Self-learning Module 3

(Semi-Finals)
Lessons 1-3
General Objectives:

● Define the meaning of children’s and adolescent literature.

● Identify the characteristics of children’s and adolescent literature, its

forms, and emerging themes in classical and popular children’s stories.
● Understand, identify, analyze and discuss ways these genres affect the
targeted audience.
● Identify and analyze themes and concerns of the chosen works thereby
reflecting attitudes and beliefs of children and adolescents.

Lesson 1: Historical Fiction

Number the Stars

Lesson 2: Graphic Novel

Coraline

Lesson 3: Contemporary Realism/Multi-cultural

House on Mango Street

Introduction:
The focus of this module is still on genres in Children and Adolescent Literature.
Specifically, 3 genres will be studied – historical fiction, graphic novel and contemporary
realism/multi-cultural. Each of these genres underscores what children and young adults
would gain as they read stories of these genres particularly significant things that would
help them know who they are as they interact with peers as well as with adults.
Reading really is fundamental for kids, whether books focus on these common
themes or others. It's important to read to young kids and to encourage them to continue
reading on their own once they develop reading skills.
Through reading, children learn about relationships, complex issues, and the
challenges and joys they may face throughout childhood and beyond. There are many
children's books of said genres with a wide variety of themes. Discover 25 of the most
common themes in children's literature.
 Relationship-Focused Themes
Many children's books focus on themes related to relationships.
Family Relationships

Many children's books often center around the theme of family relationships. Some are
heartwarming, inclusive stories of the many forms family can take, such as Who's in My
Family?, written by Robie H. Harris and illustrated by Nadine Bernard Westcott. Others
help children deal with issues like separation and divorce.

Loyalty and Dedication

Loyalty is a recurrent theme in many children's books. This theme is illustrated very well
in A Sick Day for Amos McGee, written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E.
Stead. This picture book tells the story of Amos, a zookeeper who goes above and
beyond to bond with the zoo animals each day. When Amos is sick and misses his
rounds, the animals miss him. Rather than complaining that Amos isn't there for them,
they take it upon themselves to visit him, repaying his loyalty in kind.

Value and Power of Friendship

Many children's books focus on how priceless and powerful friendship really is. There
are many great options out there, including Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita
Varadarajan. This book tells the story of a friendship that develops between a local kid
whose best friend has just moved away and a new student whose family has just
immigrated from another country. Friendship blossoms as the two children band together
to protect themselves from the school bully.

Teamwork and Collaboration

Kids spend a lot of time working in teams, from group projects at school to sports teams
on the playground and beyond, so teamwork is a common theme in children's
books. When Pencil Meets Eraser, written by Karen Kilpatrick and Luis O. Ramos Jr.
and illustrated by German Blanco, helps kids understand that everyone has different
talents to contribute and that many talents are needed. Kids discover that the finished
product is better when team members work cooperatively together.

Themes About Emotions and Attitudes

Kids can struggle with their emotions and attitudes, so children's books often focus on
themes related to these topics.
Accepting Differences

Learning how to accept differences is a common theme in children's literature. The Kid
and the Chameleon, written by Sheri Mabry and illustrated by Joanie Stone, is a picture
book based on this theme. The young heroine learns to respect that her Chameleon friend
doesn't like the same activities that she enjoys. Through pictures and words, youngsters
learn that getting along requires give and take. There are many children's books about
cultural diversity.
Bravery and Courage

Bravery and courage are often the focus of children's books. The Harry Potter book
series by J.K. Rowling illustrates the universal appeal of this theme, beyond even the
audience of children. Adults and children alike are inspired by the bravery and courage of
Harry and his friends throughout their many adventures.

Compassion for Others

Compassion is a recurrent theme in children's literature. In Uncle Willie and the Soup
Kitchen, author DyAnne Disalvo Ryan seeks to encourage children to feel compassion
for those who depend on the kindness of others for survival. The author has real-world
experience as a soup kitchen volunteer, so the book is based on a unique perspective on
volunteering in a soup kitchen, as well as depending on one for sustenance.

Honesty and Trust

Many children's books have themes focused on the importance of telling the truth. The
rhyming picture book Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big by Berkley Breathed (of Bloom
County cartoon fame) demonstrates just how much trouble a kid can face as a result of
telling the truth. It's a fun and positive story that clearly illustrates that honesty is the best
policy.

Self-Concept

Learning to feel comfortable with who they really are is an important lesson for kids to
learn. As a result, self-concept is a common theme in children's books. In Calvin Can't
Fly: The Story of a Bookworm Birdie, an adorable picture book written by Jennifer Berne
and illustrated by Keith Bendis, a young bird who doesn't fit in with his siblings because
he'd rather read than fly ends up saving the day when a crisis requires book knowledge.

Themes Related to Behavior

Children's literature provides a great tool for children to learn positive behavioral habits.
Coping With Anger

Early in life, kids need to learn how to cope with feelings of anger. The picture
book When I Feel Angry, written by Cornelia Maude Spelman and illustrated by Nancy
Cote is a great example of this theme in an age-appropriate book for preschoolers. It
provides kid-friendly strategies for recognizing, understanding and effectively handling
the emotion of anger.

Generosity and Sharing

Many children's books focus on the importance of sharing and generosity. The
Berenstain Bears Think of Those in Need by Stan and Jan Berenstain emphasizes just
that. In this picture book, the beloved family of bears realizes that they have more
possession than they need, so they donate the excess to others. They feel so good about
sharing that they also decide to volunteer in their community.
Hard Work

Kids are never too young to learn the value of hard work. One of the most popular classic
tales focused on this theme has been around since 1930, when Watty Piper first
wrote The Little Engine That Could. It has been adapted and updated many times, but the
timeless tale remains as relevant today as when it was first written.

Imagination and Exploring Possibilities

Children who learn to use their imaginations are well-prepared to unlock their creative
potential. The picture book I Don't Want To, written by Joseph Maxfield and illustrated
by Nate Anderson, focuses on how even everyday activities and less-than-exciting tasks
can become wonderful when children infuse a bit of imagination into them.

Perseverance and Persistence

Too often, youngsters are ready to give up too soon. Fortunately, perseverance and
persistence are common themes in children's literature. Salt in His Shoes is a picture book
that tells the story of how all-time great basketball player Michael Jordan wanted to give
up the sport because he was tired of waiting to grow tall enough. Written by Deloris
Jordan and Roslyn Jordan (Michael's mother and sister) and illustrated by Kadir Nelson,
this book uniquely demonstrates the power of persistence.

Self-Control

Many children's books focus on stories designed to help children learn how to control
their impulses. That's the central theme of What Were You Thinking? by Bryan Smith.
The book focuses on a third-grader whose lack of self-control leads to disruptive
behavior in class and making other children cry. The story reveals age-appropriate
strategies for thinking before acting that kids can apply in their own lives.

Life Transitions Themes

Children's books can make it easier for kids to understand and work through the life
challenges they experience.
Growing Up

Children of all ages face the joy and agony of coming of age on a daily basis. Many
children's books focus on the theme of growing up. Are You There God? It's Me,
Margaret by Judy Blume is a classic example of a book with a coming of age theme. It
has been a favorite for older elementary and tween girls since the 1970s.

Holidays and Traditions

For all of the many holidays that exist, there are many books for kids. Children can learn
about holidays their families celebrate, as well as observances practiced by other
groups. Christmas books are one example, but there are plenty of options for every
holiday occasion. Explore a powerful selection of holiday multicultural books for
children.
Loss and Grief

Unfortunately, children aren't immune to experiencing tragedy. Because youngsters need

to learn to cope with loss, death and the resulting grief, these topics are common themes
in children's books. There are many thoughtful children's books about death and dying,
including When a Pet Dies by Fred Rogers (of the long-running children's TV show Mr.
Rogers' Neighborhood).

