Number the Stars Study Notes

Number the Stars Study Notes

Introduction

• Lois Lowry wrote Number the Stars 20 or more years before the introduction.
• The book was awarded the 1990 Newbery Medal.
• The Protagonist is approxmatelly age 10 in the book.
• Readers of all ages can relate to experiences from books.
• The book highlights challenges people face during difficult periods.
• The story has been translated into multiple languages, including Hungarian and Hebrew.
• A Danish friend was the prototype for the fictional Annemarie.

Why Are You Running?

• Annemarie and Ellen are racing in Copenhagen.
• They are practicing for an athletic meet.
• Annemarie is lanky, while Ellen is stocky.
• Kirsti, Annemarie's younger sister, is left behind.
• Annemarie and Ellen are stopped by two German soldiers.
• The soldiers are suspicious of the girls running.
• One soldier is tall with a long neck, and the girls have nicknamed him "the Giraffe".
• The soldiers search Annemarie's backpack.
• They ask the girls questions and are generally intimidating.
• Kirsti pushes a soldier's hand away.
• The soldiers let the girls go but warn them not to run
• The girls see more armed soldiers
• Mrs. Rosen, Ellen's mother has coffee with Mrs. Johansen
• The mothers discuss the Resistance and bombings in Hillerød and Nørrebro.
• De Frie Danske, "The Free Danes", is an illegal newspaper.
• The Resistance fighters are Danish people who harm the Nazis
• Mrs. Rosen is scared the soldiers will remember the girls, and tells them to take another route
• Rationing is in place
• The girls must go to school another way because Mrs. Rosen is scared the soldiers will remember them

Who Is the Man Who Rides Past?

• Annemarie tells Kirsti a bedtime story about a king and queen.
• Kirsti interrupts and asks if the Palace is named Amalienborg?
• The story reminds Annemarie of a real king, Christian X.
• King Christian X rode alone through Copenhagen, greeting the people.
• Papa told the story about a German soldier who didn't know who te king was
• The boy told the soldier that all of Denmark was his bodyguard
• Norway was crushed after fighting the Nazis and are now occupied
• Papa says that Sweden is still free
• Lise has died two weeks before she was due to be married to Peter
• Peter is redheaded
• Mama and Papa don't talk about her death
• Red headed Peter still visits with the girls
• Peter used to be fun but is now different since Lise died

Where is Mrs Hirsch?

• Annemarie and Ellen take a longer route to school to avoid soldiers
• The mothers knit mittens because winter is coming
• The Johansens use a stove due to lack of fuel
• Ellen's father has trouble seeing in dim light
• Kirsti and Annemarie share a bed
• Annemarie and Kirsti are meant to go to Mrs. Hirsch to replace a button
• The shop is closed and padlocked and there is a sign in German
• Ellen saw Mrs. Hirsch and her family on Saturday, looking fine.
• Mrs. Hirsch moved somewhere
• Annemarie saw a sign with a swastika on it.
• It is revealed that Mrs Hirsch closed her store because she is Jewish
• Peter visits unexpectedly at night and brings shells for the girls
• He says the Germans are closing Jewish owned stores
• He brings bottles of beer for Mama and Papa
• Annemarie realizes the Rosens are also Jewish
• Peter says the Rosens will be ok but to watch Ellen
• Annemarie realizes all of Denmark must be bodyguard to the Jews

It Will Be a Long Night

• Annemarie and Ellen play with paper dolls while Kirsti is out shopping with Mama
• They are playing Gone with the Wind, but Kirsti interrupts and whines
• Mama bought Kirsti fish skin shoes because they can't get leather
• The shoes are green, and Kirsti hates them
• Ellen says her father can make them black
• Kirsti says not to tell anyone that they are fish
• Kirsti asks to play paper dolls
• They decide to go to Tivoli in their imaginations
• Tivoli Gardens had been burned by the occupying forces
• They have "fireworks" due to Kirsti's birthday
• The fireworks was the naval fleet being blown up
• The girls must help Mama with housecleaning for the Jewish New Year and can’t play
• Mrs. Rosen came with chicken Mrs. Rosen said her and Mr. Rosen have been called away by relatives
• The girls had a visit from Mr. Rosen instead to say some realtives are visiting
• There was quiet tension at dinner

Who is the Dark-Haired One?

