Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
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Book Reviews of Number the Stars
Book Review: Number The Stars
Summary: 5 Stars
Number The Stars
review made by marissa
Number The Stars is a book about a young girl named annemarie who lives in Denmark. Her Friend is jewish and she is danish. They were walking home from school and noticed all the soldiers standing on every street corner. The soldiers were there to start "relocating them" to as different place. So annemarie and her family of 3 used to be 4 called up her moms brother uncle henrik. Uncle henrik told them to come there and that he would think of something. Ellen come with annemarie to stay with her while her family was taken to a safe place for now cause they were jewish. so ellen stayed there and soldiers came that night looking for the rosens(ellens family).They came to annemaries house and asked annemaries parents if they had seen them. they said no. the soldiers asked to search the house; and they did.they searched through all the rooms looking for them they didnt find them anywhere. So then they asked to look in annemaries room where ellen and her were at sleeping. Then annemarie noticed ellen still had her star of david on. annemarie hurried to yank it off before the soldiers barged in. The soldiers came in demanding them to stand up. Annemarie put the necklace in her deceased sister's trunk. The soldiers noticed ellen had dark hair and the rest of them had blonde hair. Quickly, Annemaries dad grabbed the photo album and showed the soldiers the picture of lise (annemarie's deceased sister who "died in a car accident") who had dark hair as a baby. then the soldiers gave them an ok and left. Thats when annemaries mom decided to leave and go to uncle henriks home. They went there and cut up chunks of cheese and put apples and sandwiches in a bunch of bags. A bunch of people started to arrive and so did a big coffin. Annemarie and ellen with suprised looks looked around curiously. a noise came from outside it was uncle henrik and ellens parents. Ellen ran through the door and jumped into her fathers arms. Tehy went inside and the opened the coffin and got out warm clothes. uncle henrik was ganna bundle them up and put them under his boat. They ran (all the jews) to the boat 3 at a time. mr. rosen handed uncle henrik a packed that was supposed to be important. they were gone and safe when annemarie noticed they forgot the packed and had to run it to uncle henrik before he leaves. It was Dark and cold. Annemarie's mother couldnt run the packed cause she tripped over a root on the trail from the boat dock. So annmarie was walking to the boats and two soldiers and their dogs stopped her. they asked what she had in the packet she said idk. they took it from her and opened it and said that it a hanker cheif? how lame. then annemarie continued to the boat dock. Soldiers were checking all the boats. They checked unlce henriks boat after annmarie arrived with the hankerchief. The hankerchief had some king of drug on it and ruined the dogs smelling. When the soldiers stopped annemarie the dogs smelled the hankerchief and thier scenses got ruined. So uncle henrik had it and the same soldiers that stopped annemarie got on uncle henriks boat. So the dogs couldnt smell the jews underneath the boat. so uncle henrik took of like all the other jews hidden in boats did. Then the most unbeleivable thing happened.
Book Review: EDRD 303 group book review
Summary: 5 Stars
Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
Book review by:
Shaley Haney
and
Christine Wilson
Number the Stars is a wonderful and exciting book by the renowned children's book author Lois Lowry. It tells the story of two ten-year-old girls, Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen, in Copenhagen, Denmark during the Holocaust in September, 1943. Ellen and her family are Jewish while the Johansen's are Danish.
In the beginning of the book, Annemarie, her younger sister Kirsti, and Ellen are racing home from school when they are encountered by the German soldiers. When the girls arrived home, they told their mothers about the incident and were advised to take a different route to school and home so as not to draw attention to themselves.
Throughout the book, several stores owned by Jewish people are being closed down. Annemarie is curious about the events and does not understand the severity of the war, nor why the Germans are taking over her country. The Rosen's are forced to flee the country for safety but Annemarie still does not understand why she has to say goodbye to her best friend.