School Life

Children spend a lot of time at school, so school life is one of the most popular themes in
children's literature. For young kids, Miss Nelson is Missing!, a read-along picture book
written by Harry G. Allard Jr. and illustrated by James Marshall, provides a fun lesson on
how important it is to appreciate your teacher and others you should value. The young
students don't quite realize how good they have it with their regular teacher until a less-
friendly substitute takes her place for the day.

Peace on Earth

With so much upheaval in the world, many children don't know what peace feels like.
That's what children's book author Vladimir Radunsky hopes to convey in What Does
Peace Feel Like? This unique children's picture book relates peace to the five human
senses, from the mouths of babes. The author asked real children to relay what peace
feels like to them; that's what's highlighted in this unusual book.

Themes Related to Social Issues

It's so important for children to be aware of social issues that impact the world in which
they are growing up.
Fairness and Equity

Fairness is a common theme in children's literature. The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
is a classic tale that conveys the message that it's only fair to share in the work if you
expect to benefit from the results of that work. Animals who refuse to help the title
character gather the ingredients to make bread find themselves going without after the
hen makes the bread. If only they had contributed, it would have been fair for them to
expect the hen to share.

Hope for The Future

With the 24-hour news cycle and prevalence of social media, it can be hard to protect
kids from some societal turmoil. As a result, hope for the future has become a common
theme in children's books. In 2020, actress Kristen Bell partnered with author Benjamin
Hart and illustrator Daniel Wiseman to create The World Needs More Purple
People. This picture book reminds children that they are special and valued for who they
are, while also encouraging them to seek common ground with others.
Racism and Injustice

Children's books often tackle tough topics, including the themes of racism and
injustice. Something Happened in Our Town by Marianne Celano is a contemporary and
insightful story about a police shooting of a black man, told from the perspectives of a
white family and a black family. It includes materials for educators, parents or caregivers
to use to help facilitate productive discussions with children on this difficult, yet timely
and all-too-important topic.

Making a Difference

The fact that everyone can make a difference is a common theme in children's literature.
This theme is illustrated very well in The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade, a rhyming
picture book written by Justin Roberts and illustrated by Christian Robinson. The heroine
is young and small, but she does her part to make things better for everyone who crosses
her path. Her small actions of empathy and courage illustrate how everyone can make the
world a better place, one act of kindness at a time.

Taking A Stand

Children need to learn to stand up for what is right. This is a central theme of many
children's books, including the well-loved tale of Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss.
Horton is an elephant who, because of his enormous ears, is able to detect a community
of Whos residing on a speck of dust. Since no one else can see or hear them, others make
fun of him and bully him. Horton knows the Whos are there and that they matter, so he
sticks by what he knows to be the right thing to do.

Lesson 1
Historical Fiction: Number the Stars
I. Overview

Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting located in the past.
Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for the historical novel, it can also be applied to
other types of narrative, including theatre, opera, cinema, and television, as well as video
games and graphic novels.
An essential element of historical fiction is that it is set in the past and pays attention to the manners,
social conditions and other details of the depicted period. Authors also frequently choose to explore
notable historical figures in these settings, allowing readers to better understand how these individuals
might have responded to their environments. Some subgenres such as alternate history and historical
fantasy insert speculative or ahistorical elements into a novel.
Works of historical fiction are sometimes criticized for lack of authenticity because of readerly
criticism or genre expectations for accurate period details. This tension between historical authenticity,
or historicity, and fiction frequently becomes a point of comment for readers and popular critics,
while scholarly criticism frequently goes beyond this commentary, investigating the genre for its other
thematic and critical interests.
Historical fiction as a contemporary Western literary genre has its foundations in the early-19th-
century works of Sir Walter Scott and his contemporaries in other national literatures such as the
Frenchman Honoré de Balzac, the American James Fenimore Cooper, and later the Russian Leo
Tolstoy. However, the melding of "historical" and "fiction" in individual works of literature has a long
tradition in most cultures; both western traditions (as early as Ancient Greek and Roman literature) as
well as Eastern, in the form of oral and folk traditions (see mythology and folklore), which
produced epics, novels, plays and other fictional works describing history for contemporary audiences.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module the students should be able to:

1. Identify the theme of the story.
2. Make a character analysis.
3. Identify the moral children and young adults would learn from the story.

III. Learning Experience

a. Background: Number the Stars

Number the Stars is a work of historical fiction by the American author Lois
Lowry about the escape of a Jewish family, the Rosens, from Copenhagen, Denmark,
during World War II. The story centers on ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen, who lives
with her mother, father, and sister Kirsti in Copenhagen in 1943.

In Lois Lowry's unforgettable Newbery Medal–winning novel, a ten-year-old

Danish girl's bravery is tested when her best friend is threatened by Nazis in 1943.

As the German troops begin their campaign to "relocate" all the Jews of
Denmark, Annemarie Johansen’s family takes in Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen Rosen,
and conceals her as part of the family. Through the eyes of ten-year-old Annemarie, we
watch as the Danish Resistance smuggles almost the entire Jewish population of
Denmark, nearly seven thousand people, across the sea to Sweden. The heroism of an
entire nation reminds us that there was pride and human decency in the world even
during a time of terror and war.

b. About the Author

Lois Lowry is the author of more than forty books for children and young adults,
including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet and popular Anastasia Krupnik
series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe-Horn Book
Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader’s Medal, and
the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number
the Stars and The Giver. Her first novel, A Summer to Die, was awarded the International
Reading Association’s Children’s Book Award. Ms. Lowry lives in Maine.

c. Summary by Chapter: Number the Stars

Chapter 1: Why Are You Running?

Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen, both 10 years old, are running home after
school. They are followed by Annemarie's five-year-old sister, Kirsti. They have a girls'
race at school the following week, and Annemarie wants to practice. Annemarie is ahead
when she is stopped by two Nazi soldiers. They ask why she is running, and she starts to
 explain. The soldier asks what's in her backpack, and when she tells him, he asks if she's
a good student and if Ellen is. One of the soldiers strokes Kirsti's hair and says she
reminds him of his daughter. Then the soldiers tell them to go home but not to run.

At their apartment building Ellen and Annemarie decide not to tell their mothers,
but Kirsti already has. Mrs. Johansen says to Mrs. Rosen the soldiers "must be edgy
because of the latest Resistance incidents." The mothers talk about the news in the illegal
paper, De Frie Danske (The Free Danes). Annemarie thinks about the Resistance
movement. They speak a little more—Mrs. Rosen asks the girls to walk a different way,
and they talk about the lack of butter. There is no butter for bread, and there are no
cupcakes, which Kirsti wants. Mrs. Johansen says there won't be until "the war ends" and
"the soldiers leave."

Chapter 2: Who Is the Man Who Rides Past?

Kirsti and Annemarie are snuggled into bed, and Kirsti wants to hear a story. As
the narrator explains: "All Danish children grew up familiar with fairy tales." At her
sister's request, Annemarie tells a story of a king and queen and their daughter, who lived
in a palace. When Kirsti sleeps, Annemarie thinks about the Danish king, Christian X, who
is beloved by his people. He rides through the street alone on his horse, and Annemarie
remembers seeing him when she was with her older sister, Lise. Thinking of the king
makes her think of her sister, who has died, and of a story their father told about a German
soldier asking why the king had no bodyguards. Her father said the answer to the Nazi
soldier was: "All of Denmark is his bodyguard."

Annemarie thinks back to her confusion about why the Danes had not fought the
Germans when they invaded Denmark. Mr. Johansen tells her that "they fought very
fiercely in Norway." However, it was futile there. Her father explained Denmark had a
small army and many Danes would have died fighting the Nazis in a fight they could never
win. There are now German soldiers in Norway, Holland, Belgium, and France. The
exception is Sweden. That had been the case three years ago, and it is still the case.
Thinking about all of that makes Annemarie think more of her sister, Lise, who was to be
married only two weeks after the day she died. Lise's intended fiancé, Peter Neilsen, has
changed since then, as has Annemarie's father. The narrator explains that "the whole world
changed. Only the fairy tales remained the same."

Chapter 3: Where is Mrs. Hirsch?

September passes, and the mothers are knitting mittens. They have no fuel, and the
nights in Copenhagen will be cold. They have a little stove for heat and sometimes for
cooking if they can find coal. They use candles for light because electricity is rationed. As
the girls are getting ready for school, their mother notices that Kirsti has a broken button.

When the girls stop after school, they learn that Mrs. Hirsch's store is closed. There
is a sign, in German, and a swastika. The Hirsch family had gone. Mrs. Johansen leaves
Annemarie and Kirsti and goes to see Mrs. Rosen.

Late that night, Peter Neilsen arrives. He brings word that the Germans are closing
shops owned by Jews, and Annemarie worries the Jews will have no way to make a living.
Her mother assures her that "friends will take care of them."

After Peter leaves Annemarie worries about the Rosens, about the war, and
comforts herself by thinking that while the Resistance fighters had to be brave, "an
ordinary person would never be called on for courage."
Chapter 4: It Will Be a Long Night
Ellen and Annemarie are playing paper dolls when Mrs. Johansen and Kirsti come
home. Kirsti is very upset because her new shoes are made of fish skin. To comfort Kirsti,
Ellen offers to take them home and blacken them with her father's ink if he allows it. As
they speak, the subject of fireworks arises. Kirsti has never seen them, but she thinks she
has because there were bombs on her birthday and their mother said the explosions were
fireworks. In truth, those explosions were the Danes destroying their own navy so the ships
and weapons aboard them could not be used by the Nazis.

On Thursday, it is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The Rosens leave for the
synagogue. That afternoon, though, Mrs. Rosen appears and after a hushed conversation
with Mrs. Johansen, Mrs. Johansen tells Annemarie and Kirsti that Ellen will be staying
with them for a few days.

Ellen has dinner with them, and after Kirsti goes to bed, Mr. Johansen tells
Annemarie that "the Nazis have taken the synagogue lists of all the Jews. Where they live,
what their names are." He tells her they "plan to take them away. And we have been told
they may come tonight." The Rosens have left, and Ellen will stay with them for a few
days. "If anyone comes, even soldiers, you will be sisters." He sends the girls to bed and
tells them, "Tonight I am proud to have three daughters again."
Chapter 5: Who is the Dark-Haired One?
Ellen and Annemarie are in Annemarie's bedroom talking about Mr. Rosen and his
desire for Ellen to become a schoolteacher, and they then discuss Lise. How she died is
something of a mystery. Ellen talks about wishing Lise was her sister, too. Then Ellen
notes that "I wouldn't want the Germans to take my family away—to make us live
someplace else. But still, it wouldn't be as bad as being dead." The girls go to sleep, but
soldiers wake the whole house banging on the front door in the middle of the night.

The soldiers are seeking the Rosens, and they believe the Johansen family is hiding
them. As the soldiers enter, Annemarie realizes Ellen is still wearing her Star of David.
Ellen can't get the clasp open, so Annemarie tears it free. When the soldiers come into the
girls' room, Annemarie "crumpled it into her hand and closed her fingers tightly." The
soldiers search the room, and then bring the girls and the Johansens into the living room.
They question the girls, and Ellen says she is "Lise Johansen." The soldiers doubt her
because of her dark hair. They suggest the Johansens "got her someplace else" and ask,
"From the Rosens?"

Mr. Johansen gets a photo book and tears out "three pictures from three separate
pages." The officers look at the photos, each labeled, and when they reach Lise's photo—a
dark-haired baby—they tear it up, drop the pieces, and leave.

When they are gone, Annemarie sees she had "imprinted the Star of David into her
palm."

Chapter 6: Is the Weather Good for Fishing?

After the soldiers leave, Mr. Johansen begins to figure out what to do. Ellen
apologizes for having dark hair. Mrs. Johansen tells her not to apologize for her beautiful
hair, and they talk of Lise. It is the first time in three years they do so.

The Johansens decide the girls ought to skip school and go to Uncle Henrik's
house. Mrs. Johansen points out it would draw less attention if she went with the girls and
Mr. Johansen stayed behind. He reluctantly agrees. He calls Mrs. Johansen's brother, Uncle
Henrik, and asks if the weather is good for fishing. He tells Henrik that he's sending "a
carton of cigarettes." Annemarie knows this is untrue. There are no cigarettes in Denmark
at this time. The war means goods like cigarettes are scarce and rationed. Then she realizes
that it's a code—the "one carton" he is sending is Ellen Rosen.

The three girls and Mrs. Johansen board the train, and on it, they meet more
soldiers. When Mrs. Johansen says they are visiting her brother, the soldiers ask if they are
doing so for "for the New Year." Mrs. Johansen pretends not to understand they are asking
about Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year). Then, Kirsti pipes up. Annemarie is afraid her
little sister is going to expose Ellen, but all she does is show the soldiers her "brand-new
shiny black shoes." They arrive at the station and walk through the woods to Uncle
Henrik's house along the seashore.

Chapter 7: The House by the Sea

They arrive at Uncle Henrik's house and encounter a kitten. Ellen reveals to
Annemarie she has never seen the sea, only the harbor in Copenhagen where they live. She
tells Annemarie her mother "is afraid of the ocean," and that she thinks it is "too big for
her. And too cold!" They play at the edge of the ocean, where Annemarie finds a leaf that
she says "may have come from a tree in Sweden." She points out Sweden, a small strip of
land way out in the ocean in the distance. When they rejoin Mrs. Johansen, she is worried
they might have been seen. "I'm afraid there are soldiers everywhere," she says.

Ellen asks about her Star of David necklace. Annemarie assures her is hidden until
it is safe for Ellen to wear it. Ellen tells her the necklace was a gift from her father, and
they listen to Annemarie's mother and uncle talking downstairs. Annemarie notices that
everything now feels different from the way it was in the past. The narrator describes the
mood: "In the earlier times, she [Annemarie] had always overheard laughter. Tonight there
was no laughter at all."

Chapter 8: There Has Been a Death

Annemarie wakes and slips out of bed so as not to wake Ellen. Downstairs, she
finds Kirsti trying to convince the kitten to drink water. Kirsti announces that she has
named the kitten: "Thor, for the God of Thunder."

Mrs. Johansen cleans the house, and when Uncle Henrik returns home he says,
"Tomorrow will be a day for fishing." Annemarie recognizes the code phrase from her
father's call to Henrik. She is further confused when she is told the preparations taking
place at the house are because there has been a death, her Great-Aunt Birte. Uncle Henrik
tells the girls that Birte's casket will be in the living room: "It is the old custom, you know,
for the dead to rest at home, and their loved ones to be with them before the burial."
However, Annemarie senses something is wrong here. There was no call about a death,
and there is no sadness. Most importantly, she has heard all the family stories and never
heard anyone ever mention Great-Aunt Birte.

Chapter 9: Why Are You Lying?

After supper, Annemarie goes outside to the barn to talk to Uncle Henrik, who is
milking Blossom the cow. She confronts him. "You are lying to me. You and Mama both."
He continues to milk, acknowledging she is angry. Annemarie continues on: "But I know
there is no Great-Aunt Birte."

When he finishes the milking he asks, "How brave are you, little Annemarie?" She
denies she is, but Henrik argues he thinks she is like him and her parents. "Frightened, but
determined, and if the time came to be brave, I am quite sure you would be very, very
brave." Despite this, he tells her it is easier to be brave when you don't know everything.
Annemarie thinks back to the day she met the soldiers, and she decides Henrik is right. He
tells her they have lied to her, but they did so to help her be brave. Henrik hears a sound
outside and stiffens up. He realizes the hearse has arrived, telling Annemarie with a smile
it is carrying "Great-Aunt Birte, who never was."

More and more guests arrive as the night goes on. Annemarie and her mother
prepare food, but Annemarie notices none of the guests brought food, not like at Lise's
funeral. No one spoke, as there was no Great-Aunt Birte to speak of. Henrik worries that it
is getting late, but then Peter Neilsen arrives along with Ellen's parents.

Chapter 10: Let Us Open the Casket

Uncle Henrik departs, and Annemarie's mother tells her she may go to bed. She
refuses and not long afterward, soldiers arrive. They say they have noticed that an "unusual
number of people have gathered at this house tonight." Annemarie's mother tells them that
it is because of the death of Great-Aunt Birte. The soldiers point out that they know that
the custom is to look at the face of the dead. The German officer says, "Let us open it up
and take one last look at Great-Aunt Birte!"

Annemarie's mother agrees and goes toward the soldier and the casket. She tells
him he's right, but the doctor had said not to because Great-Aunt Birte died of typhus. She
continues on, exclaiming that she would prefer to open it. "Surely typhus germs wouldn't
linger in a dead person!" The officer responds by slapping her and suggesting she open it
after the soldiers leave.

After they leave Peter Neilsen opens the Bible and reads a Psalm. "The Lord is
rebuilding Jerusalem; he gathers in the scattered sons of Israel. It is he who heals the
broken in spirit and binds up their wounds, he who numbers the stars one by one."
Moments pass, as Annemarie thinks about the words, about how Ellen's mother thought
the sea was too big and cold. She thinks the "whole world was: too cold, too big. And too
cruel."

Then Peter opens the casket lid.

Chapter 11: Will We See You Again Soon, Peter?

Inside the casket are blankets and clothes, which Peter Neilsen begins to distribute.
There is nothing for a baby, so Mrs. Johansen gets Kirsti's red sweater and gives it to the
baby's mother. Peter asks the baby's weight, and—against the mother's protest—measures
a liquid into a dropper and gives the solution to her to give to the baby so the baby sleeps
and won't make noise by crying. Annemarie's mother gives each person a package of food
containing apples, cheese, and bread. Peter gives a package to Mr. Rosen, telling him it
must get to Uncle Henrik. Mr. Rosen puts it in his pocket, but he doesn't ask what it is.

Peter takes the first group, the old man and the young couple with the baby. He
instructs Mrs. Johansen to wait 20 minutes, and then bring the Rosens. After he says his
goodbyes, he leaves. A bit later the old man stumbles on the path outside, and Peter helps
him. Mrs. Johansen notes that all the old man injured was his pride, which causes
Annemarie to ponder pride and what it means.

Chapter 12: Where Was Mama?

Mrs. Johansen prepares to lead the Rosens to the ship. They each tell Annemarie
goodbye, and then they are gone. Outside, Mr. Rosen tripped on a step that was loose
outside the kitchen door. Annemarie waits up for her mother, but eventually she falls
asleep. When she wakes, it's not quite dawn. She looks through the house for her mother,
but she is not there. Then she looks out the window, and she sees a shape on the path: "It
was her mother, lying on the earth."
Chapter 13: Run! As Fast As You Can!
Annemarie goes out to her mother, who says she is all right and that the Rosens are
with Uncle Henrik. She tells Annemarie she was halfway home when she tripped over a
root. She had broken her ankle but crawled home, and now, she says, they will call the
doctor and say she fell on the stairs.

Then Annemarie sees the packet Peter Neilsen had given Mr. Rosen. It must have
fallen out of his pocket when he fell on the steps outside the house on his way to Henrik's
boat. Her mother says, "It may all have been for nothing." Annemarie knows the packet
contains something very important and offers to take it to Uncle Henrik. Her mother has
her get a basket and put the packet, an apple, and cheese in it. Annemarie adds some bread.
Her mother tells her if "anyone stops you, you must pretend to be nothing more than a little girl. A silly,
empty-headed little girl taking lunch to a fisherman." She sends Annemarie off, urging her to run.

Chapter 14: On the Dark Path

Annemarie runs through the cold woods, thinking of the story of "Little Red Riding
Hood" and of the times she's told the story to her sister as she runs. She thinks of the
dangers in the woods, of soldiers. She thinks, too, of her mother and hopes her mother has
called the doctor. Annemarie is almost to the harbor, running "as fast as she had at school."
She continues to think about "Little Red Riding Hood," about the times she had paused
before telling Kirsti "she heard a growl." Today, it is Annemarie who hears footsteps and a
growl. Just then she sees four German soldiers with two big dogs standing in the path in
front of her, and they look intimidating.

Chapter 15: My Dogs Smell Meat!

Annemarie thinks of her mother's advice, and she thinks of her sister. She tries to
act how Kirsti would, like a "silly, empty-headed" girl her mother told her to be if she
encountered soldiers. The soldiers question her, suggesting her uncle could eat the fish he
catches on the boat. Annemarie chatters on as she thinks her sister would do. The soldier
takes her bread and tosses half to each of his dogs. She objects. He takes the cheese and
offers it to the other three soldiers, who refuse it. Annemarie asks to leave. He examines
and rejects the spotted apple, and then he asks if she has meat. Annemarie says no. "Your
army eats all of Denmark's meat," she says. The soldier argues his dog smells meat, and he
removes the napkin. In doing so he reveals the packet at the bottom of the basket.

The soldier asks why it was hidden, and Annemarie says it was not hidden "any
more than the napkin was." The dogs are straining toward them, and the soldier opens the
packet to reveal a handkerchief. The soldiers send her on her way. When she reaches the
ship, Uncle Henrik is extremely relieved to see her and the packet.

Annemarie looks around for the Rosens, but Uncle Henrik assures her all is well.
"Because of you, Annemarie, everything is all right," he says. Then he sends her home.

Chapter 16: I Will Tell You Just a Little

Annemarie is with Uncle Henrik, her mother, and Kirsti. They all laugh that
Annemarie has milked Blossom the cow without being kicked. A short time later, Uncle
Henrik invites Annemarie to go to the barn for a milking lesson. He tells her that she was
brave, and he explains the Rosens and others were hidden in the ship. She says she was not
brave, but Uncle Henrik explains that bravery is when you don't think about the dangers
but simply do what you must.

They talk about the Resistance movement, and Annemarie learns that Peter
Neilsen is part of it. She is not surprised because he brings the secret newspaper to her
parents. Henrik also explains the baby was drugged so she'd be quiet, and that because of
the packet that Annemarie brought, they were all safe when the soldiers came. Henrik tells
her that Peter, on behalf of the Resistance, has had doctors and scientists create a drug. "It
 attracts the dogs, but when they sniff at it, it ruins their sense of smell." These
handkerchiefs are given to ship captains so they can use them to protect their human cargo.
Annemarie realizes if she had not found the packet, the soldiers likely would have found
the Rosens and the other Jews hidden on her uncle's ship. Uncle Henrik tells her that they
are all safe in Sweden now.

Chapter 17: All This Time

This final chapter takes place two years later. The war has ended. Annemarie is
with her parents on their balcony in Copenhagen. The narrator explains: "For almost two
years now, neighbors had tended the plants and dusted the furniture and polished the
candlesticks for the Jews who had fled."

Peter Neilsen, Resistance fighter, has died, killed by Nazis. He had asked to be
buried next to Lise, his former lover, but the Germans wouldn't return the bodies.
Annemarie's parents have now told her that her older sister Lise was also murdered by the
Nazis and that she had been part of the Resistance. The Nazis ran her down with a car.
Annemarie got out Ellen's Star of David necklace and asked her father to fix the clasp. He
says he will and she can give it back to Ellen when she returns. "Until then," Annemarie
told him, "I will wear it myself."

Afterword | Summary
This is a note from the author detailing which parts of the novel are
true. Lowry informs readers the inspiration for Annemarie's character was "Annelise Platt,
to whom the book is dedicated, who was herself a child in Copenhagen during the long
years of German occupation." Lowry said she was moved and very interested by
Annelise's descriptions of the suffering and sacrifices her family and neighbors endured
during the German Occupation in Denmark and by Platt's descriptions of the heroism of
the people of Denmark during that time. What Annelise Platt told Lowry was her
inspiration for writing Number the Stars. Lowry details the aspects of the reality of the
story setting, the deprivations, and the Danish devotion to their king. She also discusses the
reasons behind the quick Danish surrender to the Nazis and notes the truth about the
Danes' feeling they were all King Christian's bodyguards is true as well.

