Search - Number the Stars

Wonderful story for adults and kids to read together -- it tells the story of the courage of the Danish people during the Nazi era.

In this book for youth, a "Gentile" family is faced with a hard reality during World War II. This reality is that the German occupiers do not want the Jewish people to thrive or to even survive. This causes a crisis for the family, because they are dear friends with a small Jewish family.

The book is very sensitively written, yet it does express the conflicts that arose during World War II. I loved it and thought it was written in such a way that one could use this book as a place to teach children about the history of World War II without overwhelming details of horror.

Annemarie and her best friend Ellen, a Jewish girl, are not very afraid of the soldiers standing on the street corners. They have blended in, and they hardly remember life without them. However, their parents are terrified of them, and one night, Ellen and her family must hide. Ellen's parents disappear, and Ellen must pose as Annemarie's sister.
How long can Annemarie and her family fool the Nazis?

Simply told, Lois Lowry weaves yet another story for younger readers (though adults will enjoy it as well) that will keep them reading through the end.
My only complaint is the cover, which does not match the discription of any of the characters, and that I can only find this book in paperback. I have been looking for a long time (on other sites other than PaperBack Swap) and have not found it in hardcover, which is too bad because this book is worth it.
Don't let the fact that it's in paperback stop you from getting this book. Even though it is not directly a true story, it will give readers a taste of life during WWII.

A must read for any student studying the Holocaust.
As an adult it had me from Page 1.
There were "upstanders" and the Danes were a shining example.

Good historical fiction book. Both young kids and adults will enjoy.

Finally read Number the Stars by Lois Lowry which I have long wanted to read. Yes, it is a children's book but a very good one. I was so pleased to learn what happened to the Danes during WWII. What wonderful, brave people they were to save so many of their Jewish people in such skillful ways. Lowry bases the story on real incidents and her characters on those brave souls she read about as she did her research for this book. This is a must read for teens and adults alike.