This novel is a quiet act of remembrance of candles held against the darkness of the war. Through the eyes of 10 year old Annemarie Johansen, we are invited into occupied Denmark (🇩🇰) during World War II, where ordinary families were asked to summon extraordinary courage.❣ What struck me most is the intimacy of Annemarie’s perspective. This book was not overwhelming with battlefield chaos or political speeches, instead the war is shown through the trembling hands of a child, the secrets told i...

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a World War II Historical Fiction Novella!In 1943, Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen are ten-year-old best friends with fond memories of life in Copenhagen before the Nazi Occupation of Denmark. Their lives are different now with soldiers everywhere, less to eat, and no lights on at night. Will it be like this forever? Now with the news of the relocation of all Jewish residents, Ellen has secretly joined the Johansen family as one of their own... Number the Sta...

When I was in elementary school, the teacher read this book aloud to the class, and I just had to know what happened.I lived for spoilers even then…..Number the Stars is a book set in World War II in Copenhagen. We meet two young girls, Annemarie and Ellen, who are racing each other along the streets. But when the Nazis decided to “relocate” the Jewish people, some ordinary people will have to be extremely brave.At the end of the book, the author reveals that many of the events in the book were ...

As part of a children's book readathon I am hosting on my blog, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry was voted as a winner in the poll. We assigned this stellar Newbery Medal winner to this week and have been sharing all our reviews. Normally I'm not a fan of reading literature that delves into this subject matter, but given it was written for young adults / children, I thought it would be less painful. While it was definitely less harsh than a few other books I've read on the topic, it was still quit...

C. S. Lewis famously wrote something to the effect that a children's book so bland and simplistic that it could appeal only to children probably has nothing of much real worth to offer to a child reader, either. He was right; the best and truest (in the sense of Mary E. Wilkins' Freeman's comment that "All fiction should be true") stories written for children speak just as profoundly to adults. This book is a powerful illustration of that reality. At 137 pages (counting the Afterword) of fairly ...

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully written Historical Fiction story which I believe was written for children and yet adults may well find it such a worthwhile and enjoyable read as wellThe evacuation of Jews from Nazi-held Denmark is one of the great untold stories of World War II. On September 29, 1943, word got out in Denmark that Jews were to be detained and then sent to the death camps. Within hours the Danish resistance, population and police arranged a small flotilla to herd 7,000 Jews ...

See more of my reviews at www.bookaddicthaven.comThe second of the books that we listened to on my recent multi-generational, girls road-trip, was 'Number the Stars'. I could not have chosen better. This story was suspenseful, educational and deeply emotional. With an age range of 5 years-old to 88 years-old in the car, this book managed to hold all of attention.Like most readers, I've read plenty of books set during the WWII era. Some were graphic and shocking in their descriptions of the horre...

4.5 stars for this jewel. One reason I enjoy historical fiction is the educational aspect; learning about something for the first time. This is not your typical WWII/Holocaust book. This one tells the story of how the Danish people, after their small country was invaded by Germany, smuggled nearly the entire population of Jews (7,000) across the sea to Sweden, saving them from deportation and almost certain death.The story is told through the eyes of 10 year old Annemarie Johansen, and how her f...

i was clearing out my closet over the weekend and found a box of old books that i read as a kid!i originally read this when i was about 10 years old and i can tell you that, at that age, there was no way i understood the depth of horror and severity of the holocaust. and i wouldnt have been exposed to that in this story as its rather on the tame side (if thats possible for such a tragic event in human history). i just remember really wanting to be like annemarie, wanting to be the type of friend...

i read this in hardback, when it first came out, and i'd say it was probably the reason i became addicted to WWII/holocaust literature/history at such a young age. i think it helped that i was so young when i read this, as imagining a ten year old standing up to nazis was something remarkable, but imaginable for me. i loved annemarie, i identified with her in ways i can't really explain. i read this book again and again, and it never changed. there are scenes burned into my memory: the fake fune...