The details of the rescue of the Jews are also historically accurate. G.F. Duckwitz, a
German diplomat living in Denmark, passed on the warning to the local rabbi that
Germans were about to round up Danish Jews on Rosh Hashanah. The rabbi then passed it
on to his community. Lowry writes, "[the Jews] fled the first raids. They fled into the arms
of the Danes, who took them in, fed them, clothed them, hid them, and helped them along
to safety in Sweden."

Lowry further explains the chemical-laden handkerchief was historically accurate

as well. Swedish scientists designed it because the Nazis were using dogs to locate Jews
hidden on ships. Apparently, the chemists created a powerful powder composed of dried
rabbit's blood and cocaine. The cocaine acted to temporarily deaden the sense of smell of
the dogs.

The final aspect she addresses is the character of Peter Neilsen. She writes, "I
came across an account of a young man named Kim Malthe-Bruun, who was eventually
captured and executed by the Nazis when he was only twenty-one years old." She
discusses him and includes an excerpt of a letter written by him to his mother the night
before he was killed.

d. Analysis (Note: analysis is also divided by chapters as presented in the summary above)
The first chapters set the tone of the book. The reader will find it useful to remember this
novel was written for teenagers and children, many of whom will not yet be familiar with
the extent of the German occupation or the horrors the Nazis inflicted on Europe. In the
novel Lowry describes the difficult reality of trying to continue on with the business of
normal life while under occupation by a foreign army.

The majority of the story is set in 1943. By this time the Danes were actively resisting the
occupying forces. The narrator explains the Danish population and Resistance movement
"damaged German trucks, and bombed their factories. They were very brave. Sometimes
they were caught and killed." Despite all of this Ellen and Annemarie are still children
who must go to school. They talk about school things. Annemarie wants to win "the girls'
race this week." Life continues on despite the war that rages all around them. Kirsti, for
example, is only five. Her sense of "normal" is only that of life under German
occupation. The main characters, Annemarie and Ellen, have memories of life before the
war.

________________________________________________________________________

This chapter further establishes the setting. Denmark, unlike other nations, quickly
surrendered to the Germans. The result of this was that the Germans allowed the Danes to
continue on as before occupation in numerous ways. Their king—an example of strength
and a unifying point for the country—stands still. Annemarie's confusion is
understandable, however. Why not fight? Why surrender to the Nazis? Her father's
explanation is as much for the reader as it is for her. Understanding why a nation would
accept the rules of the Nazis is difficult for a young reader. Lowry provides the historical
context for her novel, addressing any confusion her readers might experience.

Also in this chapter the reader sees the first reference to fairy tales. These tales are part of
the setting and context of the novel. This novel occurs in the homeland of one of the
world's most renowned fairy-tale creators, Hans Christian Andersen. Further, fairy tales
are, at their core, about disparities such as fear and hope and about the consequences of
action. The story of the Danish king offers hope. Even in the darkest of times, there are
ways to find hope. Number the Stars not only highlights this truth, but it is the story of
such an event in history. The Holocaust was a horrific event and exceedingly difficult to
address, even for adults. To navigate this terrain, Lowry selects a hopeful historical event
to use in the center of her story. The Danes may have surrendered, but they constantly
resisted. As the novel progresses, readers will learn the Danish Resistance included
rescuing Jewish Danes who were marked for death as part of the Nazis' "final solution."

_______________________________________________________________________

Now that the setting has been well established, the driving conflict of the novel is starting
to take shape. Even if readers are not aware of Jewish history in Denmark, they see well
before the protagonist that the situation in Denmark is about to become untenable. The
Hirsch family has vanished. The reader does not know their fate, but the presence of the
swastika—a symbol of the Nazi party—and their disappearance adds tension. As a
backdrop for the action Lowry references the increasing systematic oppression of the
Jews. Their shops are being closed. Lowry has already established that this is a time of
hunger and privation for all Danes. Removing the ability to earn a living cruelly adds to
this difficulty.

However, the novel also makes clear that in spite of the privations and growing dangers
for the Jewish population, the Danes still resist and come together. It seems it's not only
the Resistance fighters who exhibit bravery in such times. Annemarie's thought that
"ordinary people would never be called on for courage" is a bit of dramatic irony in that
readers may already be sensing there may be a larger role for Annemarie as the story
unfolds.
________________________________________________________________________

Rosh Hashanah is celebrated as the first and second days of the Jewish New Year.
Like Shabbat, or the day of the Sabbath, Jews attend the synagogue and have a
celebratory meal, during which kiddush (a prayer over wine or grape juice) is said.
Traditionally, Jews on this special day eat foods with symbolic value. The Nazis would
have known the significance of the date they'd chosen for gathering the Jews to transport
them. They would also realize that the sunset of the next day was Shabbat. Most Jews
would attend the synagogue for Rosh Hashanah and for Shabbat. However, the news of
the Nazis' plans was shared with the rabbi. This aspect of the novel is historically
accurate. While the Rosens were not an actual family, the events they are experiencing in
the novel—the Nazis' plan to gather and transport them on this high holiday and the
rabbi's knowledge and sharing of this information with the community—is factually
correct.
That the Johansens hide Ellen is also drawn from history. Many Danish citizens acted to
save Danish Jews. This is, in part, an aspect of their growing resistance against the Nazi
occupation.

________________________________________________________________________

Their inability to find and take away the Jews they had located in the city undoubtedly
frustrates the Nazi soldiers. They'd collected the names and addresses from the
synagogues, and so they would have expected to be able to easily locate and capture the
Jews. However, as the reader knows from history—and from this novel—the citizens of
Denmark hid or otherwise helped almost all of the Danish Jews evade capture.

Also significant in this chapter is the soldiers' focus on "dark hair." The Nazis believed
that blonde hair and blue eyes were superior traits. Many Danes, including both
Annemarie and Kirsti, match this image. The reader may recall the soldier at the novel's
onset remarking that Kirsti reminded him of his own pretty little girl. Ellen's dark hair
draws attention. The soldier (correctly) suspects she could be a Jew.

The other indicator of Ellen's identity is the Star of David she wears. In some German-
occupied territories, Jews had to wear a large yellow Star of David on their clothing at all
times. In the center was written Jude, German for "Jew." Ellen's necklace identifies her as
a Jew, and if this was revealed, she would be taken. This is Annemarie's first act of
resistance: she hides Ellen's identity to keep her safe. In difficult times like this, ordinary
people, including children, need to act courageously.
________________________________________________________________________
This chapter continues the discussion of visual appearance. Ellen is aware that her dark
hair is suspicious, and she apologizes. Rather than allow her to feel upset or guilty, Mrs.
Johansen comforts her, and then the Johansens begin preparations to get Ellen to safety.
They are risking their own safety in an act of resistance. It is significant that part of this
includes discussion of Lise, who, the reader will eventually learn, was a member of the
Resistance movement in Denmark.

When the girls and Mrs. Johansen are traveling, the soldiers also try to lure them into
confessions by asking about celebrating the "New Year." Most people in Denmark would
celebrate the New Year on December 31st and January 1st, so by asking about it in
September, the soldiers are asking, "are you Jews?"

This chapter continues to make references to the privations of the time. Cigarettes are a
luxury. Annemarie knows the word must be code because she realizes how impossible it
is to find them in Denmark at this point.

________________________________________________________________________
The vastness of the ocean, the sense that it is overwhelming and incomprehensible, is
akin to the attempt to understand the war or anti-Semitism. Especially for a child, it
seems impossible to grasp. The world seems huge, foreboding, and cold. There are
soldiers everywhere. Yet, there are also currents of hope. The leaf they see "may have
come from a tree in Sweden." In Sweden, which they can see in the distance, there is
safety for the Jews. Sweden is not occupied. It stands as a beacon of hope, a reminder that
the war is not everywhere, that hate is not everywhere.

