Number the Stars

Number the Stars. By Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children,1989. 144 pages. Tr. $16.99 ISBN 978-0395510605

Summary: Annemarie is a ten-year-old girl that lives in Nazi-occupied Denmark. Apart from missing her beloved sweets, Annemarie’s life has been remarkably untouched by the knowledge of war. Yet her world irrevocably alters one day when German soldiers stop her sister, Kiristi, and her friend, Ellen, as they’re walking home. With time, Annemarie learns the true lesson of the horrors of war, and the strength and heroism that is necessary to protect her Jewish friend.

Critical Review: Lowry authentically captures the horrors of war, while at the same time highlighting Annemarie’s agency. The success of the Dutch resistance at saving Jewish refugees poignantly demonstrates that even in the most difficult of circumstances there is always the potential to overcome adversity through kindness to others. 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 8-12 years 

Awards: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award, 1991; Newbery Medal, 1990; Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award, 1992; Great Stone Face Children’s Book Award, 1992; Golden Archer Award, 1990; Maine Student Book Award, 1991; New York State Charlotte Award, 1992; Sydney Taylor Book Award, 1989

Reviews: School Library Journal (July 1, 2004), School Library Journal (September 1, 1997), Publisher’s Weekly (October 26, 1990)

Author Website: http://www.loislowry.com/

Similar Materials: Claire Huchet Bishop’s Twenty and Ten; Judith Kerr’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Subject/Themes: WWII; Denmark; Holocaust; Nazis; Judaism; Friendship; Stars

Character Names: Annemarie Johansen, Ellen Rosen, Peter Neilsen, Lise Johansen, Uncle Henrik, King Christian X, Kirsti Johansen, Mr. and Mrs. Johansen, Mr. and Mrs. Rosen, Mrs. Hirsch, Great Aunt Birte

Brief Annotation: Ten-year old Annemarie helps to save her Jewish friend from the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Denmark.