Book Review: Number the Stars

Synopsis

In 1943, during the German occupation of Denmark, ten-year-old Annemarie learns how to be brave and courageous when she helps shelter her Jewish friend from the Nazis.

Comments

A good book for kids learning about Nazi Germany and the effect it had on people.  A great way to open dialogue about this time in history. A tremendous account of the human spirit and how people reached out to save one another. A particularly sensitive child may struggle with some of the content.

Language

None [?]

Sexual Content

None

Drugs/Alcohol

Adults drink beer. ‘Cigarette’ is used as a code word. Real cigarettes are hard to get and people smoke ‘almost anything’. Babies are drugged so they are quiet. Woman described as a drunkard. Combination of cocaine and rabbit blood used to confuse Nazi dogs.

Violence/Disturbing

Quite a bit of peril for people in the story, constant anxiety. But not in a way that would overwhelm most readers. Nazi soldiers threaten young girl. Mention of people being killed, including a friend of the family. A young has to be quite brave in several encounters with Nazi soldiers.  Family intentionally lies to soldiers to protect their friends who are Jewish. Mention of concentration camps.

Social/Family

Be prepared to address why the Nazi’s were trying to kill people who were Jewish. Also, some war-related issues like air-raids, rationing, etc.  A Girl recounts her older sister being killed by a car. Nazi soldier suggests that the milkman is a girl’s father.

Religion/Spiritual

Star of David, synagogue, Sabbath candles, reading from Psalms