A Village of Scoundrels by Margi Preus

This is such a memorable title and when I realized it was written by Margi Preus, I requested an advanced reader copy. It will be released in a few weeks on February 25th and I have my order in for this title.  Even though there are a plethora of World War II books right now and I almost feel saturated, I needed to read this one since I really love how this author can surprise me.  This is the time to be writing these stories since many of the persons from this era are now quite elderly and it is our last chance to get their first-person accounts. Preus includes lots of photos and additional information about the characters at the end of the book along with pronunciations of the French names and places. 

The story is about a French town that was united in taking in Jewish refugees and helping them escape or hide in plain sight. This book focuses on teenagers who smuggled, forged documents, delivered messages to the resistance, and escorted Jews to safety. The town was a neutral zone at the beginning of the war but eventually, the German soldiers begin to arrive with names seeking out the illegals and their safety is no longer firm. What remains firm is the conviction that what was happening to the Jews was wrong and that they would break laws and risk lives to give them protection.

Despite the heavy sounding description of the plot, Preus tells this story with levity, love, and youthful hopefulness. I think messages of doing what is right when it is difficult,  not sanctioned, or even illegal are important reminders for all of us.  

I give this book a 4 star out of 4 star rating. I really liked it. 

• Age Range: 10 - 14 years
• Grade Level: 5 - 9
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Amulet Books (February 25, 2020)