Number the Stars

by Lois Lowry
Danish Annemarie and her friend Ellen are racing home one day when stopped by a German soldier.  They are on all the street corners these days, the Nazi occupation of Denmark, so the girls think it's no big deal.  Their parents feel otherwise, especially when they are told a few days later that the Jewish Ellen must go into hiding with Annemarie's family.  They will take her to their Grandpa's farm on the coast, and from there get her to safety in Sweden.  Annemarie now has to become aware of the courage of her family and the evils of the soldiers occupying her land.  The courage of one little girl may not be much in the big war, but it can be enough to save her friend.

Audience

I read it in 7th grade and loved it.  My friend read it in 3rd and loved it.  I really do think that 5th might be the best option, especially since that is the age of the heroine.

What I Love About This Book
This book doesn't even touch on concentration camps.  It is the triumph of the Danish people in choosing the safety of their Jewish people over their pride as a country.  It's the courage of the resistance fighters in persevering through danger and tragedy to save so many lives

Cautions
The end of this book is bittersweet.  Some characters live to the end of the story, some do not.  It is an accurate representation of the challenges in occupied Denmark through the eyes of a child.