Number the Stars

A fan of Lois Lowry, I was excited to read this with my child when she was assigned to choose a historical fiction book for an assignment. This was an awesome and educational choice. Out of 4 book report assignments, this one was her favorite read, mine too. It was especially interesting reading the Afterward, learning how fact and fiction merged into this beautiful tale of courage.

I think this is becoming a classic read for elementary and young middle grade readers. It has historical lessons that are still powerful in modern times. Everyone should be as educated abt the impact the Holocaust had on ALL people and the impact it continues to have. Understanding the events from an appropriate angle for a younger audience makes this book a good read and a great teaching and learning tool.

I chose this rating because everything is put together in the story with the resistance and the Johansens concealing Ellen. Peter Neilsen and Lise add what this family has gone through. Then Annemarie takes the drugged handkerchief to the Rosens, saving their skin and taking a heroic part in the story. Then their is Kirsti, who is an obstacle from Annemarie and her parents to tell the Nazi soldiers what they are up to. That shows how smart the characters are. They had to be smart to use their resources and get the Rosens safely to Sweden. A VERY great book. Every single part of it.😀😺👧👨👩👴👵👶👩‍🎓👩‍🏫👩‍⚖️👩‍🌾👩‍🍳👩‍✈️👩‍🚀👩‍🚒👩‍🔧👮🕵👩‍🏭👩‍💼💂👷👩‍🔬👳🎅👩‍🎤👩‍🎨🤶👼

I loved this little book. Being of Danish extraction (and my husband Swedish) made it most interesting to me! I knew very little about how the Danes and Swedes helped the Jewish people during WWII, and this book made me very proud to be Scandinavian. The Danes rescued about 7000 Jews out of their country and into neutral Sweden in false bottom fishing boats. They used handkerchiefs stained with rabbit blood and cocaine to fool the noses of the German dogs who searched their boats. I loved the fact that the Danes loved their KIng Christian X so much. When asked how he could feel safe going out and riding his horse among them everyday, the answer was that all of Denmark was his bodyguard. My Grandmother's name was Ingeborg, too, as was the mother's in this story! It may be a children's book, but it is just as good for adults.

Number the stars is a wonderful story about bravery and friendship. It is set in occupied Denmark during WWII and tells the story of two families, the Johansen’s and the Rosen’s. The Johansen’s are Danish and Christian and the Rosen’s are Danish and Jewish. The families live in the same apartment block in Coppenhagen and are very good friends. The book discloses a lot of interesting facts about life in Coppenhagen during WWII including the food and other shortages. I learned an awful lot about the war in this small European country through reading this book such as: In 1943, the Danish resistance movement rescued all but 500 of its Jewish population of 7 000 to 8 000 from being sent to Nazi concentration camps by transporting them to neutral Sweden where they were offered asylum. Denmark surrendered to the German invaders in 1940 as the King, Christian X, did not want to subject his people to a slaughter. He knew his army was no match for the Germans. In August 1943, the Danes sank their entire navy in Copenhagen harbour as the German’s approached to take the ships over for their own use. There are some other fascinating historical facts included in this book that I won’t reveal as they would be spoilers. When the Jews are warned by their Rabbi at the Jewish New Year Celebration that the Nazi’s were going to start rounding them up for deportation that night, Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen are thrown into turmoil as both families act together to save the Rosen’s from deportation and smuggle them to Sweden. This book is for children aged 8 to 12 years old and is a wonderful way to introduce this age group to the horrors of war in an appropriate way. The book is not at all graphic but it does convey the fear and tragedy that is war. This book won the Newbery Award.