You probably read it in fifth grade. Or maybe you're a parent looking at that iconic cover—the one with the golden-haired girl and the Star of David necklace—and wondering if your kid is ready for it. When people ask about the number the stars genre, the quick answer is historical fiction. But that feels a bit like saying the Pacific Ocean is "wet." It doesn't really cover the depth of what Lois Lowry actually built here.
Lowry didn't just write a history lesson. She wrote a thriller. She wrote a coming-of-age story. She wrote a piece of "resistance literature" that somehow fits into a middle-grade reading level without losing its teeth. It’s a 1989 Newbery Medal winner for a reason, and it’s because it plays with genre boundaries in a way few books for ten-year-olds ever dare to do.
The Foundation: Historical Fiction with a Pulse
At its core, the number the stars genre is historical fiction. Specifically, it’s set in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1943. This isn't just a backdrop. The setting is the antagonist.
Most historical fiction for kids tends to be a bit "dusty." You know the type—lots of descriptions of butter churns and old-fashioned clothes. Lowry skips the fluff. She focuses on the atmosphere of occupation. The "High Boots." That’s what Annemarie Johansen calls the German soldiers on the street corners. By viewing the genre through the eyes of a child, the historical facts become visceral fears.
The book is based on the real-life rescue of the Danish Jews. In late September 1943, word leaked that the Nazis were planning to round up the Jewish population. In an incredible feat of national bravery, the Danish resistance and ordinary citizens managed to smuggle over 7,000 people across the sea to neutral Sweden. This actually happened.
Lowry’s friend, Annelise Platt, was the inspiration for the story. Platt lived through the occupation, and those memories of "ersatz" coffee made of herbs and the constant presence of soldiers informed the gritty realism of the book. So, while the characters like Annemarie and Ellen Rosen are fictional, the framework is as sturdy as a history textbook—just much better written.
The "Hidden" Genre: The Political Thriller
If you strip away the fact that the protagonist is ten, this book is basically a Cold War-style spy novel. Seriously.
👉 See also: Don’t Forget Me Little Bessie: Why James Lee Burke’s New Novel Still Matters
Think about the elements:
- Coded language: When Uncle Henrik says "the weather is right for fishing," he isn't talking about cod. He’s talking about human cargo.
- The MacGuffin: The silk handkerchief soaked in cocaine and rabbit's blood. It sounds like something out of a Tom Clancy novel, but it was a real tool used by the resistance to ruin the scent of the German dogs.
- The Stakes: Life or death. Not "social death" or "getting grounded," which are the stakes in many middle-grade books, but actual, literal execution or concentration camps.
This suspense is what keeps the book from being a boring "period piece." There’s a specific scene where the soldiers burst into the Johansen apartment at night. Annemarie has to rip the Star of David necklace off Ellen’s neck so fast it leaves a mark on her palm. That is pure thriller energy. The tension is built through silence and what isn't said. This is a hallmark of the number the stars genre—using the gaps in a child's understanding to create massive suspense for the reader.
Young Adult or Middle Grade?
The industry puts it in "Middle Grade" (ages 8–12). However, the themes of sacrifice and the "death of childhood" lean heavily into what we now call Young Adult (YA) territory.
Annemarie starts the book as a girl who runs races in the street. She ends it as someone who has looked a soldier in the eye and lied to save her best friend’s life. That transition—the loss of innocence—is the heartbeat of the book. It’s why adults still read it and cry. It isn't just for kids. It’s for anyone who wants to understand how ordinary people find extraordinary courage.
The Role of Folkloric Elements
Here is something most people miss. Lois Lowry uses the "fairy tale" as a sub-genre within the book.
During the most dangerous moment of the story—when Annemarie is running through the woods to deliver the "packet" to her uncle—she is literally reciting "Little Red Riding Hood" to herself.
✨ Don't miss: Donnalou Stevens Older Ladies: Why This Viral Anthem Still Hits Different
She compares the German soldiers to the Big Bad Wolf. It’s a brilliant meta-narrative move. Lowry is showing us that for a child, the horrors of the Holocaust are so incomprehensible that they can only be processed through the lens of folklore and archetypes. This adds a layer of "Literary Fiction" to the number the stars genre that you don't often see in school-assigned reading. It’s a story about a girl telling herself a story to survive a story. Meta, right?
Why the Genre Matters Today
Honestly, historical fiction often struggles to stay relevant. Trends change. Kids want dragons or dystopian futures. But Number the Stars stays on the curriculum because its "genre" is actually "moral philosophy."
It asks the question: What does it mean to be brave?
Uncle Henrik gives the best definition I’ve ever read. He tells Annemarie that bravery isn't the absence of fear; it’s thinking about what you must do, rather than what you are afraid of. That is a universal theme. It transcends the 1940s. It’s why the book doesn't feel like a relic.
A Note on Accuracy
Lowry did her homework. She researched the King of Denmark, Christian X, who really did ride his horse, Jubilee, through the streets of Copenhagen every morning without a bodyguard. He famously said, "All of Denmark is his bodyguard."
The book captures the "Spirit of Denmark"—a specific historical phenomenon where an entire nation (mostly) refused to turn on its Jewish neighbors. This makes the book "Social History" as much as it is a novel. It documents a rare moment of collective human decency in a century defined by the opposite.
🔗 Read more: Donna Summer Endless Summer Greatest Hits: What Most People Get Wrong
Common Misconceptions About the Book
People often get the number the stars genre mixed up with "Holocaust Literature" in a way that implies it's about the camps. It isn't.
Unlike The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (which has some serious historical accuracy issues, by the way) or The Diary of Anne Frank, Number the Stars focuses on the escape and the resistance. It’s a story of survival rather than a story of the Shoah itself. This is an important distinction for parents. It introduces the darkness of the era without being gratuitously traumatizing for a nine-year-old. It provides a "safe" entry point into a very difficult conversation.
Practical Steps for Readers and Educators
If you’re diving into this book, don’t just treat it as a "school book." Here is how to actually engage with the number the stars genre and its history:
- Look up the Danish Resistance Museum: They have incredible digital archives. Seeing photos of the actual fishing boats (like the "H.C. Andersen") that carried people to Sweden makes the book feel 10x more real.
- Discuss the "Righteous Among the Nations": This is the title given by Yad Vashem to non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews. The Danish resistance is a huge part of this history.
- Track the geography: Get a map of Copenhagen and find Gilleleje. Seeing the narrow distance across the water to Sweden helps you understand the physical reality of the escape. It’s only about 5 to 10 miles at the narrowest points.
- Compare the fairy tales: Read "Little Red Riding Hood" alongside the final chapters. Ask how the "woods" in the fairy tale represent the path to the harbor.
The number the stars genre is a blend of hard history and high-stakes tension. It’s a book that respects its young readers enough to tell them the truth: the world can be terrifying, but you don't have to be a superhero to stand up against it. You just have to be a friend.
To get the most out of the experience, try reading the "Afterword" first. Lowry explains exactly which parts are real and which are made up. Knowing that the "death of Lise" (Annemarie's older sister) was inspired by real members of the Danish resistance who were run down by Nazi cars adds a heavy, necessary weight to the opening chapters.