Number the Stars
Written by Lois Lowry
Reviewed by Jesse M. (age 10)
Do you know what World War II was really like? If not, then this is the book for you! It all begins with two girls, Annemarie and Ellen, running down the street. Annemarie doesn’t know much about the war that’s going on. Both girls are stopped by two Nazi soldiers and asked who they were. Ellen stood way behind Annemarie because she was Jewish and didn’t want to be noticed. They went home and told to their parents, who became so worried, and that’s when the action starts. Annemarie and her family try to help the Jewish people get from Copenhagen, Denmark to Sweden and face some problems.
One of the themes in Number the Stars is bravery because in this book Annemarie has to be brave to help her friend. Uncle Henrik told her, “…the less you know, the braver you are.” Then, Annemarie wanted to help even more. The themes were beyond amazing: the bravery, the hatred, and the friendship. I found the character of Kirsti (Annemarie’s younger sister) to be obnoxious, stubborn, and funny. She’s five years old and she did funny things, but she almost told the soldiers that Ellen was Jewish. My favorite part is in chapter eight, “There Has Been a Death.” There was a lot of lying, like about who died and does she exist or not, but they find out what’s really true. Things go horribly wrong and soldiers come. This book is unique because it has a Newbery Award which means it was the best of all the books that were written in the same year.
I recommend this book to kids in 4th grade and higher. I’d think people who like historical fiction or adventure would love this book. I hope you don’t let this book out of your sight!