Personal Response to Book
 Before I even knew the novel’s story line, I was initially drawn to it because of the almost eerie resemblance the picture on the cover had to my youngest sister, Melissa.  As I began reading, there was an automatic emotional connection because I am the oldest of three daughters.  My sisters are now seventeen and twelve and I am twenty-two.  Annemarie was ten and Kristi was five when the book began and that caught my eye.  Thankfully, I am still alive unlike poor Lise.  The fondness that Annemarie and Kristi have for Peter also reminds me of my little sisters.  They feel as though my boyfriend is a big brother.  The connection between the Johansen family and my own family really made the book much more personal for me.
I have so many responses toward this book it is hard to get them organized.  The Holocaust has always been an aspect of history that I am very sensitive toward.  The courage and compassion that the Johansen family has toward the Rosen family and other Jewish families was simply amazing.  This book was even more heart wrenching because I knew that incidents in the book, such as, smuggling people to Sweden, actually happened. Kristi kept things humorous, which was helpful in such a serious, realistic book.   Her witty, stubborn, completely unfrightened comments to the soldiers on the street reminded me of my littlest sister at that age.  Her excitement about Ellen spending the night, when everyone else knew something was wrong, lightened the book.  I placed my little sisters into the characters of the Annemarie and Kristi.  I related everything to my own family and it was so very easy for me to do.  Although I have never been in a situation close to the situation in Denmark, there was still a simple, immediate connection because of the resemblance of the Johansen family to my own.   I remember feeling about my sisters the way that Annemarie feels that Kristi is so stupid and childish.  As soon as I realized that Lise was dead, I could not put the book down.  I know that it must sound strange, but in my mind I was imagining what it would be like to live without one of my sisters.  I just imagined that my parents would not be able to talk about the death of one of us because of the hurt.
Annemarie was a so very courageous, even though she did not understand everything at the time.  She was always so brave and witty when faced with horrifying predicaments.  Example:  The run-in with the Nazi soldiers in the woods while carrying the special package.  Her Uncle Henrik told her that it was easier to be brave when you were certain about all of the details.  After Uncle Henrik made the statement, it really made sense to me.  It is much easier to be brave when the details aren’t so clear. Annemarie proved her courage and intelligence the night that Ellen stayed with the Johansen’s.  She quickly thought to take off Ellen’s necklace with the Star of David charm when the soldiers searched the house.   At the end of the book it was so sweet and heart warming how Annemarie put on the necklace while waiting for Ellen to come get it.  I came to realize that the book had much to do with the importance of family, the true horrors of Jewish persecution, but most of all the value of human bonds. Annemarie was obviously not Jewish, yet she wore her friend’s charm.  She was a twelve-year old that knew the meaning of loving people without prejudices.  The world would be such a better place if everyone could be more like the strong people of Denmark.
The Afterword of the book was so interesting.  I was surprised with all of the things in the book that actually happened.  The handkerchiefs with rabbit’s blood and cocaine blew my mind!  Number the Stars is even more appealing to me because it ends with hope.  World War II is such a sad subject, and it is nice to read that people did survive.

Literary Elements

Characters
Annemarie Johansen
Kristi Johansen
Mama Johansen
Papa Johansen
Ellen Rosen
Mr. Rosen
Mrs. Rosen
Peter
Uncle Henrik

Plot
A family in Denmark during World War II helps Jews escape safely to Sweden to avoid persecution from the Nazis.

Theme
The importance of family.
The importance of basic human bonds and friendships.

Tone
Suspenseful, unbiased, somewhat humorous

Point of View
Third person

Setting
Copenhagen, Denmark and Gilleleje, Denmark

Style
Straightforward, symbols
 

Curriculum Connections

Ask students do research on Denmark’s role in World War II using the following on-line resources.  The students should then try to compare and contrast the actual events of the war to the events in Number the Stars.  Have students group together and discuss common findings and enlighten each other about on individual findings.  This should be a time of asking and answering questions. Students should have opportunities to present to the class the information gathered.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Detailed and reliable information on the Holocaust and Denmark.
http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/denmark.htm

Beyond Number the Stars
The sites listed will help students to understand the Holocaust.
http://www.richmond.edu/~ed344/samplers/stars.html

World War II Facts
Detailed information in a chronological order.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001288.html

World War II Links
Hundreds of links, categorized by topic.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/2691/links.htm

The History Place - World War II
Photos and maps of World War II in the Pacific.
http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/pacificwar/index.html

World War II Timelines
Grade Levels: Intermediate, Middle, Secondary
Timelines are a way of organizing events and these have rich detail to offer as well.
http://ac.acusd.edu/History/WW2Timeline/start.html

Denmark Facts
All the facts, maps, and statistics you need to know about Denmark!
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107460.html
 

 When students begin reading Number the Stars, give them a list of vocabulary words to define. Students should try to familiarize themselves with these terms and try to incorporate many of the terms in their journal entries about World War II.
 Prejudice
 Holocaust
 Resistance
 Ethnocentrism
 Racism
 Ghettos
 Concentration Camps
 De Frie Danske
 Nazi
 King Christian X

 Ask students to use the following on-line resources to find actual survivors of WWII from Denmark.  Have students write reaction papers describing  their feelings about the survivors’ testimonies.

http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/smdenmark.htm