Village of Scoundrels (Based on a true story of courage during WWII) by Margi Preus

 

Village of Scoundrels by Margi Preus. 295 pages. 

Margi Preus tells the incredible true story of a group of French teenagers who helped save refugees in WWII. Among them is a young, Jewish boy who learns to forge documents to save his mother and later goes on to save hundreds of lives with his forgery skills. There is also a girl who overcomes her fear to carry messages for the Resistance. And a boy who smuggles people into Switzerland. But there is always the threat that they will be caught: A policeman is sent to keep an eye on them, German soldiers reside in a local hotel, and eventually the Gestapo arrives, armed with guns and a list of names. As the knot tightens, the young people must race against time to bring their friends to safety. 

I love reading and learning about WWII, so this was a very interesting book to read. The story line was a little bit choppy because the story is told from each of the characters' points of view. However, the author kept my attention and interest throughout the novel. I would recommend this book to children 4th grade or older interested in history and WWII.