Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thrilling, poignant tale of teens vs. Nazis in France.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE LIONS' RUN is a five-kilometer sand training track for horses in the French countryside that plays an essential role in this 1944 tale of staying alive, helping each other, protecting the innocent, and dodging Nazis. Lucas, 13, is a bullied orphan whose rescue of kittens from brutal boys trying to drown them has life-changing ripple effects. Alice, 15, is British, daughter of a local horse trainer, and going to heroic lengths to save her beloved horse from being stolen by the Nazis. Claire, also 15, is French, one of many French girls made pregnant by Nazi soldiers to breed more Aryans, but she wants to keep her baby. Their stories intertwine against a backdrop of French townspeople doing the best they can under Nazi occupation, with many trying to shield their would-be victims and helping the resistance under constant threat of death.
Is It Any Good?
Sara Pennypacker delivers a heartfelt, thrilling tale of teens in Nazi-occupied France trying to protect their loved ones, human and otherwise, from the war machine that threatens to destroy them. The Lions' Run (a legendary training track for horses) brings together an orphan boy who finds the courage to save kittens from their would-be killers; Alice, an English lord's granddaughter determined to keep her beloved horse from being stolen for cannon fodder by Germans; and Claire, a teen mom in a Nazi baby farm who, against all rules and odds, loves her infant son and wants to keep him. The story is packed with peril, well-researched historic detail, tragic loss, and thrilling moments of hope and triumph.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stories like The Lions' Run set in places occupied by hostile, abusive forces, and showing how the characters cope. Do you know any other tales that have this theme, and how does The Lion's Run compare?
How do the characters' lives change as a result of the occupation? How do you think you'd cope if you were in a similar situation? What would you feel the greatest need to protect, and how would you do it?
Do you have family members who lived through important historic events? Do they have stories of those times? What do you think of them?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Historical Fiction
- Topics : Activism , Friendship , History ( War: WWII )
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Empathy , Perseverance , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Balzer + Bray
- Publication date : February 3, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 277
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : February 3, 2026
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