Number the Stars

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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.