Visit the "Village of Scoundrels"

Based on the true story of the French villagers in WWII who saved thousands of Jews, this novel tells how a group of young teenagers stood up for what was right. Forging documents, smuggling people over the border, carrying messages for the French Resistance-- the teenagers of Les Lauzes find ways of helping the refugees in their midst.

For the first years of the German Occupation the remoteness of their village offers them a certain amount of protection, and the townspeople take on the task of sheltering Jewish children rescued from French concentration camps. But as the Nazi occupiers infiltrate every corner of France, the noose tightens and the operation becomes increasingly perilous. First, a policeman is sent to spy on their doings and uncover the village “scoundrels”—the teenagers, pastors, and others who have been aiding the visitors. And when the Gestapo arrives with a list of names, the young people must race against time to get their new friends to safety.

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Deeply emotional, intense, and thought-provoking.
— Kirkus Starred Review
Filled with suspense and intrigue.
— School Library Connection Starred Review