<Tr> <Th> Awards </Th> <Td> Newbery Medal: 1990 </Td> </Tr> <P> Number the Stars (1989) is a work of historical fiction by American author Lois Lowry, about the escape of a Jewish family (the Rosens) from Copenhagen, Denmark during World War II . The story centers on ten - year - old Annemarie Johansen, who lives with her family in Copenhagen in 1943 . She becomes a part of the events related to the rescue of the Danish Jews, when thousands of Jews were helped to reach neutral ground in Sweden in order to avoid being relocated to concentration camps . She risked her life in order to help her best friend, Ellen Rosen, by pretending that Ellen is Annemarie's late older sister Lise, who had died earlier in the war . Lise had been killed by the Nazi military as a result of her work with the Danish Resistance, though her former fiancé Peter, based in part on Danish resistance member Kim Malthe - Bruun, continues to help them . The story's title is taken from a reference to Psalm 147: 4, in which the writer relates that God has numbered all the stars and has named each one of them . It ties into the Star of David, worn by Ellen Rosen on her necklace, which is symbolic to Judaism . </P> <P> The novel was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1990 as the previous year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children". Lois Lowry traveled to Copenhagen to conduct research and interviews for the book . She took the photo of the girl used for the cover (shown in infobox). That cover was used on many editions of the book . </P> <P> Annemarie Johansen and her friend, Ellen Rosen, are ten - year - old girls living in Copenhagen, Denmark, during World War II . Annemarie has a 5 - year - old sister named Kirsti . There are Nazis on every street corner in Copenhagen . Butter, sugar, coffee, cigarettes and other goods are unavailable . Electricity and many other things have been rationed . </P>

Why did number the stars win the newbery medal