The acts of the Danes in rescuing their neighbors represent hope, especially as readers
discover how many people looked the other way as Nazi Germany slaughtered millions
of Jews and others. Lowry's choice to write a historically accurate text allows a ray of
hope into this dark discussion.

Again, Ellen wants to know about her necklace. It's important to her especially because it
was a gift from her father, and so it carries an important personal significance beyond
faith.

________________________________________________________________________

Lowry interjects humor into the text by way of the kitten. This, like the earlier example of
the shoes, is part of the function Kirsti's character has in the novel. She reminds the
reader things are bleak at this time, but she sees it through the eyes of a young child and
younger sibling. Along with that, however, comes the reality that a child's ability to know
when to keep secrets is questionable. Throughout the text, Annemarie and her parents
must constantly wonder what Kirsti will do or say.

Here, too, the reader sees the extent of the risk the Danes are taking. Readers will surely
realize they are planning to extricate the Jews and this ruse is part of it, and Lowry makes
sure to seed the clues so her intended young readers catch on to this. When Annemarie
hears: "Tomorrow will be a day for fishing," she recalls the reference to fishing made
earlier between Mr. Johansen and Uncle Henrik, thereby drawing readers' attention. She
also clarifies "there was no Great-aunt Birte." The reader has the necessary information to
feel the increasing tension and suspense, allowing them to more closely identify with
Annemarie.

________________________________________________________________________

This chapter continues to increase the tension, but it also continues the theme of
bravery. Uncle Henrik responds to Annemarie's recognition of the lies she's being told
with an explanation, rather than denial or excuses. Part of being brave, according to the
way the topic is handled in the novel, is ignorance. Not knowing everything enables
people to be more courageous. Henrik points out they lie, not because they doubt her but
because it makes bravery easier. This is underlined when he confirms he has faith in her
—"If the time came to be brave, I am quite sure you would be very, very brave," he tells
her.

The memory of Lise resurfaces here again. Her funeral, which was three years before,
was different. There, as with many memorials, guests told stories. They remembered the
dead by celebrating their lives. For the fictional Great-Aunt Birte, this isn't possible
because she never existed. The silence of the gathering also points to the real reason the
guests are there. They are persecuted by the Nazis, and they have fled from their homes,
businesses, and synagogues. To be sure the reader realizes these visiting guests are all
Jews, the chapter ends with the arrival of Ellen's parents—and of Peter, who, the reader
knows, often brings news of the Resistance and an underground Resistance newspaper.
The funeral is a ruse to fool the Germans; the gathering is really a Resistance activity. All
of this we see through the eyes of a young girl who is proud she understands what is
going on.
________________________________________________________________________

The risk of exposure is not for typhus, but for Resistance activities. Typhus, however, is a
valid reason not to open the casket. Typhus was fatal in 40% of cases at the time, and it is
transmitted by lice, fleas, and chiggers. The excuse to not open the casket is believable
enough; the soldiers are not willing to test it. They strike Mrs. Johansen, emphasizing
their vile nature. The officer also shows his character by his parting words: "Open it after
we leave." He doesn't care if the Johansens contract typhus.

The quote Peter Neilsen reads to the assembled crowd is selected from Tehillim, more
commonly known to American and non-Jewish readers as Psalms in the Old Testament
of the Bible. In the context of the novel it is significant because it is read before they
begin their flight from Denmark to Sweden. Readers ought to note that, at this point, Jews
were in hiding, pursued during Rosh Hashanah and on Shabbat as well. These days of
celebration, community, and rest are the days the Nazis chose to target the Jews for
transport. Peter reads to them a passage from the Torah to remind them to have hope.
________________________________________________________________________

The chapter further humanizes the people who are fleeing. There are young families and
the elderly. Neighbors and the Rosens are there. These are not strangers, not simply faces
or names who are leaving Denmark. They have lost everything material—homes,
businesses, and possessions. They are accepting the help of strangers, risking their lives
to go to a new country, and yet they are not defeated. They accept warm clothes and food,
much as they accept the help of the Resistance to escape the Nazis.

Despite all of these dangers, they stand with strength and courage. They have not lost
their pride, nor their hope or faith. Lowry represents the victimized here as resilient,
stubborn, strong people. This is done, in part, by way of the Rosen family. It is also done
here in this section of the novel by developing characters' personalities that are still barely
known to readers, such as Peter Neilsen and Uncle Henrik. These two men are caring and
sensitive, as well as committed and brave, risking their lives in the face of great danger.
Mr. Rosen wonders what Peter has given him in the packet but knows he should not ask
or look to see what it is. All those getting on Uncle Henrik's boat to escape to Sweden
know the risks involved. Lowry's writing makes this clear.
_______________________________________________________________________

Annemarie is brave enough to be home, waiting alone in the dark with Kirsti. It is not as
frightening as what her best friend, Ellen, faces, or what her mother, her uncle, or Peter
Neilsen face. Here, though, as earlier in the novel, Annemarie faces the challenges she is
given. In fact, many characters in the book do so. All around her Annemarie sees
examples of courage and strength. Even injured, Mrs. Johansen comes home. She has
gone into the woods, completed her mission, and returned to her family. In doing so, she
demonstrates the strength that stands as an example to Annemarie.

________________________________________________________________________

Here is the moment when an ordinary person, a child, must act in a very courageous way.
This point comes after numerous prior experiences when Annemarie demonstrated
courage: facing the soldiers when she was coming home from school, hiding Ellen's Star
of David necklace when the soldiers came to the apartment, facing the soldiers while
knowing the funeral is a fake, and staying home alone while her mother and uncle rescue
their Jewish neighbors and friends.

This time, however, there is no one at her side. Annemarie is alone in her act of courage,
and the lives of others rest on her ability to succeed. This is a heavy weight to put on
anyone; it is an enormous weight to put on a 10-year-old girl. At the beginning of the
novel Annemarie believed that "an ordinary person would never be called on for
courage." As the novel has progressed she has learned that she was grossly mistaken.
Ordinary people are asked to act courageously, and Annemarie has done so admirably.
Courage is taught by her parents, her best friends, the Rosens, Peter Neilsen, Uncle
Henrik, and the Jews who gathered at the fake funeral. All of those lessons and small acts
of courage culminate in this—a perilous journey through the woods in the face of great
danger to save friends and strangers alike.
________________________________________________________________________

The reader should recall the references to fairy tales at the onset of the novel. There, the
stories were framed in the context of cultural history and stories Annemarie told her little
sister. Here, Annemarie uses the "Little Red Riding Hood" tale to give herself hope. She
has told the tale to Kirsti often while walking through the woods. Annemarie remembers
those repetitions of the story and imagines herself as the hero. She is faced with wolves—
in this case in the form of dogs and soldiers—and she must be brave.

The reader already knows the soldiers can be cruel, but the reader will also recall that
Little Red Riding Hood is victorious in the end. There is tension in the story, fear for
Annemarie, worry that she will fail, but all of that is assuaged by the allusions to the fairy
tale. The heroine of a fair -tale will ultimately be victorious. Readers know that. Even as
Annemarie faces cruel men and growling dogs, readers know she will be brave and
overcome. Fairy tales end with victory for the righteous, and Lowry is drawing that
expectation by referencing the "Little Red Riding Hood" story so overtly.
________________________________________________________________________

One of the things this chapter highlights is the callousness of the soldiers. They have
plenty, but still they steal from a child. Annemarie, as she faces them, continues to try to
find courage and hopes she can reach her uncle's ship in time.

The soldiers' dogs are straining to reach her, and she has no idea what she is transporting
in the basket. The handkerchief, revealed by the soldiers, is treated with something that
has drawn the dogs. The soldier said his dogs smelled meat. When the soldier tears open
the packet containing the handkerchief, "the dogs strained and snarled, pulling against
their leashes." They are trying to reach the handkerchief because of the chemicals on it,
chemicals that will prevent the dogs from picking up the scent of all the people who
earlier walked along this path to the boat. The soldiers and Annemarie don't know this.