A few years before the book begins, Annemarie's older sister, Lise, died in an accident. She was set to marry Peter Neilsen, a member of the Resistance. Peter is still a close friend of the family and comes by often to talk with Mr. and Mrs. Johansen. During one of his visits, the family sits down with Annemarie and explains to her what is going on between the Jewish people and the Germans.
While the Rosen's are hiding, Ellen remains with the Johansen's and pretends to be one of their daughters. When questioned by the Germans, seeing the Ellen has dark hair, Mr. Johansen is able to show a baby picture of Lise, who also had dark hair.
Ellen is eventually reunited with her family and they are taken safely on a boat to Sweden. The war ends in May and the streets of Denmark are crowded with people celebrating the end of the war. Annemarie knows that she will see her friend again someday. She finds a necklace with the Star of David pennant on it that Lise was keeping for Ellen. Annemarie puts it on and vows to wear it everyday until she can give it back to her best friend, Ellen.
Lois Lowry does a great job at keeping the book flowing. You feel like you are learning about the Holocaust right along with Annemarie and her family. You see things the way they appear to a ten-year-old Danish girl and feel like you have been taken back to 1943 with her. The book keeps you in suspense as you wonder what is going to happen to Ellen and her family.
We loved the book and enjoyed reading it. We were hooked from the very first page and could not put it down until we discovered what happened to the two families. As education majors, we highly recommend this book to be read to a classroom when studying World War II and the Holocaust. It explains the severity of the situation while catering to a young audience.
Book Review: Number the Stars earns 4 1/2 stars
Summary: 5 Stars
What a sad triumphant story. I've not read too much on the holocaust (something I intend to remedy) and to start out with this children's novel was probably the perfect introduction to the subject. Even though it is for a younger crowd, it does give a nice easy start to what essentially is a horrifying point in history. It helps prepare for the harder things to come.
Annemarie is a Danish girl who lives with her parents and her younger sister. It is several years into the war and the Nazis have occupied the city and are in control. They terrorize everyone, Jewish or not, and aren't above scaring young girls on the street. Annemarie learns this firsthand when she is reprimanded for practicing a footrace on the street and a soldier yells at her. With her, is her Jewish friend Ellen, who is also yelled at for racing.
When the Nazi's start clearing the Jewish out of the city, Annemarie's family takes Ellen in and disguises her as Lise, an older sister of Annemarie's that died a few years back. They have some close calls harboring Ellen but manage to keep her safe. However, life in the city becomes too dangerous for even this and they flee to the country where there are relatives near the coast. With the help of this relative and other brave heroes, they help Ellen and her family escape persecution.
The writing in this, is of course, juvenile. It is after all, a children's book. But despite this, it is very elegantly told and easy to get lost in the story. I would have liked to see a bit more description on events and people, but I can see where it should be left out in order to appeal to a younger crowd. Its written in the third person and mostly follows Annemarie as a character. Since it is a fairly short book, it moves quickly and not a lot of time is spent on developing the characters or storyline beyond the basic plot and this may account for the lack of description as well.
Such a sad story, even despite having happy moments. To think that such things were done in real life and all the atrocities committed is very depressing. I can only hope that human kind has learned from its mistakes and it will not be repeated. This is the perfect introduction to the horrors of the holocaust for the younger crowd. It has enough in it to be realistic but not enough to completely scare a younger reader. There are some violent aspects to the book, but really, in perspective it is no worse than some of the violence in cartoons.
I enjoyed the book for its information but it did make me want to go read something a little more positive. But sometimes that's a good balance, once you read something sad it gives you an excuse to read something happy as well (at least for me it does!). It is important to read though and I wish I would have had the opportunity to read it when younger.
Number the Stars
Copyright 1989
132 page
Book Review: Ara's Thought
Summary: 5 Stars
NUMBER THE STARS¡°Number the Stars¡± was set during the German occupation and indeed was a hard time for all who lived in Denmark. Annemarie Johansen life is falling apart when the Germans start to relocate the Jews. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie you encounter heroic acts by citizens and heart pounding journeys. So the war goes on and Annemarie¡¯s parents take responsibility for Annemarie¡¯s best friend Ellen Rosen, while Ellen¡¯s family runs to safety. Later on Annemarie takes part in a daring scheme, which involves her helping, smuggle the Rosens and other Jews to across the water to Sweden. Not too long ago Annemarie lost her sister in a car accident. So when the Germans are relocating the Jews they come upon Johansen¡¯s home with the birth certificates and information ready to see who is there and not there. Luckily, again the will of them they do not see that the older sister was 19 years of age yet Ellen is way younger. Not noticing that, they believe Ellen as part of the family. Another act of courage that inside they had made brought them over this obstacle. Annemarie finds out why his father would to die to protect his King. To me courage, loyalty, and humanity are the main themes in the story. In the book these adult like themes are put to a child¡¯s perspective. The Holocaust was a very horrible in the story. The outcome of the failure is not spelled out, however it seems like the readers bring in their imagination to the outcome of the even kids feel like even if the plan does not work out there is potential consequence. That is why this book is good for people who like history and WWII and so on. The plot of this story is very strong but the real thing going on is the friendship between Annemarie and Ellen. These two girls are close and so close that they decide to help each others families and in doing this they have a made a big choice. There is one point where they are close to being caught in Uncle Henrik¡¯s boat. They are transporting some Jews to Sweden when the Germans arrive and they think of putting some handkerchiefs scented with rabbits blood so the dogs would be distracted from smelling humans in a secret place in the boat. It is the courage and loyalty in them that takes lets them going on in their rescue procedure. The moral of this once again is loyalty, friendship, courage, and humanity, and this is conquered in the book and that is why ¡°Number the Stars¡± is serious my favorite book ever and I recommend it to all kids who can read and who know what friendship is.
Book Review: Number the Stars
Summary: 5 Stars
Annemarie must take an important package to her uncle. Nazi soldiers with dogs stop her and search her basket then find the package. They rip it open only to find a mere handkerchief. Annemarie and Ellen are best friends that live in Copenhagen, Denmark. The only problem with their relationship is that Ellen is Jewish. Ellen's family must flee in fright of being caught by the Nazis, so the leave Ellen with the Johansens. The next day both of the girls were taken to Henrik's home in Gilleleje, Denmark. Henrik creates a fake funeral for some Jew families to gather together to flee the country to Sweden. At the funeral Ellen is reunited with her parents. The Nazis soon raid the gathering and demand the coffin be opened. Thinking quick Mrs. Johansen tells the soldiers that the person in the coffin died from a highly contagious typhus, so the soldiers were convinced to leave. Before leaving on Henrik's boat Annemarie must deliver a package to her uncle. On the way soldiers stop her and check her basket only to find a handkerchief. So Ellen and her family flee to Sweden and the war soon ends. I found this historical fiction very inspiring and would defiantly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good historical fiction novel.
In the story I would have to say that I really admire Annemarie's characteristics. Even though her best friend Ellen) was Jewish she never stopped being her friend till then end. Even if being her friend may of meant imprisonment or dead by the Nazis. She stuck by her side though the bad and the good no matter the conditions.
Since Ellen was Jewish you would think she would a least a little bit afraid of the thought of being put though torture, but she wasn't. Ellen is a very courageous and brave little girl for doing the number of things she has done. Like coming face to face with the very people that could make your life a living hell, and not flinching or a bit of fear in her eyes.
Henrik is one of those people that you could use the term, "more than meets the eye." He was just a simple man that had a job as a fisherman, but you wouldn't think he would be someone to risk his own life for another. He wasn't the least bit of a selfish person. He saved the lives of several Jewish families at the risk of his own by transporting the out of the Nazi ruled land to Sweden.
This historical fiction novel was very insightful and filled with many different surprising twists and turns. So if you would like a good read pick up the book Number the Stars.
J.Liverman