Number the Stars

Lois Lowry's Newbery Medal-winning novel, "Number the Stars," transports readers to 1943 Copenhagen, where ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen navigates life under Nazi occupation. When her Jewish best friend, Ellen Rosen, and her family are threatened with "relocation," Annemarie's family bravely shelters Ellen, pretending she is their own daughter. The story escalates as Annemarie is tasked with a dangerous, secret mission to help Ellen and other Jewish families escape to neutral Sweden. This powerful historical fiction explores themes of courage, friendship, and resistance in the face of immense evil, offering a poignant yet hopeful look at a dark chapter in history. It's suitable for late elementary and middle school readers, providing a gentle introduction to the Holocaust through a child's perspective.

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen, often think about life before the war. But it's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching in their town. The Nazis won't stop. The Jews of Denmark are being "relocated," so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. Then Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission. Somehow she must find the strength and courage to save her best friend's life. There's no turning back now.