Number the Stars

Title: Number the Stars

Author: Lois Lowry

Rating: *****

Review: I was given this book in middle school and read the first part of it. I read more of it on googlereader earlier this year, and decided it was worth adding to wishlists. I received this copy from bookmooch.com earlier this week. It took about two hours of reading to finish what was left of it. I liked the book, especially the author's note at the end. It's nice to see how much research was put into it.

I would reccomend fourth through sixth graders to read it in a classroom setting. The characters are all enjoyable, the settings are realistic and well described. The narration is superb! I wish I'd finished this earlier, it probably would have seemed even better. This would be a great introductory read to a study on the Holocaust for young middle schoolers. Older students would find it boring. It doesn't explain anything about the Holocaust, but it does offer a picture of life in Denmark during the war. It also addresses the youth resistance, a topic we rarely hear about.

I've read The Giver, and I intend to read its sequels. I think it is better than Number the Stars. I doubt if I'll read many more of her books, as the rest have little appeal to me.