Village of Scoundrels is a WWII tale that reads real

Village of Scoundrels by Margi Perus reads, at times, like a middle grade WWII book with subtle traces of Hogan’s Heroes. It doesn’t have the same slapstick comedy of that show. It does place its characters in real-life WWII situations while giving them a chilled out, laissez-fiare veneer. That’s due to the age of the people and characters in the story as we catch a glimpse of French teenagers who live in the mountains near Switzerland.

As a book, Village of Scoundrels is entertaining and very well written for middle school audiences and older. That’s a tall order, especially considering the backdrop and the fact that this is based on a true story. It follows the teens that are living in a remote village as they utilize their location and balance it between helping Jewish people escape; and the tightening presence of the police, German soldiers and then the Gestapo.

Older readers will be immediately curious as to how much of the story strays from what really happened. While only those involved in the actual story know for sure, Village of Scoundrels does have a recap of the real people at the end of the book. It tells us who was the inspiration for what character and does confirm that certain key details in the book actual happened.

Because of everything involved, the book is simultaneously inspiring and unbelievable. It’s inspiring because of the actions that the youths conducted in the shadow of such horror. It was the early 1940’s and people knew what was happening. They also had the courage to do the right thing and that’s the part that’s so unbelievable. In today’s context we wonder how something like that could ever happen, how people could ever think like that.

Village of Scoundrels has plot points that play out like a middle grade action book. There are sleight of hand tricks, costumes, secret hide outs and a police officer that straddles the line between doing his job and being a friend. It’s all fun and games though until a certain point in time and then the Gestapo come into town and things get serious.

When you’re finished, the book is fascinating and believable.   It doesn’t tie things up in a nice happy bow, rather, it simply presents this as a story in their lives, which it was. The chapters are a great reading length for middle school students and the content is appropriate for them too. Even older readers who like history will be fascinated by this story and will most likely be motivated to read more about this story.

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