Number the Stars is an award winning historical fiction novel by Lois Ann Lowry. It is about Annemarie Johansen and her family, which includes her little sister Kirsti, her deceased older sister Lise(who was part of the Resistance) and their parents. The story takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark during World War 2. Annemarie’s friend, Ellen Rosen is Jewish and they try to hide her from the Nazis and successfully move the Rosens and many other Jews out of Denmark to Sweden, where they will stay during the duration of the war. Although the Resistance occasionally faced setbacks and dangerous situations caused by tiny accidents, they were mostly successful in their efforts thanks to the devotion of its members to this cause. Annemarie and the Johansens stood out in particular from the other members. Unfortunately, Peter was captured and killed along with other members of the Resistance towards the end of the story, but they met their death willingly and with courage. To add insult to injury, the Nazis refused to return the bodies of the people they executed and simply buried them at their place of death. However, the sacrifices, both physically and emotionally, were not in vain, as thousands of innocent lives had been saved.
Courage is all about facing our fears and helping out others when they need us, even when it is dangerous. Helping others might be risky at times. In the story, Ellen Rosen, Annemarie’s best friend, was Jewish and her family was being targeted by the Nazis. Annemarie wanted to save her, but everybody knew that if someone were to be caught sheltering Jews, they would be sent to the concentration camps with them. Nonetheless, the Johansens and many other members of the Resistance proceeded with their actions, and they succeeded. When Annemarie found an important packet lying on the ground, she suggested that "she will take it" to Uncle Henrik (pg 64). Annemarie did not even know what she was doing for the Resistance, as her family had not told her anything before the final chapter, but what she did know was that she was fighting for good and was helping her friend escape from the persecution of the Nazis. The members of the resistance were helping others, risking their own lives in the process. Bravery is an honorable virtue.
As we face difficult and sometimes, even frightening experiences, we will mature slowly. Growing up is an inevitable process that can be accelerated by tackling our problems in life.
The story begins with Annemarie racing against Ellen and being stopped by Nazi guards. Annemarie tried everything to convince them that her friend, Ellen, was not Jewish, and it worked. Later on, she played an important role in hiding the Jews from the Nazis mainly because her best friend was Ellen Rosen and she wanted to help her and her family. She delivered a special packet that was a handkerchief covered in a chemical that would disable a dog’s sense of smell. Along the way to Uncle Henrik’s ship, she was stopped by Nazi guards and the basket was searched. However, she pretended to be a naive little girl and did “what Kirsti would do”(pg 72). Annemarie charged blindly at the challenges she was faced with and throughout the story, she matured from the little girl that she used to be. Maturity can be a blessing, although it is hard to achieve.
Helping others is about saving them from danger or lending them a helping hand when they need it. In the story, the Danish were saving thousands of Jewish lives at the risk of their own. Annemarie was the most determined because Ellen Rosen(she was a Jew) was her best friend. She would never give up and would do anything to get past the guards, from pretending to be a naive little girl to using convincing words. When the resistance faced setbacks, such as when Peter accidentally dropped the chemical-laden handkerchief while helping the Rosens escape, Annemarie would always offer to help, even when she was scared. However, there were some things that she could not change, such as the fact that Kirsti accidentally told the Nazis that Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen, was Jewish. While the Resistance helped the Jews in their attempts to escape from Denmark, they also received outside aid. The organization was massively successful as nearly all of the Jewish population in Denmark was sent to Sweden, where they were safe from the storm back at home. Annemarie was a valuable helper for the Resistance. Loyal friends help each other when they need it the most.
Number the Stars is a historical fiction novel about a girl named Annemarie Johansen and her family trying to help their Jewish friends, the Rosens, escape from Denmark. They were aided by Peter Neilson, a member of the Resistance and husband of Lise, Annemarie’s deceased older sister. Of course, even though Annemarie was just a girl, she had to contribute as well. She delivered an important package because she was a genius at getting past the guards and covered up many of the Resistance’s secrets from the Nazis because of her playing with words. This story teaches us that first, courage is an honorable trait. Second, maturity has many benefits, but it takes hard work to truly achieve it. Finally, friends help each other when they most need it.
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