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__ Number The Stars __

By Lois Lowry Ch. 1-2 (pgs.1-17): In the first Chapter of Number the Stars, Annemarie wanted to practice for her school's race on Friday by practicing with her friend Ellen. They raced home from school and through a whole crowd of people until two German officers stopped them in their tracks. The officers gave a serious talking to the three girls (including Kristi who was Annemarie's sister) about how running home can make them look hoodlums. After, talking to the girls, they walked the rest of the way home. Kristi then told her parents. The three were then told to walk a different and longer path from that point forward. In the second chapter Annemarie was telling bedtime stories to her little sister Kristi. She told one story about their older sister Lise and how she served for the Dane resistance but was killed two weeks before her marriage. Annemarie also described how her whole family would do anything they could to protect King Christian. And King Christian would always parade through the streets of Copenhagen.

ch 3-5:Annamarie finds out that the Germans are closing the Jewish owned stores and taking the Jewish families to another place, "relocation". Peter secretly warns the Johansens that the Rosens must leave Copenhagen.So the Johansen's take in Ellen and for her safety, pretend that she is Lise, the older dead sister. The Rosens leave Copenhagen. While Ellen is sleeping over, three German soldiers came to take the Rosens away but could not find them so they searched the Johansen's house in the middle of the night. Annemarie rips off Ellen's Star of David necklace so she can pass for her dead sister, Lise. The angry soldiers question the Johansen family about Ellen and how she has black hair. Mr. Johansen rips a baby picture from a scrapbook of Lise when she had black hair to "prove" that Ellen is Lise. Annemarie sees that she is holding the star necklace so tight that it is imprinted into the palm of her hand.

Ch 6-7:During these chapters we find out that Ellen and Annemarie are traveling with Mrs. Johansen on a train to Mrs. Johansen's brother's house. The father doesn't come because it will be less suspicious to soldiers if a women is traveling with young children.Annemarie's Uncle Henrik's house in a fishing village near Sweden. On the train, ride Annemarie, Ellen,and their mom encounter two German soldiers who check if they were Jewish on the Jewish New Year's Day. They say "why would it be New Year's its only October to "fool" the soldiers. After the train ride the three walk two miles to their uncle's house to hide from the Germans. As the day was ending the two friends were in bed and Annemarie was explaining how years ago she heard laughter and loud conversations. Now all that Annemarie hears were whispers from her mom and her uncle. There are lots of secrets and being careful of what you say during the war.

Ch 8-9: Annamarie, Kirsti,and Ellen are enjoying the farm lifestyle playing with a kitten and eating dairy, while their mom has been cleaning the house for Henrik, a bachelor fisherman. The girls are told there is going to be a funeral for Aunt Birtie and the that it is going to be at their house. Annemarie is certain that an Aunt Birtie does not exist. While Henrik milks a cow named blossom, he tells Annemarie that it is not a real funeral and explains to her that knowing only what you need to know will help her be brave when she needs it. Annemarie trusts him. That evening a hearse arrives with a casket. Kirsti is sent to bed. "Mourners" arrive, people dressed in black with food. Annemarie doesn't understand why there is food and where Uncle Henrik is going. Ellen goes with Henrik and returns with Peter and Ellen and her parents, the Rosens.

Chapter 10: Uncle Henrik leaves saying everyone is there. An elderly bearded man says to Henrik, "God keep you safe". German soldiers arrive wondering why so many people have come to their house. They want to open the casket but Mrs. Johansen says that Aunt Birtie died from a contagious disease, typhus. The soldiers are afraid of getting sick so they don't open the casket but they slap Mrs. Johansen in the face and storm out. Peter reads an ancient psalm from the Bible about a man who numbers the stars one by one. Annemarie wonders How could anyone number the stars one by one? There were too many. The sky was too big.

Chapter 11: Annemarie finds out that the casket only held clothing and blankets for the people to keep warm. Annemarie notices that Ellen looks differently in patched old warm clothing, not like the pretty outfits she used to wear. There isn't a coat for the baby, but Mrs. Johansen gives Kirsti's favorite sweater to the baby to keep warm. Peter drugs the baby so the baby won't cry and give away the people's location. Peter gives Mr. Rosen an important packet. Peter leads the first group to the harbor. Annemarie isn't told, but understands that Uncle Henrik is taking the people on his boat, across the sea to Sweden where they will be safe. She thinks about how scared the Rosens must be of the sea and the soldiers and the times that are ahead of them.