Once her encounter with the soldiers is over, Annemarie delivers the remaining food and
that handkerchief to her uncle. When he sees the packet, knowing what it is, he lets her
know that "all is well." She has delivered the method of tricking the soldiers.

This chapter is the culmination of the test of courage for Annemarie. Lowry has been
building up to this event since the first chapter when Annemarie stood up to the soldiers
that stopped her and Kirsti from running home from school. Here, that fast running pays
off as it enables her to reach the harbor and deliver the handkerchief.
________________________________________________________________________

Here, Uncle Henrik explains what the handkerchief was for, and in doing so, the reader
will understand why the soldiers said they thought she had meat. The dogs reacted that
way because of the chemical-laden handkerchief. He gives Annemarie, and thus the
reader, answers to explain how and why her actions were so important. Because she
brought him that scrap of cloth, because she faced the soldiers, because she ran through
the dark woods, because she was brave, her friends and the people who had assembled at
Henrik's house were safe. Ordinary people sometimes do things that seem small but have
large consequences. Annemarie saved lives.

Her actions were not as routine or as risky as Peter Neilsen's. Her actions were a result of
the moment she was in, and they were a result of her mother's injury. This novel, written
 for young people, tells a story from history, but it also makes the point that ordinary
people sometimes do extraordinary things. Because of the actions of a lot of ordinary
people in Denmark, thousands of lives were saved. Annemarie, Mrs. Johansen, Peter,
Henrik, and others are fictional representations of the kind of people who really did save
lives during World War II in Denmark.
________________________________________________________________________

The novel resolves several years after the main events of the story. Annemarie and her
family are still waiting for the Rosens to return. Unlike the Jews in most countries in
Europe, the Danish Jews almost all survived. Their non-Jewish neighbors stood up for
them, helping them escape and waiting for their return.

This does not mean the novel removes all loss from the story. The reader learns that both
Annemarie's sister, Lise, and Peter Neilsen were Resistance fighters and both died at the
hands of their Nazi enemies. War is not just about struggle and victory. There is always a
cost, and in many cases, bravery results in loss. Lowry has written a hopeful story of the
war, but she did so respectfully; she rightly included the reality of war as the cause of
great loss and death.

Symbolically, Annemarie shows her connection to Ellen by wearing the Star of David she
has kept for her friend. This act is multifold in meaning. It informs the reader that Ellen
survived and will return home. It also shows it is safe to wear a symbol of Judaism in
Denmark. The fact that her parents allow Annemarie to do so says they believe she is safe
in doing so, and they support her show of love for Ellen.
________________________________________________________________________
Lowry's book relies heavily on historical facts, events, and people. She has taken an
episode of hope that occurred during a time of great darkness and written about it. As part
of that, Lowry has added a chapter at the close to discuss some of the historical details for
readers.
________________________________________________________________________

e. Symbols
Star of David
Within the novel the Star of David (Magen David) is a symbol both of Judaism and of
keeping faith. The Magen David, a double triangle in shape, represents the connection
between the internal and external dimensions of God, Torah, and Israel. Jews connect to
God by studying the Torah. The Torah is sometimes used to refer to the five books of
Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It can also refer to all
the books included in the part of the Christian Bible, the Old Testament, which Jews call
the Tanakh, the Written Torah. The Magen David is symbolic of faith for Jews much as
the cross is for Christians.
In Number the Stars Ellen wears her Star of David necklace, which marks her as a Jew.
When the soldiers appear in the early hours of the morning seeking the Rosens,
Annemarie rips the necklace from Ellen's throat to hide it. If she had not done so, Ellen
would likely have been deported and separated from her parents. The soldiers were taking
and "relocating" Jews. The modern reader will understand this means those taken were
sent to camps to be worked as slaves or murdered. Annemarie's bravery is apparent in
this act. The Magen David represents the Jewishness that had to be hidden in order for
Ellen to survive.
Ellen also misses the symbol of her faith and the special gift her father had given her.
When she is with Annemarie at Uncle Henrik's house, Ellen touches her neck and asks,
"Where is my necklace?" and "What did you do with it?" Annemarie assures her that she
had hidden it to keep it safe—much as the reader will realize the Resistance is doing with
the Jews themselves. At the end of the book, after the war has ended, Annemarie retrieves
the hidden necklace and asks her father to fix the broken clasp. When he says he can, he
adds, "When the Rosens come home, you can give it back to Ellen." Annemarie says,
 "Until then, I will wear it myself." Wearing a symbol of Judaism was less dangerous after
the war, and Annemarie's affection for Ellen is evident not only in the way she kept the
necklace safe but in her willingness to wear it. Annemarie kept the necklace and her
friend safe, as many of the Danes did for the Danish Jews.

Handkerchief
The drug-laden handkerchief, a historically accurate item, looks harmless. In the novel, it
is a simple white cloth treated with a mixture of chemicals—including cocaine—to both
attract and also temporarily numb the dogs' noses. It looks innocent and harmless and can
be hidden in plain sight. However, it was a weapon used to save thousands of Jews.

Symbolically, the handkerchief is also a representative of the cleverness of the

Resistance. They hid the Jews in plain sight (as with Ellen), and they resisted the Nazi
regime and ideology nonviolently. Their regent, King Christian X, ordered the
destruction of Danish navy ships in the Copenhagen harbor. No one was injured, but
neither were the Nazis able to commandeer the weapons on those ships.

Swastika
Today, the swastika is seen as a symbol of racism, anti-Semitism, and hate due to its use
by the Nazis before and during World War II. Prior to its association with Adolf Hitler
and the Nazis, it was used as a symbol meaning good fortune. It originated from the
Sanskrit word svastika, and is still seen on temples in India and Indonesia. The symbol
was also used in both Christian and Byzantine art. Its appropriation by the Nazis was
sparked by the archaeological discovery of the symbol at the site of Troy (in modern
Turkey) by German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann. He suggested it was a "religious
symbol of our [Aryan] remote ancestors." In 1920 the Nazi party, with its belief that
Germans were the descendants of an Aryan "master race," chose the swastika as their
party's symbol.
In Number the Stars the swastika is referenced when the Hirsch family disappears.
Annemarie tells her mother the sign on the Hirsch shop is in German, and when she is
questioned further, she says, "Mama, it had a swastika on it." While it is not referenced
repeatedly in the novel, it was such a part of the history of the novel's setting, the
symbolism is important for the reader to note.
_______________________________

f. Themes
Travel
Crossing toward freedom or away from danger is a theme in the novel. Number the
Stars begins with Ellen Rosen and Annemarie Johansen running home from school when
a Nazi soldier stops them. In childhood, the run home from school should feel like a run
toward the freedoms and safety of home. However, this expectation is displaced by the
threat of the soldier. It is the first of the transitions in the novel interrupted by soldiers.
When the news comes that the Nazis are planning to deport Danish Jews, Ellen's parents
depart and go into hiding. Ellen is temporarily separated from them, but she, too, will
travel toward safety. She, Mrs. Johansen, Kirsti, and Annemarie all take a train ride north
along the Danish coast to Uncle Henrik's house. This trip is also interrupted by soldiers.
The narrator describes an anxious Annemarie: "Annemarie tensed. Not here, on the train,
too? They were everywhere." Mrs. Johansen and Kirsti talk to them, answering their
questions, and the soldiers soon leave.
Later, when the Jews are gathered at Uncle Henrik's house preparing to be smuggled
across the sea, the soldiers again arrive. The narrator describes the scene: "They filled the
wide doorway. As always, their boots gleamed. Their guns. Their helmets. All of them
gleamed in the candlelight." One soldier studies the room and the people closely,
suspiciously. Annemarie looks him straight in the eye but doesn't speak. Again it is Mrs.
Johansen who speaks to them.

The next important journey is when all the people gathered at Uncle Henrik's make their
way through the woods to the boat waiting for them on the coast. They will head toward
Sweden and freedom from the Nazi threat.

