Module 4 Newbery: Number the Stars and Sounder

Number the Stars 

Bibliographic Information

Lowry, L. (1989). Number the stars. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 

Summary
Annemarie and her best friend, Ellen, are living in Nazi-occupied Denmark during WWII.  Even though they can feel the effects of the war through food shortages and German soldiers on every street corner, the girls' lives still have a sense of normalcy.  They go to school daily, play in each others' apartments, have footraces- everyday activities of young children. Everything changes for Annemarie and Ellen when their families learn that the soldiers are going to start arresting Jews.  Annemarie and her family bravely agree to help Ellen's family escape the Nazis.  First they hide Ellen in plain sight by having her pretend to be part of their family.  Then they come up with a plan to smuggle the Jewish family to Sweden.  During this dangerous journey to the coast, Annemarie learns the meaning of true courage and realizes just how far she will go to help people in need. 

Impressions
This book is a different take on the sad story of Jewish persecution during World War II.  I appreciate the fact that it was told through the eyes of someone who wasn't Jewish but could still feel the horrifying consequences of the Nazis' actions. Even though Annemarie was young and didn't truly understand what was happening, she knew that her friends had done nothing wrong and didn't deserve what was happening to them.  I think this innocence emphasizes to the reader just how wrong the situation was.  One day Ellen's family is living peacefully in the apartment next door, and the next they are being "relocated" for no reason at all.  Seeing these events as Annemarie, a 10-year-old girl, saw them and how they prompted her to act to save her friend impress upon the reader the gravity of the situation.  I loved the fact that the story included a description of the people of Denmark and how they bravely acted to save Jews by smuggling them to safety in Sweden.  This is a wonderful work of historical fiction that includes an inspiring history lesson as well. 

Review

A moving and satisfying story of heroism in war time which is totally accessible to young readers.  Annemarie's life in occupied Copenhagen in 1943 seemingly is not much changed by the war--until the Nazi persecution of Danish Jews begins.  Annemarie's family becomes involved in the Resistance effort, helping a Jewish friend by having her pose as Annemarie's dead sister Lise.  When an important packet must be taken to the captain of one of the ships smuggling Jews to neutral Sweden, Annemarie finds the courage needed to deliver it despite grave danger to herself.  Later her Uncle Henrik tells her that brave means "not thinking about the dangers.  Just thinking about what you must do."  Lowry's story is not just of Annemarie; it is also of Denmark and the Danish people, whose Resistance was so effective in saving their Jews.  Annemarie is not just a symbol, however.  She is a very real child who is equally involved in playing with a new kitten and running races at school as in the dangers of the occupation.  Number the Stars brings the war to a child's level of understanding, suggesting but not detailing its horrors.  It is well plotted, and period and place are convincingly recreated.  An afterward answers the questions that readers will have and reiterates the inspirational idealism of the young people whose courage helped win the war. 

Review Reference

Sherman. L. (1989, March). [Review of Number the Stars, by L. Lowry]. School
     Library Journal. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2071/ehost/
     pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=755e3cf8-a9a2-44ed-b8e6-ac06ecee572b%40
     sessionmgr112&vid=30&hid=122 

Library Use
~ This book could be used in a historical fiction display focused on books set during WWII and the Holocaust, along with titles such as Odette's Secrets, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Prisoner B-3087.  Many students are very interested in these events and like to compare works of fiction set during this time in history.

Book Trailer by Melissa Leonard

Sounder 

Bibliographic Information
Armstrong, W. H. (1969). Sounder. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. 

Summary
Sounder is a hunting dog owned by a poor family of sharecroppers.  He goes out with his master every night hunting for food for the family.  As food becomes more and more scarce, the master becomes desperate to feed his family.  One morning food miraculously shows up on the table, and even though the young boy telling the story is confused, he's also thrilled to have so much to eat.  Sadly, the food leads to several devastating events for the boy and his family.  The arrest of his father and wounding of Sounder make the boy determined to help his family through this difficult time. Set in the South in the early nineteenth century, Sounder is much more than a 'dog story.'  It is a story of racism and struggle, but it also illustrates how courage and hope can lead people through desperate situations.

Impressions
I think this book should be required reading for all humans upper-elementary grades and older.  Through the boy's thoughts, the reader gains an understanding of how racism affects people.  We see his fear of the world around him.  We feel his longing for the knowledge to read, something so many of us take for granted.  We also watch his emotions change as he begins to realize the injustice of his life and anger sprouts inside him.  This story can build empathy and understanding among people who have never experienced bias personally.  It isn't an easy topic, especially with younger students, but it is one that must be discussed because these problems are still very real today. 

Review
SOUNDER is a remarkable, moving story that captures the ugliness of racism and poverty as well as the desperation and necessary strength of downtrodden people, in this case an African-American sharecropping family in the rural South. By presenting the story from the emotional viewpoint of the boy, the author makes the reader feel his loneliness and fear, as well as his amazing determination and courage. Terrible things happen, as they often do in an unjust, prejudiced world, but a hopeful optimism presides. Not only is the story moving and tender, but the language that tells it is also realistically detailed, with multiple layers of symbolism that are uncomplicated but powerful. 

Review Reference
Tauzer, P. (2010). [Review of Sounder, by W. H. Armstrong]. Common Sense
     Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews
     /sounder 

Library Use
~Sounder could be used for older elementary or middle school students in lessons focused on civil rights, either in conjunction with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or Black History Month.  The events in the book could be used in discussions as a bridge between events of the past and current events, leading students to talk about the actions they can take to make positive changes in our world.