Number the Stars (Laurel Leaf Books)

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Summary: Heather's Book Review
Review: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a book about Annemarie Johansen, a ten-year-old girl living in Copenhagen, Denmark during the German occupation. The Rosen's, the neighbors of the Johansen family received a terrifying warning that the Nazi soldiers would begin relocating the Jews. Her family bravely assists their Jewish neighbors and others in escaping by sea to Sweden. Annemarie learns a great deal about bravery. She is trusted with frightening information and at the end, even risked her life to ensure her friends would escape safely. The captivating story, Number the Stars won a Newberry Medal.

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Summary: It was a great book, and taught me a lot about the Holocaust
Review: "Number the Stars" is and historical fiction book. It was written to inform young readers more about the Holocaust and World War II. Lois Lowery places the setting of the story in a remote village in Denmark. Annemarie, the main character, is faced with the fear and danger of the Nazis, German soliders. During these harsh and difficult times, 10 year old Annemarie is faced with difficult problems that she must overcome to help her best friend, Ellen reach safety from the Germans. Ellen is a Jew, and has been adopted by Annemarie's family and disguised by Annemarie's late sister Lisa. This is only temporally though, until Ellen's parents come back for her to take her to safety in Sweden. Sweden at this time has not yet ben conqured bye the Germans. While Ellen awaits for her parents return, Annemarie's mother takes young Annemarie, Ellen, and Annemarie's younger sister Kristen to go seek refuge in a small village near the coast of Denmark. Here, Annemarie has an uncle who will care for them all. Together, Annemarie, her mother, uncle, and Kristen all try to find help for Ellen and her parents, and all the other Jews seeking refuge from the numerous Nazis. The context in "Number the Stars" was very good. Lois Lowery tried very hard to create and distinguish the different events that happened in the story, as well as relating all of the key facts about World war II to the stoory. The climax throught the story kept getting more and more suspensful, as well as the dramas that was interwoven within the novel. Another element that made me want to read the book, was the fact that Lois Lowery won the Newbery Award for this excellent composition in the early 1990's. I decided to read "Number the stars" for this reason. I thought this story was very good, because it contained many intresting facts about the Holocaust. It caught my attention, teaching me all about the war and what had happened at that time. I was able to understand what had really happened then, and it made me want to learn more about that era of our history. I recommend this story to all readers who like to learn about the past, or like to read historical fiction books.

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Summary: History lesson in an exciting form
Review: As Hitler secretly prepared to round up all the Jews of Denmark, someone (to this day no one knows who, although there are some theories) warned the government. The result is that almost all of the 7,500 Jewish people living in Denmark managed to escape the country in the space of a few days, even though the country was already under the occupation of watchful Nazi troops.

This book is about that escape. Annmarie is 10 years old and lives in the same appartment building as her best friend, Ellen, who is Jewish. One day, Ellen's parents must flee and Ellen moves in with Annmarie and pretends to be her dead sister. Annmarie, her parents, and her little sister must band together with the rest of the Danish resistance to get Ellen to safety.

This is an exciting, fast-paced book about bravery and doing what's right. The characters are very realistic and human. This is an inspiring story for any child, and it teaches a very interesting history lesson to any adult who might not know the story of how practically no Danish Jews died under Hitler.

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Summary: Wonderful story on a provocative subject.
Review: Number the Stars is a story of friendship, bravery and loyalty. Set in Denmark in 1943, this is the story ten-year-old best friends, Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen. When Hitler's army begins to "relocate" Denmark's Jews, Annemarie and her family help Ellen and her family escape to Sweden. Annemarie learns the true meaning of bravery and friendship. This story was based upon experiences of Lowry's friend, Annelise Platt, and tells a poignant story of the role the Danish Resistance played in saving the lives of almost all of Denmark's Jews.

