Number the Stars

Every few years I read this book over and love it every time. It is a great book to introduce kids to the plight of the Jews and non-Jews of German-occupied countries during WWII. My 10 year old read it and loved it too and it brought up a lot of questions. Highly recommended.

10-year-old Annemarie Johannesen narrates this story (based on real events) set in Denmark during WWII. The Danish resistance arranged to transport many Jews to safety in Sweden after they found out that Jews were being sent to concentration camps by the Nazis.

Annemarie is not Jewish, but her best friend, Ellen, is. Annemarie's family helps smuggle Ellen and her parents, along with several other Jewish families, out of the country. Lowry manages to give the reader a sense of the horror of the Holocaust without going into graphic detail.

Struggling through the ravages of World War II, Annemarie, her family, and her best friend Ellen wait in hiding until the Nazis retreat and let Denmark free once more. This wonderful story "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry, is about friendship, tragedy, and, love. It also integrates a lot of useful life lessons, such as: being brave and deciding what to do wisely.
This story really captured my attention because it made me inquire as I read along. It also gave me a perfect image of what Denmark was like during the Nazi invasion.
I recommend this story to children in the fourth grade or higher because it has strong vocabulary words that are worth learning.


By Teddy (soon to be in grade 5)

I recommend this book for readers who like mystery books about actual life.When I read this book I got so attachted to it. If you read this book too you would be attached to this book just like me.

This was a fantastic book. The characters, especially Ellen and AnneMarie,
are very brave and have a strong friendship. The plot is really exciting, because you never know if the characters will make it safely. I recommend this book because you learn a lot about history and what Jewish people had to go through when the Nazis were in Denmark. The ending was good too, but I won't give that away!