Number the Stars

Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life. 

In this historical fiction novel, author Lois Lowry does an amazing job of telling the invigorating tale of Annemarie on a quest to find her friend while still holding true to the events and attitudes appropriate for the era in which it takes place. Lowry uses well developed characters, an authenticated plot, and has a theme of war that can bring about larger historical concerns all throughout the book. 

Discussion

1) Why did Lois Lowry choose those words? What stars is she referring to?

2) Look at the chapter titles. Many of them are quotes from the story. Would you have chosen the same ones? Why or why not? What do you think would be a better title?

3) Look at the characters in the story. How can Annemarie do what she had to do? Where did she get her strength? 

4) Which countries had kings or queens back when this story took place? Which ones still do? Do you think it is better to have a king or a president? Why do you think it is important to have some type of order throughout societies and countries?

5) The Nazi soldier who stroked Kirsti's hair and said that she reminded him of his own little girl makes him less villainous than Lois Lowry might have shown him. Why did she do that? What is she saying about soldiers in general?

6) Sometimes the adults in the book don't always tell the truth. Why is it all right for them to lie? What's dangerous about the truth in their situation?

7) What did you know about the Holocaust or the Danish Resistance before reading this book? Did reading the book inspire you to learn more?"

Activities

1) Mapping: Include geography in this lesson by finding maps of prewar and postwar Europe. Have the students map the routes escaping Jews took from each country. Have them discuss where they feel the Jews could have gone to be the "safest". Have them discuss how the maps are different from prewar and postwar and why it is so.

2) In Memory: Have students make scrapbooks honoring the characters Lise or Peter, who die for Denmark's Resistance Movement. They can create pictures, captions, newspaper clippings, and so on, covering significant moments mentioned in the novel.

3) Fact or Fiction: Have students find and read a factual account about Denmark at the time of the German occupation, using an encyclopedia, a history book, the Internet, or the library. Ask students to write an essay comparing the factual account to Number the Stars. Ask them to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each type of writing.

4) Resistance across Europe: Have students work alone or in small groups to choose a resistance movement or hero to research. Guide the selection to cover a variety of people and places. Help students establish criteria for written reports. Encourage them to include visuals, such as drawings of people or places.

References

Galda, L., Cullinan, B., & Sipe, L. (2010). Literature and the child (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.

Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1989. Print.