Number The Stars

Number the Stars
by Lois Lowry


Review by Cora, age 11.

This book takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark in September 1943, the third year of the Nazi occupation of Denmark.  A 10 year old girl named Annmarie has a friend named Ellen, who is Jewish. The Nazi's are taking all Jewish people to a relocation far away, so Annmarie and her family try  to hide Ellen's family at their uncle's house just off the border of Switzerland, but find out that hiding from the Nazis is a lot harder then it sounds.  The Nazis are everywhere!  There are many times where Ellen's family is nearly discovered.  That kept me turning the pages!

Annmarie and Ellen weren't exactly real people, but they were based on childhood's friends of the author.

It must have been sometimes boring and sometimes scary to stay hidden all the time for Ellen.  I can't imagine how hard it must have been.

There is also a character named Peter, who helped the Jews escape to Switzerland. He was a real historical person and a hero.

I think Lois Lowry wrote this book to help us not forget about this time in history.  It was not just a boring history book because of all the exciting things that were happening and there was always excitement in every chapter.

I read it in two days because I couldn't put it down!

I recommend it for all ages, unless you're a young child who is easily scared.  

The Willoughbys

The Willoughbys
by Lois Lowry
Review by Annalise Rose, age 10.


The main characters names are Timothy, he is the oldest, and then there are the twins, Barnaby and Barnaby, most people just called them Barnaby A and Barnaby B. Then there was little Jane, the youngest and the only girl, besides her mother of course.  They lived in a tall thin house, with an attic as a play room.  Whenever Timothy, or Tim for short did not like something none of the other kids were allowed to like it either.

One day they found a baby at their door step! They brought the baby in the house to show their mother. When they showed the child to their mother she just wanted to drop it of somewhere, but Jane did not want her to, because she thought it  looked cute with its little curls. Then her mother walked over and cut off her curls, and jane did not think it is cute anymore. You might guess from this that the mother was mean!

One day the kids mother and father got invitations for a free ship ride called The Reprehensible Travel Agency, which the children had sent to the house in order to possibly get rid of their rotten parents (they were hoping a giant squid would eat them).  Of course that would mean a baby sitter for the children left behind. They went through so many baby sitters, till finally a plump little lady got the job!

Did the parents get eaten? And by the way, if you think the children were mean for planning this, you should see how the parents try to get rid of the children! HINT: they've been reading too much Hansel and Gretel!
                                    
I would recommend  it! It's a great read aloud book.