and for all, Lucas is determined to show the world how brave he is!
The first brave act is rescuing some kittens from the class bully. This rescue leads to the discovery of Alice, who is hiding her horse from the Nazis.
Lucas eventually joins The Resistance and attempts one of the biggest and bravest rescues of all!
While written for younger readers, this is a great story and offers something for all ages. I'm not sure it's totally believable, but I don't care.
The Lion's Run is a great read and historically accurate.
This could be "the book" that inspires a young person to love reading!

I wasn't quite sure what I thought about this one at the beginning but I gotta say, it really grew on me! I've read a lot of historical fiction set during World War 2 (I think everybody has!) but I really enjoyed the setting of this one. It was different enough that the familiar time period didn't bother me at all.

Without delving too much into the plotline (because I feel like that would give everything away) I'll say that this book is a very sweet tale about a younger teenage boy who is an orphan and lives in France during World War 2. He thinks he's cowardly, but as the story goes on he finds the courage to face the injustice that surrounds him.

If I were to have any complaint it would probably be that it doesn't seem super believable. Like, a youngish boy doing all of that crazy resistance stuff? Um...maybe not. I don't really feel like this is a huge problem in a middle grade book though. Kids don't care:) Honestly, I didn't really care that much either! This one was a lot of fun and definitely a feel-good story.

I would recommend this to any child who enjoys historical fiction.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!