When I was a young girl, I loved books like The Diary of Anne Frank and stories from this era of history. At the end of the story, Annemarie holds on to Ellen’s Star of David necklace, hoping to return it after the war.īased on a true story adapted into this Newbery Medal-winning book, Number the Stars paints a realistic depiction of what goes on in the mind of a 10-year-old girl in WWII. In the end, her bravery saves the lives of several people, including that of her best friend. Putting aside her fears, she does what she is called on to do to prevent the plan from being thwarted. Annemarie must quickly get a mysterious envelope to her uncle before it’s too late. On the night of the escape, something goes awry that jeopardizes the whole rescue mission. But as Annemarie discovers, it is not a routine visit but a plot to help several Jews escape to safety. When German soldiers show up in the middle of the night inquiring about the whereabouts of Ellen’s family, they all pretend Ellen is Annemarie’s late sister.Īfter this close call with the German soldiers, Annemarie, her mom, younger sister, and Ellen visit her uncle by the sea.

She decides the Danes must now be the bodyguards of the Jewish people. During this time, Annemarie remembers a conversation with her father about the Danes being bodyguards for the king. She is curious, even hurt, when her parents never seem to talk about her.Īs things escalate, Ellen’s parents decide it is time for them to leave town, temporarily leaving her in the care of Annemarie’s family. At times, Annemarie thinks about her older sister, who died.

The already dismal situation in Denmark grows tenser as Jewish shops are closed down, and talks of more closers are imminent. Set in Denmark during WWII, 10-year-old Annemarie is coming home from school with her best friend, a Jewish girl named Ellen, when German soldiers stop them.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry