Number the Stars

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It's a hit!

Of course I love this book. Lowry is my favorite author for kids. I used this novel for many years in my 5th grade classroom and I do believe it ... (show more)

Of course I love this book. Lowry is my favorite author for kids. I used this novel for many years in my 5th grade classroom and I do believe it was also their favorite when we done. I miss teaching this book (I am now in 4th grade). Lowry does a great job of showing what it was like during WWII to be a Jewish child hiding from the Germans without scaring her audience. The kids are able to get a glimpse without the gore. This book also leads to great discussion which in turn leads to getting the kids interested in reading other books on WWII. (show less)

 

 

by Anonymous User

No, it's a flop!

I'm usually a big fan of Lois Lowry, so I suppose the only thing I had against this book, which...well, let's just say I wouldn't read it again...w... (show more)

I'm usually a big fan of Lois Lowry, so I suppose the only thing I had against this book, which...well, let's just say I wouldn't read it again...was that it was another. Freaking. Holocaust book. I cannot explain without sounding like the most heartless person ever how SICK I am of Holocaust lit. Yes, the first five or ten books I read that featured Jews in hiding were very good. But I can only take so much of this emotionally battering, and ever-so-repetitive writing. Sorry. If you don't have aomething against Holocaust Lit like I do, I'm sure you'll love this book. (show less)

 

 

by Ginny DiGuiseppi

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  Life for ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is the stuff of fairy tales as she grows up in Denmark immersed in her father’s stories of Danish bravery and resolve. When Nazi forces occupy the Johansen’s hometown of Copenhagen, however, life begins to assume a more sinister quality, especially when Annemarie’s Jewish friend, Ellen Rosen, is forced to bid farewell to her parents and move in with the Johansens, masquerading as their deceased daughter, Lise.
  When the Gestapo search the Johansen h... (show more)

  Life for ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is the stuff of fairy tales as she grows up in Denmark immersed in her father’s stories of Danish bravery and resolve. When Nazi forces occupy the Johansen’s hometown of Copenhagen, however, life begins to assume a more sinister quality, especially when Annemarie’s Jewish friend, Ellen Rosen, is forced to bid farewell to her parents and move in with the Johansens, masquerading as their deceased daughter, Lise.
  When the Gestapo search the Johansen home one evening, angrily interrogating Annemarie and her parents about the whereabouts of the Rosens, and challenge Mr. and Mrs. Johansen about Ellen’s identity, the family decides that it is no longer safe to stay in Copenhagen and they steal away to the seaside home of Henrik, Mrs. Johansen’s brother and a fisherman. During the evening prior to their departure, Annemarie overhears a conversation between her father and Henrik, and she thinks it odd that the men are talking about fishing amidst such a crisis. Gradually, she comes to realize that the men are speaking a type of code and making plans to smuggle Jews out of Denmark.
  As a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of World War II and the holocaust, the young protagonist, Annemarie, must struggle with questions of truth and deception, bravery and cowardice, triumph and despair in her movement from the innocence of childhood to an awareness of the necessities of her family’s situation. Annemarie must learn that lying is appropriate when it serves a greater good – preserving the lives of innocent Jews. She must also practice unwavering bravery in the face of adversity.
  Lois Lowry’s story is a work of historical fiction capable of piquing a young reader’s curiosity while providing a broader awareness of history via an engaging and believable protagonist. The book was awarded the Newbery Medal, among others. (show less)

   

  by David VanDenburgh on Dec 04, 2007 at 12:50PM

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  I studied this book for a presentation and came to appreciate it even more. It is elegantly crafted with the elements leading up to the climax present from the very beginning. One example of the fine structure is when Anne Marie is thinking about Lise, who is dead, and King Christian X, who is still alive. This transition by itself is artful, but then she uses it again to get back to Anne Marie. The story feels very intentionally created, yet the characters and setting are believable. The tit... (show more)

  I studied this book for a presentation and came to appreciate it even more. It is elegantly crafted with the elements leading up to the climax present from the very beginning. One example of the fine structure is when Anne Marie is thinking about Lise, who is dead, and King Christian X, who is still alive. This transition by itself is artful, but then she uses it again to get back to Anne Marie. The story feels very intentionally created, yet the characters and setting are believable. The title too, is so perfect. "He who numbers the stars one by one" is from a psalm in the bible. The Nazis made Jews wear yellow stars and tattooed numbers into their arms, but the psalm refers to a God who cares enough about the billions of stars to number each of them. The people in the Danish resistance save numbers of Jews. A powerful image is when Anne Marie clutches Ellen's Star of David pendant in her hand and the star becomes imprinted in her palm. A powerful read, yet it remains clear of the darkness traditionally found in accounts of the Holocaust. (show less)

   

  by Facebook User on Mar 22, 2009 at 09:19PM

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