NUMBER THE STARS
By Lois Lowry
Maria Bellot
WHO IS LOIS LOWRY?
Lois Lowry was born in 1937 in Hawaii. As her father was an Army dentist, the family lived all over the world.
Lois went to Brown University, but left to get married. She later, moved to Maine and graduated from the University of Southem Maine.
She started writing in the 1970s. She has wroten over 30 novels and twice winner of the Newbery Medal. ( The Giver and Number the stars).
Her best ability writing is to help adolescents to think about life and answer their own questions.
She's long divorced and now, Grandmother of four.
SUMMARY
Number the stars is a story about the Holocaust, the darkest moments of the last century.
How the Nazis wanted to eradicate all Jewish people and their culture from the earth.
It is set in Denmark during the II World War. It's focussed on Johansen's family life at that time. They're the parents, Annemarie and Kirsti. The older , Lise, died in an accident two weeks before her wedding. They keep in touch with Lise's fiance, Peter, who had no married anyone.
Annemarie is 10 years old and Kirsti only 5.
The Johansen are close to Rosen's family, their neighbours. They're Jewish and have an only girl, Ellen, who is the same age as Annemarie. Both are very close.
The Johansen help to Rosen to scape from the soldiers.
Mrs Johansen takes Ellen with her both daughters and went away to her brother's house, Henrik, in the country, in the North of the Danish coast.
Henrik's house was placed outkirts of the village, sorrounded of woods and a wide meadow, also near the harbour.
Mrs Johansen and Henrik were always teasing each other.
Henrik no raised crups on the farm, although he still kept a cow ( Blossom) who gave a little milk each day. It was such exciting to the little girls!.
Henrik invented a death, Great-Aunt Birte's death.
Annemarie was so puzzled!. She had never heard this name before, so she asked about that to her Uncle while he was milking Blossom. He had to tell her partly the truth.
They prepared the living room, moving the furniture to put the casket where Great-Aunt Birte will be resting.
Other people came Henrik's house as the night grew darker and sat down quietly in the living room.
As the soldiers were everywhere, some of them got Henrik's house to see what was happening there. Everyboby were frightened but finally they left the house and later most of the people were taken to the Henrik's boat anched in the harbour.
They were hidden inside to be safe.
Mrs Johansen gave them some bundles with food and clothes and one specially to an old man who fell down on the steps and lost his pack which was very important.
Annemarie had to bring it until the harbour, running across the woods as fast as possible, because her mother had broken her ankle when she was coming back at night.
Although Annemarie worried about soldiers and they stopped her, she reached the boat on time, before it started to sail and gave her Uncle the pack.
At the end of the story, Annemarie knew completely the truth. Her sister Lise and Peter had helped Danish people to scape. The pack kept drug in a handkerchief to dogs couldn't smell well.
The war ended almost two long years later and Peter was dead.
REVIEW
In my opinion Number the stars is a lively and lovely story eventhough is based on the holocaust during de Second World War. It is a mistery story and grips you from the beginning.
The main character, Annmarie, is a brilliant heroine. She is very cleaver and also is very brave and loyal girl altough she can't notice it.
I guess the author want to tell us how brave were the people at that time, the sacrifice they made and the courage and integrity of the Danish people and how much they loved their king Christian X.
I would recommend you to read it. It is worth and you will never forget it.
VOCABULARY
This book is full of adjectives and uses different verbs to describe the same action.
For example: to giggle, to grin, to chuckle, to laugh