Number the Stars 25th Anniversary

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 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.

Age Range: 10 - 12 years

Grade Level: 5 - 7

Hardcover: 160 pages

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers; Anniversary edition (October 7, 2014)

Language: English

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches

Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces 

Reviews

"The whole work is seamless, compelling, and memorable impossible to put down; difficult to forget."

- The Horn Book

"Wonderful book. My 11 year old read this as his summer reading book and was very moved by the story. It is dark without being traumatizing. I read 'Night' and I have never been able to put the story in my past. This book tells a softer version. Thank you Lois Lowry for your compelling story."

- April N. P.

"Number the Stars by Lois Lowry tells the true story of how the Danish people saved most of the country’s Jewish population during World War II by sneaking them across the water to Sweden right under the Nazi’s noses. The book focuses on two fictional families with ten-year-old girls, Annemarie and Ellen, living in Copenhagen in 1943. When word spreads at the Jewish New Year that the Nazi’s will be “relocating” the Jews, Annemarie’s family does everything they can to save and protect Ellen’s family.

I read Number the Stars aloud to my homeschooled sons (7, 9, and 14) as part of history class since we are currently learning about World War II. All three boys enjoyed it and were especially interested when I read the end where it tells what parts are fact and what parts are fiction. My 9-year-old loved the book the most and was so excited to learn that so many people really did help to save the Danish Jews from the Nazis. I highly recommend this book to people of all ages."

- H. E. Hejduk

"I read this book at the suggestion of my 17 year old neighbor who had read it when she was younger. Even though I am 70, I decided to follow her suggestion to please her. I am so glad I did! It captures the the plight of so many people during that war that the youth of today don't seem to grasp. I will be sharing Ms Lowry's book with my grandchildren."

- Hutch

"This is a great book to teach children about the WWII and the bravery of the Danish people. The characters are inspiring. The story line is exciting. It is 5th grade plus reading level."

- Sarah

"This book is a fast and easy read! Many kids can read this book and get an insight of what it was like then. It isn't gruesome or heartbreaking , but it still has the message that we all look for when we read these books. You have hope throughout the whole book and realize how hard it was on these families! Loved it! One of my favorites!!!"

- A. D.

"Amazing book, it's one of those books that after you read it and you see it in a book shop, or pass someone on the train who is reading it you want to pick it up wish you could read it again without knowing the ending. It was so amazing and I recommended it to my friends who all love it."

- Bella Ventola
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About the Author

Lois Lowry is the author of more than thirty books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet and popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader’s Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver. Her first novel, A Summer to Die, was awarded the International Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award. Ms. Lowry now divides her time between Cambridge and an 1840s farmhouse in Maine.