Sara Pennypacker on The Lions' Run: Empathy, the French Resistance, and Unlikely Heroes

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca Schulze welcomes New York Times bestselling author Sara Pennypacker to discuss her powerful new historical novel, The Lions' Run. Sara shares how her father's experience as a teenage POW in a German prison camp during World War II influenced the story—and how a little-known Nazi program called the Lebensborn became the emotional trigger that set her empathetic orphan hero, Lucas, into action.

From redefining what courage looks like for young readers to trusting kids with big, complicated questions about justice and resistance, Sara reveals why empathy is the true root of all bravery, how Joseph Campbell's storytelling wisdom shaped a pivotal cherry strudel scene, and why Jon Klassen's breathtaking cover art inspired her to go back and make the book even better.

Whether you're a parent looking for meaningful middle grade historical fiction, an educator exploring WWII through a fresh lens, or a fan of Pax eager to see what Sara does next, this conversation is a moving celebration of quiet heroism and the enduring power of story.

Read the transcript on ⁠The Children's Book Review⁠.

Highlights:

• The Epigraph That Says It All: Why an African proverb about elephants and grass perfectly captures the heart of the book
• The Lebensborn Program: The little-known Nazi eugenics program that inspired the story—and why Sara felt compelled to bring it to light for kids
• Empathy as Courage: Why Lucas was never really a coward, and why Sara believes true bravery always begins with caring about someone other than yourself
• The Termite Theory: How many small, quiet acts of resistance—not one loud heroic moment—can take down something enormous
• Cherry Strudel and Joseph Campbell: How the antagonist's own power gets turned against her in one of the most satisfying scenes in the book
• Jon Klassen's Cover: How seeing the finished art sent Sara back to her manuscript for one final, vibe-elevating revision
• Big Cheese Preview: A sneak peek at Sara's next book—and why she's finally giving a child character all the power

Notable Quotes:

"The true root of all courage is empathy. You have to care enough about someone other than yourself to go into some kind of action." —Sara Pennypacker

"No matter what you are resisting, you are not alone. There are people working behind the scenes." —Sara Pennypacker

Books Mentioned:

• The Lions' Run by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
• Pax by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
• Pax, Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠
• The Borrowers by Mary Norton: ⁠Amazon⁠ or ⁠Bookshop.org⁠

About Sara Pennypacker:

Sara Pennypacker is the New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Clementine series, the Pax duology, and her newest novel, The Lions' Run. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and have earned numerous awards and honors. A former painter, Sara brings a visual artist's sense of structure and scene to every story she writes. She lives in Florida.

Credits:

Host: Bianca Schulze

Guest: Sara Pennypacker

Producer: Bianca Schulze