Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

Reading the Book, Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

  I recently was given the task of reading the book Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry with a small group of 6^th grade girls.  They picked the book out of a selection of books.  Speaking strictly from a gender biased perspective; it would not have been my choice. 

   The book tells a story of a non- Jewish family helping a Jewish family during the time of the Nazi invasion of Denmark in 1943.  It’s told primarily from the perspective of a 10 year old girl by the name of Annemarie. 

   The book give a good picture of what life was like in Denmark at the time of the Nazi invasion and it goes into detail about how the young Annemarie and her family helped her young friend Ellen and her family to hide from the Nazis.  I was surprised by how interesting, informative, and entertaining the book was.  It was fast paced, easy to read, and kept my attention and my student’s attention right up to the end.

Below is some student writing and a few photos.

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Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

   Number the stars is about a 10 year old girl named Ellen Rosen. She is Jewish and the Nazis are coming to kill all the Jews. Nazi’s are very disrespectful people. The Nazi’s won’t stop. They have taken all there food and supplies.  Ellen moves in with Annemarie who is not Jewish and they hide her .The Nazi soldiers come to Annemarie’s house and asked who the dark hair one is. So Annemarie’s father goes in the photo album and takes out a picture of Annemarie sister when she was younger so the believe that she’s part of the family. So the Nazi take over Copenhagen.  Since the Nazis are taking over Copenhagen, the Rosens have to go with Annemarie’s family to live with uncle Henrik who help them escape

By Elissa B.

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Below are a few video clips of students' reading some passages they picked out from the book.

Kiara reading her chosen passage.

Janae reading her passage

Ms. Elissa reading her chosen passage.

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As we read the book I  had the students write some questions and paragraphs about the book.  I enjoy having them write questions because we get to talk about what is a valid question.  

Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry

   Number the stars is about a 10 year old girl named Ellen Rosen. She is Jewish and the Nazis are coming to kill all the Jews. Nazi’s are very disrespectful people. The Nazi’s won’t stop. They have taken all there food and supplies.  Ellen moves in with Annemarie who is not Jewish and they hide her .The Nazi soldiers come to Annemarie’s house and asked who the dark hair one is. So Annemarie’s father goes in the photo album and takes out a picture of Annemarie sister when she was younger so the believe that she’s part of the family. So the Nazi take over Copenhagen.  Since the Nazis are taking over Copenhagen, the Rosens have to go with Annemarie’s family to live with uncle Henrik who help them escape

Why was Annemarie running down the street? 

Why did they have to go to their uncle Hedrick house?

Was Annemarie Jewish?

Who is Ellen?

By Elissa  

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What I am reading is called number the stars the main people is Annemarie , Ellen and Annemarie parents the book is about Annemarie is a ten year old girl .she best friend Ellen is the same age. The book is about how about how the germans took over demark. Germans are trying to relocate Jews. So Annemarie has to help her best friend Ellen. Ellen is a Jewish. So she has to help her friend get out of Denmark before the Germans come.

Janae

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This story is about a 10 year old girl named  Anniemarie  Johansen  and her best friend  Ellen Rosen. They both live in Copenhagen Ellen is a jew and the nazi soildiers don’t like jews .The Nazis are trying to kill the jews and there friend Mrs.Hirsch works at the little shop on the corner one days she disappeared she was a jew to.The rosens had to hide,peterwas lises fiancé.lise died in a car wreck.Peter still comes and visists.Peter is going to help the rosens and some other jewis escape  the nazis .The night the Rosens and the other jews are obout to be transported to Sweden they get there safly and Anniemaries mom was soppouse to be home at 3:00am.But she didn’t come home Anniemarie goes up stairs to look out the wind and there she was lying in the midlle of the road, Anniemarie tip toed down the stairs so she wouldn’t wake up Kristy.she ran down the road to her mom she said that she had broken her ankle from triping over a tree root in the path way .

1.       Why are you running?

2.       Who is the man who rides by?

3.       How is the dark haired one?

4.       Why are you lying?

5.       Were is mama?

6.       Why will it be a long night?

7.       Is the weather good for  fishing?

8.       What is the house by the sea

S    Sabrina

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Number the stars By; Kiara Spells

1.             Why are Annemarie an Ellen running?

2.             Who is the man that rides past?

3.             What happened to Mrs. Hirsch?

4.             How is it going to be a long night?

5.             Where was mama?

6.             Where is Mrs. Hirsch?

7.             Who is on the dark path?

8.             Why are  they lying?

9.             Who’s house is by the sea?

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