Number the Stars
Historical Fiction Accessible Fictional
✡ Jewish / Holocaust🌍 Multi-Perspective
Ten-year-old Annemarie helps smuggle her Jewish best friend's family to Sweden during the rescue of the Danish Jews.
The Verdict
The book that has introduced the Holocaust to more children than perhaps any other, and it earns the trust placed in it. Lois Lowry tells, through ten-year-old Annemarie, the true-rooted story of the Danish resistance smuggling the country's Jews to safety in Sweden in 1943 — one of the war's rare large-scale rescues. It is gentle enough for young readers and honest enough not to lie to them about fear or danger. A small, perfectly judged book that has done quiet, lasting good.
Who Should Read It
Read it if you want
- A child's introduction to the Holocaust
- Younger readers and classrooms
- The true story of Denmark's rescue of its Jews
- A Newbery-winning modern classic
Look elsewhere if you want
- Adult readers wanting depth and complexity
- Graphic or comprehensive Holocaust history
- Combat or political narrative
Why We Rated It 4.5
Historical Context
Number the Stars is set in occupied Denmark in 1943 and centres on the Danish resistance's effort to ferry Jews to neutral Sweden — a rescue that saved the great majority of Denmark's Jewish population. Published in 1989, it won the 1990 Newbery Medal.
Events Covered
Editions & Reading Notes
Houghton Mifflin (1989)First edition.
Paperback / classroom editionsWidely available.
Read It Alongside
The Book Thief Markus Zusak · 2005 · ★ 4.5
Historical Fiction 
The War That Saved My Life Kimberly Brubaker Bradley · 2015 · ★ 4.6
Historical Fiction 
The Hiding Place Corrie ten Boom · 1971 · ★ 4.6
Memoir Collector's Corner
Common and inexpensive. Check current listings. → Check listings on AbeBooks.
Where to Buy
ISBN: 978-0547577098
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Number the Stars based on a true event?
- Yes — it draws on the real 1943 rescue of Danish Jews, smuggled to safety in Sweden by the resistance.
- What age is it for?
- It is written for middle-grade readers and is widely used in classrooms.