Ch.12-13 Mama leads the second group, the Rosen family to the harbor by the light of the stars. It is safest is they break into groups. Mr. Rosen stumbles in the darkness and loses his packet from Peter and doesn't know it yet. Annemarie stayed back at the house with her sleeping sister. She is so afraid for her mother's safety. She falls asleep and realizes when she wakes that her mother has not returned. She sees her mother lying outside in the cold with a broken ankle. Anne marie helps her mother inside. She comments that the stars are almost gone and that soon Henrik will leave to go fishing. Annemarie discovers the important papers are not with Henrik, but are on the ground. She bravely runs to the harbor with a basket of bread and cheese covering the papers to give to Henrik.

Ch.14-15 She takes the footpath in the woods to the harbor like little red ridinghood. She comforts herself with thinking about what Kirsti would say about what she was doing. She reminds herself to act like a silly school girl just bringing her uncle his forgotten lunch should she run into anyone. She is stopped by four scary armed soldiers with frightening large dogs. She explains to them that she is taking the lunch to her Uncle, a fisherman. She cleaverly replies to their question of why doesn't he eat the fish he catches, she says "He says he sees too much of it and smells too much of it." She chatters on silly so the don't suspect her. They are mean and toss his bread and cheese and give insults to her when they only find the handkerchief in the bottom of the baskets. The dogs are hyper from the smell of the meat from the handkerchief. She safely delivers the "lunch" to her Uncle who says that she has made everything alright.

Ch.16 No one was home when Annemarie returned to he house because Mama was at the doctors. Blossom, the goat, needed milking and Annemarie figured out how to do it. Henrik safely returns and tells Annemarie that the Rosens were safely aboard the boat- underneath the boards. She now understands that Peter is in the Resistance. She is told how the soldiers are searching the fishermans boats because they know Jews are escaping and can't figure out how. Peter took the problem of the dogs smelling through fish and hidden jews to scientists who came up with a solution. The scientists made a special drug that is put in a handkerchief. It attracts dogs (like meat) and when dogs smell it they can't smell well after it. Henrik reasurres Annemarie that the Rosens are safe in Sweden because the Swedish want to remain free. Henrik tells her that the baby did not cry on the trip and was awkening in Sweden. He says that the she saved the Rosens and tells her that the war will end because all wars do.

Ch.17 This chapter summarizes what has happened in the last two years. The war ends when Annemarie is 12. Neighbors in Denmark have taken care of the Jews things while they were away, "It's what friends do" said her mama. Peter was caught. He was executed by the Nazis for his important part in the resistance. He is buried in a mass grave. Annemarie's parents tell her the truth about her sister Lise in the resistance and how she died. They didn't lie to her about being run over by a car. They just did not tell her the whole truth because like Henrik says, sometime knowing too much doesn't help you be brave when you need to be. The family seems to talk about Lise which helps them heal. Mr Johansen fixes Ellen's Star of David necklace so that she can give it back to Ellen when she returns home.

**Settings** The setting of the first five chapters take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1943, during World War II. During this time, the German Soldiers take control over the streets of Denmark. Annemarie lives in a double apartment where she lives on the upstairs floor, and her Jewish friend Ellen Rosen lives on the bottom floor. The second main setting of the story occurs after they have traveled by train and have arrived at Annemarie's Uncle Henrik's house by the Baltic sea, in the town of Gilleje. Gilleje is across the sea from the neutral country in WWII, Sweden, which is not occupied by German/ Nazi soldiers This proximity to Sweden is important to Denmark's Jews, like the Rosens, who can hope to escape the Nazi's. The last major change in setting happens in the final chapter of the book when we are told that the war is now over (two years later) and the Johansens are living in Copenhagen waiting for their Jewish friends to return from Sweden. Excellent description, Max, but I don't recall that the Johansens apartment was a double apartment and the Rosen's apartment was located on the bottom floor. I think you were adding a few creative details.

