The Stars Shine Brightly

Teaching children about the Holocaust is not an easy thing to do.. especially 90 12 year old children.. in the year 2000. World War II is as far removed to them as the Civil War or even Ancient Rome. Most sixth graders enter my classroom never having heard about the horrors Adolf Hitler and his Nazi troops inflicted upon millions of innocent people.. but they must know.

I use Number the Stars to begin my unit of study on the Holocaust. It is easy to read and understand and Lois Lowry has a unique way of making you feel as if you have known the main characters, Annemarie and Ellen, since birth. Though the characters are fictional, the book is based on truth and the students become interested in this period in history as they immerse themselves in reading a great adventure.

The story is set during World War II in Denmark and examines the friendship between Annemarie and Ellen, who is Jewish. When the Nazis arrive to round up the Jewish residents of Copenhagen, Ellen is hidden away among Annemarie and her family for her only chance to survive.

Because this story is based on factual events, my students do not have a difficult time believing the plight of Ellen and her family.. nor do they question the remarkable ending to this Newbery Award winning book.

If you are interested in a light introduction to a very heavy subject, this book is the ticket. There are bits of humor.. and, more encouragingly, never-ending hope. Good will prevail.. of this they are certain. We should all close the pages of Number the Stars having learned a lesson from the spirits of Annemarie and Ellen.