Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (25th Anniversary)

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. HMH Books for Young Readers, 2011 (reissue of 1989 copy). 156 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 8-10
Recommended for: Ages 8-10

Number the Stars is one of those books that carries many awards and accolades: Newbery Award (1990), National Jewish Book Award (1990), Rebecca Caudill Award (1992), and others. It has appeared on countless upper elementary school reading lists in the past 25 years and is in no danger of being usurped anytime soon. What makes this book so popular and enduring?

Ten-year-old, blonde Annemarie is Protestant; her best friend Ellen is Jewish and dark-haired. They live in Denmark in 1940 and daily walk to school together, along with Annemarie’s younger sister, past stern German soldiers. Everyone is tense and admires King Christopher’s gentle leadership and courage against the backdrop of the harsh Nazi occupation. Shortly after the story opens, the Nazis begin rounding up Denmark’s Jewish citizens. Unbeknownst to her, Annemarie’s parents and other family members are working with the Resistance, and they hatch a quick plan to whisk Ellen and her family away to Sweden in Uncle Henrik’s fishing boat. Annemarie’s understanding of herself, her family, and the world around her comes of age as she helps her mother and uncle in the mission to protect Ellen’s family.

Compared with many Holocaust novels, Number the Stars is almost tame. Yet the ending isn’t saccharine. Rather, the young reader realizes along with Annemarie that sometimes we must bravely face our fears, stand up for what is right, and protect the innocent against evil. A poignant introduction to the weight of the Holocaust for young readers, this is a book full of many talking points that will also captivate its readers by the story on its own terms.

Cautions: Profanity (one instance that could be construed as a prayer)

Overall Value: 4.5 (out of 5)

• Moral/worldview value: 5
• Artistic value: 4

Categories: Historical Fiction, History, Middle Grades, Award Winners, Character Values