Number the Stars: Two Perspectives

It is he who heals the broken in spirit and binds up their wounds, he who numbers the stars one by one. 
Psalm 147:4


After reading and reviewing The Giver by Lois Lowry, many others recommended Number the Stars to me. In my tortoise-like fashion, I obtained and read a copy of this novel, which won the Newbery Award for being the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children in 1990.

Briefly, this work of historical fiction takes place in 1943 during World War II and the Holocaust in Copenhagen, Denmark. Nazi soldiers have invaded the town during the five-year German occupation. When the Jews of Denmark start being "relocated", 10-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her family risk their lives to help Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, a young Jewish girl, by having Ellen live with them where she poses as Annemarie's older sister. The title of the book is from a line in the psalm quoted above, and also refers to Ellen's Star of David necklace.

When my 12-year-old daughter, Angela, finished the book she was reading, she clamored for another book. I suggested she read Number the Stars. At first, she was reluctant to read it, but once she started it, she was hooked and declared, "It's so good!". I decided to share this review with her, so you'll have the perspective of an adult and a child. I got the idea to do a joint review from Amanda from The Zen Leaf, who does them from time to time.

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I found this book to be extremely touching. I was immediately drawn into the story and the ways in which the children experience life during wartime. How long did it take you to "get into" the story? Did the first chapter, when the kids are racing home and bump into Nazi soldiers, capture you as it captured me?

Angela: Yeah, it really did. I was hooked after the fifth page, I think. I wasn't too thrilled when I first saw it, even though I had heard very good things about it from friends, and of course, family. But I gave it a chance, and I'm very glad that I did!

Life before the war was much more carefree. Now there are food shortages and soldiers on every street corner. How do you think Annemarie and Ellen feel now? How about Kirsti, who yearns for "a big yellow cupcake with yellow frosting"?

Angela: I think Annemarie and Ellen feel like part of their life has been taken away. I know that I would feel that way if soldiers just invaded our town, and left us with barely enough food to go around. Kirsti, I think, only remembers little things from life before the war, like big yellow cupcakes and "fireworks", so she is not as affected.

You're right, Angela. Kirsti doesn't understand as much as the older children do.
I found the presence of the Nazi soldiers rather menacing. Deftly, the author made me feel frightened with just the right words. How did you feel when the Nazis pounded on the door?

Angela: I felt as if I was right there in the story with all the characters! I felt their anxiety, tension, and relief when the soldiers left the apartment. Lois Lowry really did a great job putting her readers into the story!

Now I just have one question for YOU! I know you have read another book by Lois Lowry, The Giver. How did Number the Stars compare to it?

While I found the dystopian world of The Giver to be quite thought-provoking, I think Number the Stars is absolutely incredible. The author allows us to see the war through the eyes of Annemarie, the protagonist, and gives us just enough descriptive details; our imaginations fill in the rest. It's a perfect story in so many ways, on so many levels, a story about friendship, compassion, love, bravery, and hope, in spite of the war and hard times. As you know, Angela, I actually started to reread this book soon after you read it, because I wanted to experience its beauty again. I'm sure that I'll reread this gem many times. What more can I say about Number the Stars but that I highly recommend it for both children and adults.

For another review of Number the Stars, please visit The Reading Life.

Mailbox Monday

When I received a package from Botswana today, practically covered with colorful stamps, I knew in a flash that I had to do a Mailbox Monday post.  Every week Marcia from The Printed Page hosts Mailbox Monday.  I've never done this meme before, although I've often commented on others' Mailbox Monday posts.

In the package was An African Tale, which was sent to me by the author, Enna Neru.  I've been intrigued by Botswana ever since I started reading The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.  The other book, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, which I'd ordered from an Amazon.com marketplace seller, also arrived today, and has been recommended to me by many.

The Giver

Serendipitously, I chanced upon a copy of The Giver at a used book shop, a short novel I've been meaning to read, signed by the author Lois Lowry, who wrote, in 1994,

"with love to those who
read--
remember--
and GIVE"

a most fitting inscription for this book, which was published in 1993.


Winner of the 1994 Newbery Medal, The Giver has been called controversial due to some of the mature themes, and has been banned at various times. Despite or more likely partially due to this, The Giver is one of the most popular books read by young adults today. It's also read in some college-level classes, because it leads easily into discussions about rules, conformity, freedom of choice, and other significant topics.

"If everything's the same, then there aren't any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic, or a red one?"
~The Giver, Lois Lowry

Set in the future, The Giver is the story of a young boy named Jonas living in a highly structured, controlled community, a society which has eliminated pain and strife by converting to "Sameness". Residents live peacefully in "family units", and there are many rules and ages for nearly everything. For example, when a child becomes "a Nine", he or she is officially allowed to ride a bicycle. In this novel, there's much attention given to the importance of the "precision of language", which is taken to such an extreme that corporeal punishment is used from an early age to ensure it. Upon the first "stirrings", children begin to take special pills that they'll continue to take throughout life to control their emotions, stay detached, and carry out prescribed functions. Each member of this society is assigned a life role as "a Twelve", giving each a job in a safe, predictable environment for all. Furthermore, those who fail to conform properly are "released", in order to preserve the integrity of the community as a whole. What at first appears to a be a utopia soon reveals its limitations as a society in which much has been relinquished. Gone are feelings, memories, colors, choices--even books! As the protagonist, Jonas, explores memories of a past he has never before known, he realizes that he's been existing in a bland, colorless, dystopia, devoid of true emotional depth.

This book makes you think. I'll recommend it to my children as well as my readers, and reread it myself. It dramatizes the importance of questioning the status quo, and the cost and value of individuality and freedom of thought and choice. If you have read this book, or intend to in the future, I hope you'll take a moment to share your own thoughts.

Bookworm or Bibliophile

If you're reading this post, chances are good that you're either a bookworm or a bibliophile. Do you know the difference between these two words? Although sometimes the word bookworm is used in a derogatory sense, to me a bookworm is someone who simply loves to read. A bibliophile, on the other hand, is someone who loves books themselves, admires and often collects them, and usually likes to read. Bookworms go to the library to find books to take home and read, whereas bibliophiles may visit libraries to surround themselves with books.

I consider myself more of a bookworm, but I don't think I'm the stereotypical bookworm, socially awkward and pedantic; I wonder why some associate an interest in reading with negative traits. However, I do at times get books for the purpose of adding to my collection, and very recently found a beautiful copy of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, illustrated by Louis Jambor (even though we already own two versions of this classic), and a copy of The Giver, signed by author Lois Lowry. Are you a bookworm, bibliophile, or both?