As the German troops begin their campaign to “relocate” all the Jews of Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen, and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism … The heroism of an entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even during a time of terror and war.
Winner of the 1990 Newbery Medal.
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i loved it
I love the story and how informative it is
Great book to help fourth graders understand what it was like to be Jewish in world war 2 and how non-Jewish people risked their lives to save their Jewish neighbors.
I love any thing Locks Lowery writes
A beautifully written older children’s book about the Holocaust. Well researched and appropriate to the age, this is a book very much worth reading.
This is a story told by 10 year old Annemarie during the Nazi occupation of Copenhagen. Annemarie’s best friend is Jewish and her family agrees to hid her and then in the end help her family escape to Sweden. Told from the persepctive of a child, we learn what worrie dchildren during this terrifying time.
This was a good book. It is well …
it was great. I like how it is very emotional.
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! the twists and turns make it magical.
tells you about the holycost
There’s a reason this book is a classic!
This book is so good that it changed my life
Such a beautifully written book that I would recommend for all people to read at least once. There is wonderful characterization. It truly makes you feel for the characters without being overly emotional. It gives just the right amount of historical background. I felt as if I was personally watching Annemarie’s personal journey. I have never read …
The best book to use as an introduction to the horrific time period of the holocaust.
For the past few years I’ve been hooked on World War Two and one of the first books I read to better understand life for Jewish people during this time was Number the Stars. I was not disappointed. Unlike most books about the Jews during this dark period in history, Lowry takes a softer approach about telling the Jews’ story while still getting …
Excellent
Its cool and i really love their actions and how they act
This book made me shed so many tears
I first read Number The Starts when I was nine and quickly learned that it is a novel everyone should read in his or her lifetime. As a child I always liked old books, but Lois Lowry’s masterpiece became the first novel I cherished by a contemporary author.
Set against the harrowing backdrop of World War II, Number the Stars follows Annemarie Johansen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen. As the Nazis round up the Jewish people of Denmark, Annemarie’s family hides Ellen, passing her off as a member of their own family.
Beautifully written, Number the Stars not only has a big heart. It shows the power of courage, both on a massive and individual scale. It tells the story of people who know their reality is wrong and are doing everything in their power to correct it.
Few books touch the soul like Number the Stars. It is one that has stayed with me for nearly twenty years, and will with stay with you too.
As part of a children’s book readathon I am hosting on my blog, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry was voted as a winner in the poll. We assigned this stellar Newbery Medal winner to this week and have been sharing all our reviews. Normally I’m not a fan of reading literature that delves into this subject matter, but given it was written for young adults / children, I thought it would be less painful. While it was definitely less harsh than a few other books I’ve read on the topic, it was still quite emotional. To think what cruel people condoned because of differences in humankind is atrocious, but this book was wonderful.
Lowry provides the right balance of positive and negative emotion ensuring readers aren’t swept up entirely in pain. The beautiful tale of unconditional love and support versus horrible actions and words from soldiers standing guard in a foreign country really conveys the message to kids around ten years old. There were atrocities in the past and we can’t hide them, but we can showcase them as tastefully as possible. Kudos to Lowry. I can’t wait to take on more of her books later this year / next year!
This is one of my favorite books since childhood. This is book set during the time of the Holocaust and World War II and lets you see the perspectives of Jews and Germans who wanted to help their Jewish friends and neighbors during that awful time. This is really a good book.