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12 books to read next
If you loved Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Readers love Number the Stars for its child's-eye view of history: ten-year-old Annemarie faces real danger in occupied Denmark, and the story shows ordinary people choosing courage and kindness. It is short, tense and suspenseful without being graphic, making the Holocaust understandable for middle-grade readers. The friendship between Annemarie and Ellen gives it heart, and the quiet heroism of a whole community leaves readers thinking about what bravery really means.
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Like Annemarie, Ada is a girl whose wartime experiences in England test her courage. Readers who loved Lowry's emotional, family-centred storytelling will find the same warmth and quiet bravery here.
Marie McSwigan
Norwegian children smuggle gold past Nazi soldiers on their sleds. Its Scandinavian setting and ordinary kids outwitting occupiers make it a natural companion to Number the Stars.
Jennifer A. Nielsen
A Jewish girl joins the resistance in occupied Poland, carrying messages and taking risks. Readers who loved the tension of Annemarie's errands will find a bolder, more action-driven story.
Anne Frank
The real diary of a Jewish girl in hiding. After reading about Ellen's family, readers can hear a true voice from the same era describing friendship, fear and hope.
Jane Yolen
A modern girl is transported into the past and experiences Jewish life under the Nazis. It deepens the history Number the Stars introduces, for slightly older readers.
Loic Dauvillier
A grandmother tells how neighbours hid her as a child in France. This gentle graphic novel echoes the Johansens' protection of Ellen in an accessible illustrated format.
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Linked stories of children in Nazi Germany and wartime America show loyalty and family under pressure, offering the same mix of history and heart readers loved in Lowry's novel.
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Two sisters rely on each other through hard truths. Readers who valued Annemarie's devotion to Ellen will connect with this tender, honest story about sisterly protection.
Pam Muñoz Ryan
A girl's life is upended by upheaval and she must find inner strength. Like Number the Stars, it pairs a historical setting with a heroine discovering courage.
Lois Lowry
Lowry's other Newbery winner explores conscience and courage in a controlled society. Fans of her clear, thoughtful prose will find another story about a child choosing what is right.
Mildred D. Taylor
Cassie Logan faces racism in 1930s Mississippi with her family's support. Another classic seen through a child's eyes, it shares Lowry's honesty about injustice and family strength.
Scott O’Dell
A girl survives alone on an island through resourcefulness and resolve. Readers who admired Annemarie's quiet bravery will enjoy this enduring tale of a young heroine's endurance.
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