This is a wonderful story that helps children begin to understand the feelings and plight of the Jews during World War II. Anxious moments are spent by the reader whenever the soldiers appear to confront the characters of the story. Annemarie displays true bravery and considerable intelligence in the face of the danger presented by soldiers. Parents and teachers can feel comfortable using Number the Stars, to begin a discussion of horrors of the holocaust, at the fourth or fifth grade level. The book can be used to teach not only history and language arts, but also geography and social relationships.

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Summary: This book is worth the time it takes to read
Review: Setting: a remote village in Denmark

Characters: Annemarie-the main character (Christian), Ellen-Annemarie's best friend (Jew), Lisa Annemarie's older sister who died, Kristen- Annemarie's younger sister and, uncle henrik-a fisherman on the coast of denmark.
Plot: Annemarie comes home from school one day with her friend Ellen and her sister Kristen. As they raced to the corner they were stopped by a German solder with the word "halt". Luckily the solder let them pass but the next day they had to take a different rout to school. A few days later the list of all the members of the synagogue was stolen and Ellen's family had to hide. Ellen lived with Annemarie's family. If the Germans checked the house Ellen was Lisa who had really died. Ellen's parents were taken some where else to hide witch was kept secret.
A few days later Annemarie's family took a train to her uncle Hedrick's house on the cost of Denmark. Henrik was a fisher man who owned a boat. The next night they pretended to have a funeral for some lost aunt. Many people were there to pay there last respects including Ellen's parents. When German solders showed up questioning the gathering of people they asked why the coffin was closed but Annemarie's mom said that the person died of a disease that could still be transferred. Once the solders left they opened the coffin and in it were blankets and other clothing. It turns out that the people there were Jews that uncle Hedrick was going to smuggle to Sweden on his boat. They would have to make a trip through the woods to the dock in the darkness to get o the boat uncle Hedrick had a very important package that he needed. But in the morning Annemarie realized that he had left it be hind. She put it in to a basket with some food and if she got caught she was just bringing her uncle his lunch. When she got there she found that her uncle had a secret compartment built in for hiding the people. But the Germans had been using dogs to find people. The package was just a simple handkerchief but it was needed for Hedrick to get the Jews to Sweden because the handkerchief contained a substance that attracted the dogs to it and then one they sniffed it the substance temporarily ruins the dog's sense of smell and the boat checks out just fine. After the war Ellen and her family come back to Denmark and live happily ever after.
Opinion: I thought this book was great it was so exciting. I would recommend it to anyone.
Theme: always trust your friends.

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Summary: Every kid I know that has read this book loves it.
Review: This book is about a young girl named Annemarie, her family and their role in helping Jewish families escape the Germans during World War II. The Nazi soldiers invaded and took control of Denmark and its Danes. Ellen is Annemarie's best friend and is Jewish. Ellen and her family, the Rosens, must leave Denmark to go to Sweden where will be safe from the Nazi soldiers. There they will be safe because Sweden chose not to enter the war. Annemarie is sent on an important mission to deliver an important package to her Uncle Henrick. This package will determine if Ellen and her family will live to ever see their friends and homeland again. When the war finally ends after a devastating five years, Annemarie finds out about the real truth of her sister, Lise's death. Anna Marie is a bright, bold and brave girl. She is ten years old in the beginning of the book and twelve years at the end. She is a tall, thin and long legged girl with blond hair. Annemarie's best friend, Ellen, is a Jewish girl about her same age. Ellen is a very proper young lady. She is timid and quite fearful because of the Nazis and what she has heard they do to Jewish people. Ellen is also a short and stubby girl who wears her curly black hair in pigtails. Kirsti, who is Annemarie's young sister, is spoiled, self-centered, stubborn and very sociable. She is a typical seven year old! Annemarie's mom and Ellen's mom are great at worrying. Mr. Rosen, Ellen's dad, gets aggravated easily by the smallest things and is a teacher at the elementary school where the girls attend. Annemarie's dad is cautious and always acts so serious. Peter, Lise's fiance, is a brave and courageous man with red hair who works with the Resistance. My favorite part of Number the Stars is when Ellen pretends to be Annemarie's sister and the soldiers break into Annemarie's apartment. Annemarie tore the necklace, a "Star of David", from Ellen's neck so that the German soldiers wouldn't think that she is Jewish. I loved this book because it was always exciting and I never lost interest. Annemarie and her mom were incredibly brave. I could imagine how frightened Annemarie was when she had to carry the "special package" for her mother. She had to stay calm while German soldiers and their dogs questioned her on what she was doing and where she was going. She somehow knew that getting this "package" to her uncle would save many lives. I think that if I had to do what Annemarie did I would still be scared out of my wits. This book makes you appreciate your freedom even if you do have to clean up your room once in a while.

