Cover of Number the Stars

Number the Stars

by Lois Lowry

Among the most widely assigned — 10 curriculum lists · 9 states

On reading-award lists:Newbery MedalMaine Student Book AwardVermont Golden Dome Book AwardCharlotte Award+5 more

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is assigned in US schools at grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 670L. It appears across 10 curriculum references and 9 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Number the Stars is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Lexile
670L
Grade range
Grades 4–7
Difficulty for grade
Below the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
Age range
Ages 9–12
Pages
137
Reading time
about 2h 30m (est.)
First published
1989
Genre
Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)
ISBN-13
9780547577098

Reading difficulty: At 670L, Number the Stars reads below the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.

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About this book

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen helps her family smuggle her Jewish friend out of Nazi-occupied Denmark. Lowry's Newbery Medal novel is a near-universal 4th-6th grade Holocaust-introduction text and appears on Common Core exemplar lists for grades 4-5.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Number the Stars→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 4–7. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on courage and friendship; cited across 10 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

courage · friendship · Holocaust · resistance · family

Content notes

war themes · peril · Holocaust references

Common Sense Media recommends age 9+.

Where this book is assigned

Show 4 more awards & assignments

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Common questions

What grade level is Number the Stars?
Number the Stars is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7, with a Lexile measure of 670L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of Number the Stars?
Number the Stars has a Lexile measure of 670L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read Number the Stars?
It takes about 2h 30m to read Number the Stars (137 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 150 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is Number the Stars hard to read for 4th grade?
At 670L, Number the Stars reads below the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 4th grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign Number the Stars?
Number the Stars appears on reading lists for Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, Charlotte Award, Common Core State Standards (ELA), and 7 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
670L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 4–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 10 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 9 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club, summer.

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