Fact Makes Great Fiction: Number the Stars

Lois Lowry's 1990 Newbery Award winner Number the Stars is a short fictional account of Denmark's Nazi occupation and resistance.

I was an adult when the book was published, so I'll shake off my guilt as I admit I've only recently gotten around to reading this.

If you haven't read it, or haven't read it in years, you should. Never mind your age. 'Nuff said.

Certainly enough reviews are out there; another isn't needed. So I'll get on my historical soapbox, instead, and say: respect the history, writers.

Fact Check This

Number the Stars is the best kind of fiction, laden with facts.  In the brief afterword, Lowry described enough about the documents she used to get the message across: this happened. And we can prove it.

In a variety of writing projects, I've had my frustrations with fact-checking (hint: everything isn't online, and lots that is online is wrong). But since this is a reader's blog, I'll leave it at this: historical facts make for some mighty fine fiction.

Speaking of Online Resources

In case you missed that link up above, go back and click. It's not intended to sell books; it points at the excellent McGraw Hill guide to Number the Stars, included by the Holocaust Education Resource Council among its many fine reference materials.