Bound To Stay Bound

Other - 11/03/2025 This immersive WWII novel by Pennypacker (Leeva at Last), set in 1944 occupied France, centers orphaned 13-year-old Lucas, whose Lamorlaye abbey orphanage peers view him as a coward with a "too-soft heart." Working as a delivery boy means that Lucas is privy to the goings-on at the Lebensborn, a covert Nazi home for pregnant teens, as well as other secrets: a neighbor hiding Jewish children and a priest working for the Resistance. Over the course of Lucas’s employment, he develops a friendship with a new mother at Lebensborn; simultaneously, he bonds with a wealthy, assertive British girl, whom he encounters hiding her horse from the Nazis in an abandoned Chantilly stable where Lucas conceals five kittens he has saved from drowning. Driven by compassion and a sense of justice, Lucas surprises himself with his own small courageous actions, which eventually lead to some enormously dangerous ones, illustrating Lamorlaye abbey Sister Marie-Agnes’s saying: "Little termites taking tiny bites can bring down a cathedral." The novel is populated by complex, sympathetic characters. Richly descriptive writing and steadily building suspense make for a genuinely satisfying read. Includes a map and author’s note. Ages 8-12. (Feb.) - Copyright 2025

School Library Journal - 12/12/2025 Gr 6 Up—Orphan Lucas DuBois, named for the woods where he was discovered as an infant, now lives with other boys in an abbey in Lamorlaye, France. Teased mercilessly by the other boys, who call him "Petit Éclair" for his small size and quiet manner, Lucas occasionally escapes the abbey to fish and do chores in order to earn money and scraps of food. It is 1944, and the Nazis have at this point been occupying France for four years, taking the best buildings, land, food, and horses for themselves while conscripting young Frenchmen to be hard laborers back in Germany. Lucas longs for freedom from the occupation as well as a chance to show his bravery, but he hasn't yet steeled himself to act. Then, on one of his outings, Lucas enters an abandoned barn where he encounters Alice, the wealthy daughter of a horse trainer, who is hiding her horse in the barn until she can arrange for escape abroad. Lucas and Alice's instant bond fortifies them to take action against the occupation: carrying messages for the Resistance, helping a family to hide some Jewish children, and even arranging daring rescues. Through Lucas's eyes, readers experience terror and heroism in a time of war, and the prose gallops along with authenticity and incredible suspense. The final chapters fly by, barreling to an unexpected conclusion. An author's note distinguishes the factual elements of the narrative from the fictional ones. VERDICT Pennypacker's (Pax) work of historical fiction that seems all too real will intrigue reluctant readers from the first startling chapter. Highly recommended for juvenile fiction collections.—Lonna Pierce - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2026 *Starred Review* There are countless books detailing aspects of the Holocaust, yet new stories continue to be uncovered and shared. And these stories illuminate our humanity—and inhumanity—in ways so surprising it is a wonder that they could ever be forgotten. Pennypacker takes up the mantle of storyteller here to draw attention to the Lebensborn, Nazi maternity homes designed to produce future Nazi soldiers. Her novel is set in 1944 occupied France, where orphan Lucas Dubois keeps busy making deliveries for the greengrocers and caring for a litter of kittens he saved from drowning. Unexpectedly, the abandoned stable where Lucas hides the kittens is also harboring a horse stowed there by Alice, an older girl unwilling to let the Nazis take her beloved animal. As Lucas and Alice develop a friendship crucial to the story’s plot, Lucas also becomes a confidant for a teen mother at the Lebensborn where he delivers groceries. Having never had a family himself, Lucas is moved by the girl’s impossible wish to keep her baby, prompting a bold, dangerous act on the boy’s part. Pennypacker turns Lucas’ soft-heartedness into a virtue as he rises to incredible challenges and has his eyes opened to quiet forms of resistance happening all around him. A beautiful tribute to bravery in its many forms and the power that children and women can wield. - Copyright 2026 Booklist.