NUMBER THE STARS

By Lois Lowry
ISBN: 9780395510605

Bibliography:
Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.

Plot:
Number the Stars takes place during World War II in Nazi-occupied Denmark. Annemarie and her family help their Jewish friends to hide from the Nazis. They take in Ellen, Annemarie’s best friend, when Ellen’s parents are forced to flee from their home to avoid being captured. The situation becomes more dangerous as Annemarie, her mother, and sister take Ellen to Uncle Henrik’s house to reunite her with her parents and prepare to help them escape safely to Sweden.

Analysis:
Lowery tells this story from ten-year-old Annemarie’s perspective. It is set in a very uncomfortable, anxious time with Nazi soldiers on every corner watching every move of the citizens of Denmark. Young Annemarie struggles to make sense of the situation as she is told by her parents that the Nazis plan to arrest all of the Danish Jews, and that her family plans to help them. Readers will relate to themes of fear, courage, and respect. Lowery conveys this story in a very suspenseful way that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

In the Afterword Lowery explains which elements of the story are fact and fiction and ends with a note from a from a twenty-one-year old man to his mother the night before he was executed by the Nazis: "I want you all to remember -that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for you all must be to create an ideal of human decency, not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one. That is the gift our country hungers for, something every little peasant boy can look forward to, and with pleasure feel he is part of- something he can work and fight for."

Review Excerpts:
School Library Journal: “The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.”

Publishers Weekly: “Set in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943, this 1990 Newbery winner tells of a 10-year-old girl who undertakes a dangerous mission to save her best friend.”

Connections:
*This book would be a great introduction for a study of the Holocaust.

*Students could read this book prior to visiting a Holocaust museum.