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Margi Preus
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Village of Scoundrels Hardcover – Illustrated, February 25, 2020

by Margi Preus (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 50 ratings
See all formats and editions
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In Village of Scoundrels, Newbery Honor recipient Margi Preus tells the incredible true story of a group of French teenagers who helped save refugees in WWII.

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 is right. 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.

“Preus conveys the tales of heroism and resistance of the village teens with a story that is filled with suspense and intrigue . . . Readers will be inspired by these teens that stood for what is right and who, through their actions, saved the lives.” —School Library Connection (Starred Review)

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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 14 years
  2. Print length
    320 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    5 - 9
  5. Dimensions
    5.9 x 1.35 x 8.6 inches
  6. Publisher
    Harry N. Abrams
  7. Publication date
    February 25, 2020
  8. ISBN-10
    141970897X
  9. ISBN-13
    978-1419708978
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Each character's backstory is woven seamlessly into the action. Preus builds suspense and drama by following these brave souls as they take on dangerous tasks... Deeply emotional, intense, and thought-provoking."―Kirkus Reviews

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Preus conveys the tales of heroism and resistance of the village teens with a story that is filled with suspense and intrigue... Readers will be inspired by these teens that stood for what is right and who, through their actions, saved the lives."―School Library Connection

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Preus weaves the teens’ backstories and individual dreams into the mounting dangers each faces and poignantly renders the quietly courageous and supportive community... An inspiring narrative founded on a real-life community and individuals."―Publishers Weekly

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Both thrilling and chilling, Village of Scoundrels will surely keep readers engrossed from start to finish."―Shelf Awareness

"Preus crafts a delicate balance of the characters’ interweaving tales and the community that bands together to protect its vulnerable population."―Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Fascinating. . . Readers inspired by communities making a difference—and in WWII and Holocaust history—will find much of interest here."―Booklist

About the Author

Margi Preus is a New York Times bestselling author of the Newbery Honor Book Heart of a Samurai and other notable books for young readers, including West of the Moon, Shadow on the Mountain, and Village of Scoundrels. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota, land of snow squalls and cardamom buns.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harry N. Abrams; Illustrated edition (February 25, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 141970897X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1419708978
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 14 years
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 5 - 9
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.04 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.9 x 1.35 x 8.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 50 ratings

About the author

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Margi Preus

Margi Preus

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Margi Preus's books for young readers include the Newbery Honor winning Heart of a Samurai, and its companion The Bamboo Sword, also West of the Moon, Enchantment Lake, and Shadow on the Mountain. Her books have been ALA/ALSC Notables, received multiple awards, landed on many “best of” lists, been featured on NPR, and have been translated into several languages. When not writing, she enjoys traveling, speaking, and visiting schools all over the world.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
50 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Diane Y.
5.0 out of 5 stars Memorable!
Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020
Verified Purchase
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.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent story line with many factual characters. Great historical read for young and old.
Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2020
Verified Purchase
63 years old and never tire of reading historical accounts of people uniting in this horrid era. Despite being written for younger readers I enjoyed , especially Virginia Hall connection in the story line. My 12 year old grandson often reads historical youth books from his school library. He gets so wrapped up in them he will tell me about them. Then he checks them out again and has me read them. He is now reading my purchase “Village Of Scoundrels “. I read the review of this book in the Star Tribune and knew he and I would definitely want to read. And the author is from my old home city on the hill.
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P. Blevins
5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful book
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2021
Village of Scoundrels: Novel based on Story of Courage During WWII is written by Margi Preus. Many people know of the bravery of the people of Le Chambon who together save many Jews during World War II. However, most do not know that many of the small towns and villages around Le Chambon did the same. This is the story of Les Lauzes and how the teenagers of the village helped save Jews.
The remoteness of the villages helped in their cause as did the nearby forests and mountains. The village of Les Lauzes took on the hiding and protection of Jewish children rescued from French concentration camps and towns. Some were brought here by various organizations that helped take children from the camps. The teenagers in the village helped with the children and also helped find places for them to stay when the Nazis grew too close as well as helped guide groups over the mountain to the Swiss border and help them across. Others were couriers for les maquisards (French Partisans). Still others misled the police when they could. Madame Creneau organized safe places and set up the trails over the mountains was based on Mireille Philiip who did this and more while raising five children of her own while her husband was helping Charles de Gaulle. Madame Desault rescued children from the camps and brought them to Les Lauzes was based on Madeleine Drefus, a Parisian Jew who helped rescue children from the camps through the OSE. Philippe was based on Pierre Piton, Celeste was inspired by Catherine Cambessedes Colburn, Henni was based on Hanne Hirsch and Max was based on Max Leibmann. Many of the incidents did actually happen to them; but many were also just made up as probable.
The book is really good and is recommended for middle school students especially. It brings a realm but relatively unknown story to light in an easy-to-understand way. The epilogue brings the real people and characters together to show what was true. Usually, I prefer using nonfiction to teach the Holocaust; but sometimes a gook comes along to tell a story which is lost and brings it to life. I would use this to help introduce the Righteous Gentiles.
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