• Ellen is nervous because the soldiers might come, but father doesn’t think so
• Ellen thinks about pretending to be Lise so she can act
• Ellen was a great dark queen in the school play
• Peter mentions the incident on Osterbrogade to keep an eye out
• The girls go to pretend they are normal sisters
• Ellen asks how Lise died
• Peter was with her and there was an auto accident
• Ellen remembers it was raining the next morning and Mama was crying
• The Star of David was around Ellen's neck on a gold chain
• Ellen said she would be beautiful in her dress
• Ellen said that she is scared of the Germans
• The girls were awakened in the night when soldiers came to the apartment door.
• Papa was angry at the soldiers for asking if his wife was having an affair with the milkman
• Papa showed pictures to the soldiers and the soldiers left
• Ellen admits she doesn't know when the chain can come off

Is the Weather Good for Fishing?

• The Germans have issued order closing stores run by Jews
• Ellen says that she is responsible for having dark hair
• Mama took Ellen's hand and said Ellen has beautiful hair like her mama's
• Papa says Lise was bold and 2 when she did have dark hair
• They discussed the closing order
• Peter would even take them out for beer
• The Rosens are Jewish Too
• Annemarie think its her job to look after them
• Papa says its their job to protect them
• Kirsti said that he said i looked as pretty is pretty
• She was honest
• Annemarie is now 10
• Annemarie will die for the protection of others as well

The House by the Sea

• Ellen is in awe of the sea
• They girls see a gray kitten as they go the water
• Annemarie said the Kitten is named Thor
• They head to Sweden to find a new life
• It was a good place
• They find the path home
• Mama gets upset with their activity when they were there
• The place is deserted
• What the future has in stake no one knows
• When they turned towards the water 2
• Peter said it's easier if there is nothing to know.
• It’s a Danish tradition after a death occurs

There Has Been a Death

• Annemarie heard Henrik rise and leave the house
• Ellen was not asleep at that moment for the day went to the kitchen and made oatmeal
• The electricity is used the candles are
• Kirsten tried make kitten drink water
• Mama laughed. They are all like each other
• The sky is clean
• There is no sugar in them
• There was cream
• No one even has the butter right now
• Annemarie joked

Why Are You Lying?

• Annemarie went outside after super the house
• Mama always knew where they were going
• She wandered and said that people were very nice
• They didn’t care

Let Us Open the Casket

• Henrik goes to the living and helps bring all to life
• Is the beginning for anyone
• Mama helps set the living room
• The words are very bad
• Ellen, Peter, and the daughters move into the ocean

Will We See You Again Soon, Peter?

• Was all good
• They were gone.

Where Was Mama?

• Peter was gone from the house on the way home
• They talked down each other and said bad time for war
• There love ones would be with them to do

Run! As Fast As You Can!

• The two got faster and never looked back in those day
• When times went on it did not go as hoped.
• The girls came back and everyone was as happy as happy could be and

On the Dark Path

• She was very sad and upset from the long before
• When she was scared the ocean would cry
• They were all there in those rooms and times
• Peter has had been a big deal in her life

My Dogs Smell Meat!

• It was hard for the girls and people not there
• They were being watched not at the time

I will Tell You Just a Little

• If she does remember all good.
• There is no need to lie about it like the others were doing not knowing how to act
• Is always good to think forward like this

All This Long Time

• This took many years for the all to leave the planet
• These days were hard and were always a long time
• This has always been like for forever not to be seen anymore so it hard to lose time.

Afterword

• Annemarie is real the author would know
• She is very nice and friendly

About the Author

• Known as a versatile author
• Born in Hawaii grew in New York
• Has a awards
• She is an amazing writer