Number The Stars

I decided that since we just read, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, I would read another book by her for this week. For my outside reading book I chose to read, Number the Stars. This is another one of those books I was obsessed with as a child. I don't know how many times I read it, but it was enough to give the front cover a beating. I hadn't read this book since middle school so I forgot most of the plot. I didn't forget what it was generally about though. The Holocaust. It is one of those strange things that I love learning about.The Holocaust was horrible and I will never understand how humanity could so cruel. Perhaps that is why I am fascinated with it, because it just jogs my mind. Anyways, the book, Number the Stars is basically about a girl named Annemarie Johansen who lives in Denmark during the Nazi occupation. She learns about the war and the Jews and soon finds herself caught between a rock and a hard place when it is revealed that her best friend Ellen is in fact a Jew. Ellen's family leaves her with Annemarie and when the Nazi's come to the Johansen's house, she pretends to be Ellen's sister. This part gets me every time and I feel my heart racing as to whether or not she will get caught. I think that this part of the story is well written and it makes one feel like they are there. The Nazis were cruel, and just reading about them frightens me. Ellen survives the night and keeps up with the lie that she is Lisa, Annemarie's older sister. The next part that frightens me is when the Nazis enquire about the coffin in the Johansen's house. They slap Mrs. Johansen for smart talking them and I feel for Annemarie. I would have burst into tears if someone did that to my mom. This just shows how brave she is and the change that has undergone in her. In the end Ellen escapes with her family to Sweden and Annemarie waits for her to come home. Overall, this book was really good and though it is a children's book, it can be quite scary.