Number The Stars by Lois Lowry is one of the most inspiring and touching books I have ever read. This book is set in Denmark during the Holocaust. The main character Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen were racing down the road when they are stopped by Nazi soldiers. This was nothing new for these young ladies because the soldiers have been in Denmark for a long time. When these two girls reported the event to their parents the girls noticed their parents became very worried. Within the next chapters the reader finds out the Nazi are planning to relocate all the Jews of Denmark. Annemarie does not fully understand what this means, but she does know her best friend Ellen is Jewish and in trouble. Because the people of Denmark were warned about the relocation, they were able to hide many of the Jewish people.
The main plot of this story is to get Ellen and her family safely to Sweden, a neutral country. In order to do this Annemarie and her family must hide their friends as they travel to the shores of Denmark, which is across from Sweden. Though there were many close calls along the way the Johansen’s were able to safely get the Rosen’s to the shores of Denmark. The hardest and most dangerous part of the journey was about to began. Young Annemarie had an important decision to make; was she willing to die for her friends? Could she be brave in the face of danger?
This powerful story shows how two families were thrust in a horrible situations. How, in spite of danger and certain death, these families stuck together for the betterment of humanity. And, in spite of all the odds, a young girl finds bravery. This books is full of intrigue, which keeps the reader excited about reading. There are many parts of the book where I found myself holding my breath because I was scared of what would happen next.
One of the most frustrating things about reading historical fiction is knowing where the history stops and fiction starts. Lois Lowry was kind enough to add a closing section of the book that explains which parts are historically accurate and which parts are from her imagination. It was amazing to see how much of this story was based on fact. Another amazing thing Lois Lowry did was to include the people that inspired her characters. There are not many books I would say this for, but this is a must read book for everyone. One cannot read this book and not be inspired by these characters. I have a new found respect for all the heroes and victims of the Holocaust.
I remember reading this book in early middle school and being touched by it. I love the way that historical fiction makes events so much more personal for students, especially a topic like the Holocaust that is very challenging to digest.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny that out of all the historical fiction books we happened to stumble across the same book. Like you I really enjoyed the story and wish I had read it as a child. I've read several books about the Holocaust because I was always fascinated how such an event took place and under the eyes of so many onlookers. I really liked how this novel touched on the resistance efforts and approached the topic of the Holocaust in a way that is very appropriate for younger children. I think children and adults should definitely experience this story!
ReplyDeleteAfter both you and Miss Millson have commented on it, I feel like I need to reread this book, especially since I remember loving it so much.
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