Book Critique
Vandana
Number the Stars is a very touching, interesting, and realistic book. In other words, I liked it very, very, very much. It taught me a lot about the German occupation during World War II, especially in Denmark. I had learned before in school about how the Nazis mistreated Jews, tortured them, and even killed them in concentration camps. By reading Number the Stars, I learned even more about normal Danish citizens and how their daily lives were affected by the war. Specifically, the book helped me understand what it was like for all citizens, including non-Jews, to live in countries where German occupation existed; they lived in constant fear. Lois Lowry’s writing was easy to read and so understandable that it made the whole story, and the history, come alive. This book deals with sensitive topics of friendship, parenting, sense of community and service. It also made me think about duty, courage and sacrifice. Therefore, I say again what I already said before: that I loved Number the Stars a lot and would recommend it highly!!!
Did I believe the characters in the novel? I thought that the characters were very realistic, especially Annemarie, Ellen, and their families. In the Afterword, Lois Lowry tells readers that the novel was inspired by the true story of her friend, Annelise Platt, who had lived with German soldiers on every corner of the street, and had observed their power, mistreatment and abuse of simple people. The setting for the characters is also very believable; it seems very possible that two neighboring families who are good friends live in an apartment building on a street in Copenhagen. They depend on each other and help each other out when needed, just like kind neighbors would. The courage of Annemarie’s family is especially admirable, and I know that there were many real families like this during World War II, who helped save the lives of many Jewish people. I really enjoyed the