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"How brave are you, little Annemarie?" Uncle Henrik asks his ten-year-old niece. It is 1943, and to Annemarie Johansen, life in Copenhagen is a complicated mix of ordinary home and school life, food shortages, and the constant presence of Nazi soldiers. Bravery seems a vague virtue, one possessed by dragon-slaying knights in the bedtime stories she tells her younger sister, Kirsti. Too soon, she herself is called upon for courage.
As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of Denmark, the Johansens take in Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, and pretend she is part of the family. Ellen and Annemarie must think quickly when three Nazi officers arrive late one night and question why Ellen is not blond, like her sisters.
Through Annemarie's eyes, we see the Danish Resistance as they manage to smuggle almost the entire Jewish population, nearly 7000 people, across the sea to Sweden.
The next book that we will read is entitled Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry. It is an account of Annemarie Johansen who is living
in 1943 Denmark. The Nazis have taken over Denmark and are beginning
to "relocate" the Jews. The story tells of Annemarie's
encounter when her best friend, Ellen Rosen, becomes the target
of the relocation efforts.
The story is historical fiction but is based upon actual events and facts. Much of the story is told in a way that the reasons for the events are unclear; just as the events were to Annemarie. Not telling all the facts kept people safe during the war. By the end, Annemarie has figured out all the reasons behind the "strange" actions that were occuring around her.
For this piece of literature, we will focus on the rising and falling action of the plot along with the climaxes in the story. We will also work on building in depth answers to questions and learn how to extend the answer beyond the questions.
The links on this page are designed to allow further exploration of the topics that are inherent in the story. Many of the links are centered around World War II and the Holocaust. The topics here show the extreme treatment that groups of people receive due to ideas of prejudice.
The Countries Involved in the Story
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The map shows Denmark and the surrounding area. The story is primarily set in Denmark. |
King Christian X of Denmark
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Brief King Christian Biography
King Christian Biography from Wikipedia
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World War II Links
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World War II Interactive Timeline What did you do in the war, Grandma? World War II-Battles without Boundaries |
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The Holocaust
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destruction of the Jews in Europe by Nazi Germany. |
Holocaust
Stamps from the Children of Israel
Anne
Frank-An Unfinished Story
Resistance and Survivor Stories
Denmark's Fight for Independence
Interview
with a Holocaust Survivor
Judaism
Common
Expressions and Sayings
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 Number the Stars author, Lois Lowry |
