Number the Stars

1. BIOGRAPHY

Lowry, Lois. 1989. NUMBER THE STARS. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395510600

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Number the Stars is Lois Lowry’s first Newberry Award. It is set back in 1943 during the German occupation of Denmark. Annemarie Johansen lives in Denmark along with her best friend Ellen Rosen, who is Jewish. During this time, political tension begins to escalate and Annemarie’s parents take Ellen in as one of their daughters in order to protect her until her parents can get her to safety. Annemarie’s mother takes both girls to visit her uncle who is a fisherman. Unknowing to Annemarie, her uncle has been working as part of a resistance group who takes Jews across the water to Sweden. As Annemarie’s uncle is about to pull out with Ellen and her family secretly hidden aboard, it is discovered that he has forgotten a handkerchief that is special to their mission, throwing Annemarie into a dangerous undertaking, she must bring the handkerchief to her uncle without being detected to save Ellen and her family.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The backdrop for this award winning story is set in 1943 in Copenhagen, Denmark during the presence of the Nazi soldiers. Throughout the story Lowry makes references about stars which help connect them to the title. Examples include when some of the Jewish community are at Annemarie’s uncle’s house and Peter opens the bible and reads a comforting verse that reads,

“It is he who heals the broken spirit and binds up their wounds, he who number the stars one by one.” Annemarie doesn’t understand this but as time goes on she helps save Jews one by one. It also talks about Annemarie’s promise of keeping Ellen’s Star of David necklace upon her return. Lowry does an excellent job in writing a simple but historical fiction that emphasizes the humanistic concept of what courage and bravery is all about. This underlining theme can easily be identified by readers of all ages. Lowry shows that ordinary people can become heroes whether they are adults or children in a time when warfare is prevalent.

Although Number the Stars is considered fiction there are some fascinating facts sprinkled throughout that Lowry has used to make this story have realism to it. Some of these facts include the shortage of food and electricity, bombings and blackouts, unnecessary killings, Danes sinking their whole navy so that the Germans couldn’t use them to the scientist working on a solution that temporarily hid the scent of hidden passengers from the German dogs. With the combination of facts, fiction, secrets and surprises throughout the story, the reader will stay engaged and enlightened until the end.

Lowry closes the book with an “Afterword” chapter that provides the reader with an explanation on which information in the book was fact and which was fiction. When reading this book, readers will need to have background on the Holocaust and World WarII to get a clear understanding of the significance of the treatment of the Jews and the control the Germans had.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

School Library Journal: “The gripping story of a ten-year-old Danish girl and her family's courageous efforts to smuggle Jews out of their Nazi-occupied homeland to safety in Sweden. Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.” (Mar. 1989)

5. CONNECTION

Discuss what point of view is with students. Then have students take a character and write what their point of view is with a certain moment in the book.

Examples: Point of view of Mrs. Johansen when Annemarie leaves to take the handkerchief to

the uncle.

Point of view of Annemarie or Ellen when the soldiers barge in their room at night.

Point of view of the Uncle before Annemarie brings the handkerchief

Other related books:

Bordern,Louise. THE GREATEST SKATING RACE: A WORLD WAR II STORY FROM NETHERLANDS.

ISBN 9780689845024

Adler, A. David. WE REMEMBER THE HOLOCAUST. ISBN 0805037152

Abells, B. Chana. CHILDREN WE REMEMBER. ISBN 068806372

Bishop, Claire. TWENTY AND TEN. ISBN 0140310762

Roosevelt, Eleanor. ANNE FRANK: THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL. ISBN 9780553296983