Number the Stars

When it comes to WWII historical fiction, few books have managed to maintain the constant dominance that Number the Stars has. It was first published in 1989, and it has since become a classic among middle grade educators everywhere, and it is not hard to see why, as the story is engaging, and the characters have meaningful relationships. This is about the third time I have read this novel, and I can see that this will be one I will be reading for years to come.

This is primarily because of how the characters are portrayed. Both Annemarie and Ellen are done well, with each of them showing their concern for each other in this trying time, as they face occupation by Germany in their country. This is in contrast to other books on WWII historical fiction that I have read, where I did not connect with any characters. Here, they are all written well, and have a purpose, even if they do not seem like it at the beginning of the book.

I also like the situations that they get into. While I will not spoil it, I will just say that this is not only an excellent way to show the resistance during this time period, but is also a good gateway into thriller books for young readers. I felt an excellent amount of tension in these scenes and much of that is through Lowry's writing, which is as excellent as it was in The Giver, which I also enjoyed.

Overall, I would say that this book still hold up all these years later and is one that I recommend to those students who want to know more about the resistance efforts during WWII. I give it a four out of five.