Number the Stars

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johannesen becomes involved in the evacuation of Jews from Denmark when her family hides her friend, Ellen Rosen, and then aids in her escape. Annemarie learns about the meaning of bravery and the necessity of being protected by lies from loved ones in a time of life-threatening secrets. With vocal versatility, Blair Brown portrays the soft-spoken Johannesens, as well as the loud, brutal Nazis. When important conversations take place, she lowers her voice to cue listeners to pay closer attention. The combination of Brown's steady voice and Lowry's dramatic story creates a mesmerizing production. J.F.M. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

In this Newbery Award-winning story, German soldiers occupying Denmark begin to round up the Jews for relocation to concentration camps. The icy tones in which the Germans bark out commands convey their cold-hearted natures as effectively as their cruel actions. Moore pits this against the proud nationalist sentiment in the voices of the Rosens, a Jewish family, and the Johansens,the family that helps them escape persecution. Speeding up the pace of the narration toward the end of the program, Moore creates suspense for the listener as the plan to help the Jews escape comes dangerously close to being uncovered. The irresistible elements of danger and suspense make this audio program of Lowry's historical novel a "must listen." M.P.T. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine