The Lions' Run by Pennypacker, Sara

"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.

Author: Sara Pennypacker
Publisher: Balzer & Bray/Harperteen
Published: 02/03/2026
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.77lbs
Size: 8.02h x 5.90w x 1.03d
ISBN: 9781250392817
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.9
Point Value: 8
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 557534 / Lions' Run


Review Citation(s):
Booklist 01/01/2026
School Library Journal 12/12/2025 pg. 1
Shelf Awareness 01/01/0001
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2025
Publishers Weekly 11/03/2025
Kirkus Reviews 12/01/2025
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2026 pg. 80

About the Author

Sara Pennypacker is the author of several acclaimed novels for middle-grade readers, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Pax (a National Book Award Longlist title) and Pax, Journey Home; the Clementine series (Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor) and its spinoff series, Waylon; and Summer of the Gypsy Moths, Here in the Real World, and Leeva at Last. She divides her time between Cape Cod and Southern California.

Jon Klassen is the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many award-winning books. He won the Caldecott Medal for This is Not My Hat, and Caldecott Honors for Extra Yarn and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole (both by Mac Barnett). His previous titles with Sara Pennypacker include Pax; Pax, Journey Home; and Here in the Real World. Jon grew up in Niagara Falls, Canada, and now lives in Los Angeles, California.