Lowry, Lois. 1989. Number the stars. New York: Dell Publishing.

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think about life before the war. However, in 1943 Copenhagen, the war greets them each morning as they wake up and move throughout their day. When the girls, along with Annemarie’s younger sister are stopped by German soldiers as they raced through the town, events seem to move at a much faster pace. Ellen’s family will be relocated unless they hide, so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and Annemarie finds herself redefining courage. With only enough knowledge to complete a dangerous mission, Annemarie overcomes her fear and saves the life of her best friend and family.  Lowry’s story, inspired by a letter written by a twenty-one year old member of the Resistance is heartwarming and describes a life that only those who have lived through a war will understand completely. With courage and compassion, Lowry’s characters inspire hope and pride in readers of all ages and nationalities.