**Comparison and Contrast**

Ellen is a ten year old Jewish girl who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark with her best friend Annemarie. Annemarie is a ten year old Christian girl who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark with her best friend Ellen. Ellen has both a mom and a dad but she doesn't have any siblings or relatives in the story. Annemarie has both a mom, a dad and a two sisters. One is named Kristi, she is the little sister. Other sister is named Lise, she was the older sister who dies in the resistance. Annemarie also has an Uncle Henrik. Ellen has black hair. Annemarie has blond hair. Ellen and Annemarie both live in the same apartment but Ellen lives in the downstairs apartment. Annemarie lives in the upstairs apartment. Ellen is much slower than Annemarie. Annemarie is much faster that Ellen. Ellen and Annemarie both go to the same school. Their town is invaded by Nazis. Ellen has a Star of David necklace. Annemarie doesn't have a necklace. Ellen is shy and Annemarie does more talking to show her bravery. Ellen is singled out as a victim of Nazi abuse because she is Jewish. Annemarie is safe from the Nazis because she is Christian.Annemarie choses to put herself in danger because of her friendship with Jews. Both will be killed if the Nazis know that Annemarie is helping hide Ellen and other Jews. You pointed out some good contrasts between the girls.

**Themes** **Losing Childhood Early**- Annemarie and other characters ( Peter, Lise, Ellen) had to lose their childhood early because of war. Annemarie struggles to understand which world-( adult or child) she fits into. Is she really a child at 10 years old when she has to deal with hiding her friend from death? She can only "act like a silly school girl" when she meets the German soldiers at the harbor- she can't be a silly school girl. Lise and Peter give their teenage years up for the freedom of Jews. Not exactly usual teenage duties! This is a very interesting idea and could definitely be considered a theme in this story.
 * Truth and belief in others-** Through the book, the Johansens and the Rosens trust in each other. When Peter tells the Johansens that the Rosens need to leave their home, city and country, the Rosens trust Peter and the Johansens to do what Peter and the Johansens say. They trust that the Johansens will take care of their daughter, Ellen. Therefore all of these characters value how important it is to tell the truth and believe in others because they are all risking their lives. Annemarie has to believe in the information that she is given by her parents and Uncle Henrik. She has to trust in them and understand that she needs to say what she is told to soldiers( delivering lunch to her Uncle), so that she can do what she needs to act "brave".

**plot line**
 * Bravery**- Bravery is the most important action of the characters in the book.I feel that bravery is the important message that runs throughout the book because without it, Jews like the the Rosens and all the others who were taken to Sweden, would have died. Annemarie showed bravery when she ran into and talked to the German soldiers while she was on a foot path trying to bring a package to Uncle Henrik. Another example of bravery is when Annemarie ripped off Ellen's Star of David necklace when three German soldiers barged into the Johansen's apartment look for the Rosens. Many times Annemarie could have betrayed the Rosens out of fear, but she didn't let fear control her. Annemarie and Ellen were shown strong examples of bravery by their parents and Uncle Henrik and Elise and Peter. The girls saw examples of bravery and then could act using their own bravery.


 * exposition**-1943 in Denmark, uncle Henrik's house in __Gillje__. ????? Copenhagen! Exposition is information before the action of the story starts.
 * initiating incident**- When Annemarie and Ellen run into the German soldiers, and Mrs.Hirsch was "missing." The tension increases in Copenhagen as the soldiers seem to have more presence and power. More likely it occurs when the soldiers enter Johansen's apartment looking for the Rosens.
 * rising conflic**t- When the Germans were relocating the Jews and breaking into homes and searching for them in the middle of the night. The power and control of the Nazi soldiers have increased Describe a particulary scene!
 * climax**- The Jews escape Copenhagen and then Denmark : first by getting to Gillelje and then escaping Denmark, hiding on fishing boats under the watch of Nazi soldiers. This isn't a particular scene in the story
 * resolution**- The Jews safely arrive on Fisherman's boats in Sweden and when the end of the war happens and the Catholic friends are waiting for their Jewish friends to return from Sweden.