Number The Stars - Lois Lowry

Summary: It’s 1943 Copenhagen and the Jews of Denmark are being “relocated,” so Annemarie Johansen’s best friend, Ellen, moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of the family. When Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission, she must find the courage to save her friend’s life. (summary and image from Powells.com)

My Review: I read this book first when I was in middle school. It was my introduction to World War II and the holocaust. Being a book meant for a younger audience, this story is tame in its depiction of the Nazi's and the war in general. The message is still very clear. The Nazi's took over and threatened many countries' people and way of life. The protagonist is a young girl, who bravely helps a Jewish family smuggle out of Denmark to neutral Sweden. I liked the message that there is something you can do, despite scary and trying times. Another message I liked was that we, as a people, shouldn't just sit by and watch others be persecuted or hurt. We should take action against what we know to be wrong, evil, or violent.

I used this book in my seventh grade English Language Learner class with great success as the reading level and the interest matched. The reading level is probably a bit low for most middle school students overall, although some sixth graders might enjoy the short length and high intensity.

Rating: 4 stars

Sum it up in a phrase: A short--but very succinct--depiction of the sacrifices good people made to help their Jewish friends, from a young girl's the point of view .