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Summary: Number the Stars
Review: This book is historical fiction. It's about a ten year old girl named Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen, during 1943 when Hitler is killing the Jews. Their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages and Nazi soldiers marching in their town.

The Nazis won't stop searching for the Jews. The Jews of Denmark are being relocated, so Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be part of their family. While her mom and dad are hiding somewhere else she stays at that family. One day Annemarie is asked by her mom to go on a dangerous mission to save the lives of her best friend and her family.
The part of this story that happened to Lise and Peter is really sad. If any likes sad stories you should read this book and find out what was really sad.

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Summary: Excellent story of friendship and bravery
Review: This book was about a young girl named Annemarie Johansen who lived in Germany during the time when the Nazi's were in power. Ellen Rosen was a Jewish friend of Annemarie's and when the time came for her family to flee Denmark for fear that the Nazi's would drag them out of their homes and to concentration camps. Ellen stayed with Annemarie and her family so her parents to go on and find a safe place to live. The idea behind this plan was that if the Nazi's questioned the Johansen's about Ellen then could reply that she was their daughter Lise, who had actually died years earlier. With the help of Peter, Lise's boyfriend, who was in the Resistance the Rosen's and other Denmark Jews safely made their way to Sweden. The Johansen's risk a great deal trying to save their friends and the others. When an essential package containing a handkerchief sprayed with a mixture designed to temporarily damage Nazi search dogs' sense of smell is accidentally dropped during the escape to the fishing boat. This would allow the Jews to hide safely under the fishing boat deck and not have the dogs sniff them out. Annemarie takes the dangerous job of delivering it to the boat before her friend and family are discovered and killed by the Nazi's.
I loved this book. I thought that it was a great story of a young girl and her bravery, friendship and determination in a time of horror. Lewis Lowery did an excellent job creating this scenario. These two main characters were perfectly realistic. It was nice also because rather than reading a terribly sad ending this one was realistically happy. The happiness at the end when the small boat of Jews arrived safely in Sweden and how Annemarie looked forward to being able to see her friend again when Nazi's power diminished.

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Summary: Cool Book!!! Ever!!!
Review: This is a great book it is funny at some parts, but the rest is all sad. I think it is so cool at every part!!! Ithink everyone should read this book!!!

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Summary: How many stars can I put...
Review: When the Nazi soldiers march in Copenhagen, 2 young girls are about to discover what it means to be Christian and Jewish in the early 1940s. To save their Jewish countrymen, many Danes willingly defied the Nazis and helped their friends. This book tells a fictional story about one such situation.

This is an incredible book about a forgotten part of the Jewish Holocaust. I believe strongly in teaching about this event so that people always remember it and will not repeat it. We all know what happened in Germany, but this story does not go to the concentration camps. It instead shows a side not often seen of some of the true heroes of WWII.

Why 5 stars?:
We need to teach about such an impactful event in our history or else risk repeating it. This book tells a wonderfully crafted story with many accurate details about an often forgotten part of WWII. It is appropriate for fourth graders and up. With short chapters and numerous published teaching guides, it lends itself very well as a teaching material and literature support for a study of WWII.