Book Club Guide

Number the Stars

by Lois Lowry · 1901 · History

Key themes

Courage as something ordinary people find in ordinary moments
The child's partial understanding of what is happening around them
Denmark's rescue of its Jewish population — what it required

About this book

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

Published in 1989, Number the Stars won the Newbery Medal. Lowry based it on the real experiences of a Danish friend whose family helped Jewish neighbours escape to Sweden in 1943.

Discussion questions

Annemarie is ten years old and does not fully understand the danger her family is helping their Jewish neighbours escape. How does Lowry use this child's perspective — and what does Annemarie understand that she cannot articulate?
Denmark's resistance to the Nazi occupation was historically remarkable — over 7,000 Danish Jews escaped to Sweden. How does Lowry fictionalise this history — and what does she choose to show and what to omit?
Annemarie is asked to carry a packet to the boat without knowing what it contains. How does Lowry develop this moment — and what does it say about courage when you act without full knowledge?
The novel ends with what Annemarie hopes for when her friend Ellen returns. How does Lowry handle this open ending — and does it work as a conclusion for young readers?
Number the Stars is widely assigned as an introduction to the Holocaust for younger readers. What specifically does the novel offer that more direct accounts of Holocaust experience cannot — and what are its limits?