Lowry, L. (1989). Number The Stars. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Brief Annotation: In 1943, the Nazis regime controls the country of Denmark. German soldiers occupy every street corner in Copenhagen and food and fuel are scarce. Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen are best friends and while their parents try to give their daughters a life of normalcy consisting of school and family activities, the war always overshadows their young lives. Following a warming that soon all Jewish families will “relocate,” the Johansens seek the help of the Danish Resistance and Uncle Henrik agrees to smuggle the Rosen family across the icy sea to safety in Sweden. Amid great danger, the families devise a plan but when a secret component is missing, Annemarie is the only one who can rescue her dearest friends. Will she have enough courage to defy the Nazis soldiers?
Genre: Historical Fiction, audiobook
Grade Level: Grade 3 through 7
Readers who will like this: Young readers who like historical fiction audiobooks, young readers who would benefit from listening to an audiobook that highlights the work of the Danish Resistance movement during World War II
Response/Rating (1-4): 4, The book was a wonderful combination of historical information regarding the work of the courageous people behind the Danish Resistance movement and fictional elements as the author states in an “afterword” section. Young readers who are interested in learning more about this period of world history would enjoy the story of the Johansens and Rosen families along with the characters of Annemarie and Ellen. Actress Blair Brown makes the story come alive in this well-read audio format and it would make a wonderful first audiobook for young readers.
One question you would ask before a read aloud: During World War II, what was the role of the Resistance movements, in France or in Denmark?
I'm glad you discovered this book - it is such a good one. It is a teacher favorite, often taught in 6th grade classrooms and becomes a favorite of the students!
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