Number the Stars
Lois Lowry
138 pages
Numbering the Stars
This book takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark; around the time of World War II. The central character is Annemarie Johansen, who is a young Danish girl, who lives in the time of place when the Nazi soldiers are trying to take the Danish people to listen to their commands. The book is about the soldiers coming in and trying to gather up all the Jews and take the away somewhere unknown to the people of Copenhagen. Ellen Rosen, is Annemarie’s friend, who also is Jewish. The Johansen family insists that Ellen lives with them to protect her from the Nazi soldiers. She pretends to be Annemarie’s dead sister, Lise. The central conflict is the safety and well being of trying to protect Ellen and other Jewish people from the Nazi soldiers. It involves the struggle between the Nazi soldiers “relocating” all the Jewish people they find and the escape plan to Sweden that the Rosen’s and other Jewish people are trying to execute safely without being caught.
The main characters in the story are Annemarie Johansen, Mrs. Johansen, Ellen Rosen, Peter Nielsen, Henrik, and Thor. Annemarie Johansen is the main character in this book. She lives in Copenhagen, Denmark. She is ten years old and very tall for her age. She has a younger sister named, Kirsti, and her best friend is Ellen Rosen, who is Jewish. She is a very brave and outgoing girl and in the story, Annemarie only wanted the safety of her best friend, Ellen, to make it to Sweden so that once the Nazi soldiers had left, that Ellen could come back to Denmark safe and sound. Mrs. Johansen is Annemarie’s mother and she is a very courageous and strong women. She is the one who takes the girls to go to her brother’s house, Annemarie’s uncle, Henrik. She keeps the children in calm and keeps them safe. She tells the girls stories and she is very determined when she risked her life to keep the Rosen’s and Ellen safe. Ellen Rosen is Annemarie’s best friend...