Annemarie travels to the docks carrying an important packet that is necessary for the
journey to Sweden to be successful. Annemarie runs likes the wind through the woods,
thinking of herself as Little Red Riding Hood as she does so. The path through the woods
is dark and intimidating. Annemarie thinks to herself: "It was why Mama and Peter had
needed to guide those who were strangers here—the Rosens and others. A wrong turn
would have taken them into danger." Here, again, she is halted by soldiers. The threat of
the soldiers and their guns is exacerbated by the growling dogs this time. Again, though,
Annemarie endures.

The greatest journey to freedom, that of the Rosens and the other Jews' escape to Sweden,
is not detailed as extensively. It is, however, the overall point of the story and the
historical premise of the novel.

Bravery
Courage is a central theme in Number the Stars. Annemarie's theory early on that "an
ordinary person would never be called on for courage" is defining. Especially in a time of
war, life calls upon everyone to be brave. Annemarie and Ellen have witnessed plenty of
examples of bravery from their parents. The Rosens flee to hide and leave Ellen in the
safety of the Johansens. The Johansens boldly lie to the Nazi soldiers about Ellen's
identity. Peter, who was engaged to Annemarie's sister Lise, brings the Johansens copies
of the Resistance newspaper. The rabbi tells his people to flee because of the coming
raids. Bravery is necessary and many ordinary citizens, and children are doing things they
would never have dreamed of previous to World War II.
That does not mean it is easy to be courageous. Uncle Henrik asks Annemarie, "How
brave are you, little Annemarie?" She does not think she is—even though, at this point,
she has already faced soldiers three times. When soldiers stopped her in the street, she
stayed calm. When they came to find Ellen, Annemarie thought quickly enough to snatch
Ellen's Star of David necklace from Ellen's neck in time so the soldiers would not see it.
She clasped it so tightly in her own hand it left a mark.
Uncle Henrik tells Annemarie he thinks she would be brave: "Frightened, but determined,
and if the time came to be brave, I am quite sure you would be very, very brave." This is
proven true when she encounters the soldiers in the woods. She stands firm, speaks
clearly, and the soldiers dismiss her; and then off she runs to the dock to deliver the
packet with the drug-laden handkerchief. Afterward, Uncle Henrik points out that bravery
isn't about being afraid. He says, "That's all that brave means—not thinking about the
dangers. Just thinking about what you must do."

The ultimate bravery, of course, is that of the Jews who were forced to make life and
death choices to hide themselves and their children, and walk away from everything. The
narrator explains it wasn't just possessions left behind, but "all of those things, those
sources of pride—the candlesticks, the books, the daydreams of theater." They left it all
behind, trusting in the human decency of their friends and neighbors as they sought safety
from persecution.

Human Decency
The author closes her note at the end of the novel by saying, "Surely that gift—the gift of
a world of human decency—is one that all countries hunger for still." Her explicit goal,
according to her afterword, is that "this story of Denmark, and its people, will remind us
 all that such a world is possible." It is unusual for the author to overtly share what she
intends as a theme, but in this case, Lowry does so. Many of the acts in the novel that are
thematically arguable as bravery are also examples of human decency. Protecting a child,
as the Johansens do, is good and kind. Rescuing your neighbors when they are unjustly
persecuted, as many Danes in history and in Number the Stars did, is what decent people
do.
Smaller acts of decency are also evident. When Kirsti is upset to have to wear fish scale
shoes, Ellen offers to help. "In our apartment," Ellen tells her, "my father has a jar of
black, black ink. Would you like these shoes better if they were black?" Even though
many people have very little, they continue to give. Later when the Jews are getting ready
for the cold trip across the sea, Mrs. Johansen finds something warm for a baby. Further,
Mrs. Johansen gives each person a package of food for their journey that Annemarie had
helped her prepare.
The novel highlights minor and major acts of human decency. Those actions are
inspiring, especially as this is a novel set in such a dark time in human history.

___________________________

g. Character Analysis
Ellen Rosen
Ellen, who is Annemarie Johansen's best friend, is one of the many Jews under threat by
Nazi soldiers stationed in Denmark. She stands out with her dark hair and Star of David
necklace. When the rabbi learns the Nazis are planning to deport Jews, Ellen's parents
leave her with the Johansens, where she pretends to be Lise, their daughter who has died.

Annemarie Johansen
Annemarie is, like her best friend Ellen, a young Danish girl. Annemarie, like many
Danes, is blonde. Her family is hiding Ellen. Annemarie bravely faces soldiers, hides
Ellen's Star of David necklace, and ultimately delivers an important handkerchief to
confuse Nazi dogs.

Mrs. Johansen
She accompanies Annemarie and Ellen to her brother Henrik's house where Ellen can be
smuggled out of the country. She lies to the Nazi soldiers and gets injured in helping
rescue the Jews. She is a constant source of hope, strength, and courage to her family and
friends.

Mr. Johansen
He actively helps protect Ellen, and he remains optimistic despite the war. His words of
comfort to Annemarie show his faith in the ability of good to overcome evil, and his
actions are in keeping with his words.

Uncle Henrik
Uncle Henrik helps to get several Jews to safety in Sweden and helps them feel
comfortable in the process. He also helps his niece, Annemarie, to better understand the
concept of courage and its importance in times of difficulty.

Peter Neilsen
Peter is the Johansen family's connection to the Resistance. As the family's mysterious
late night guest, Peter often appears with contraband items. His devotion to the
 Resistance is seen in both his risk-taking and his flare of anger at the soldiers at Henrik's
house. Peter is both passionate and kind, and Annemarie admires him.

IV. Self-Assessment Activities

Activity 1: Quick Quiz (tick one correct answer per item)

Chapters 1-2 Quiz

Top of Form
1. How many German soldiers stop Annemarie and Kirsti on their way home?

● 2
● 8
● 3
● 4

2. What is the name of the illegal Resistance newspaper?

● The Three Danes

● The Free Danes
● The Great Danes
● The Freedom Danes

3. What does Kirsti long for, which she says out loud?

● Milk
● Coffee
● Bread
● A cupcake

4. What king does Annemarie think about as Kirsti sleeps?

● Christian X
● Frederick IX
● Harald Bluetooth
● Erik I

5. What country does Annemarie remember seeing from the shore near Henrik's house?

● Norway
● The Netherlands
● Russia
● Sweden

Chapters 3-4 Quiz

Top of Form
 1. Mrs. Johansen sends Kirsti, Ellen, and Annemarie to Mrs. Hirsch's shop to fix what part of
Kirsti's jacket?

● A torn sleeve
● A missing button
● A ripped collar
● A holey pocket

2. Where does Annemarie think the Hirsch family might have gone?

● On a picnic
● On a boat trip
● Underground
● To a concentration camp

3. What does Peter bring Annemarie when he visits the Johansens in Chapter III?

● A letter
● A newspaper
● Beer
● A seashell

4. In Chapter IV, what do Ellen and Annemarie play with their paper dolls?

● The Wizard of Oz
● Jane Eyre
● Gone with the Wind
● Titanic

5. Where do Annemarie, Ellen, and Kirsti pretend they are going?

● Boboli gardens
● Tivoli gardens
● Tuileries gardens
● Kew gardens

Chapters 5-7 Quiz

Top of Form

1. How does Ellen wear a Star of David?

● On a brooch
● On a necklace
 ● On a ring
● On a bracelet

2. Who does Ellen disguise herself as when the soldiers come to the Johansens' house?

● Lise
● Annemarie
● Kirsti
● Mrs. Johansen

3. Mr. Johansen says he is sending his wife to Henrik's with ___.

● A carton of cigarettes
● A box of chocolates
● An important letter
● A family album

4. Where does Henrik live?

● Hornbæk
● Dragør
● Ribe
● Gilleleje

5. What animal used to wait for Mrs. Johansen after school?

● Her cat
● Her parrot
● Her dog
● Her chicken

Chapters 8-9 Quiz

Top of Form

1. What is Kirsti playing with in the kitchen when Annemarie gets up?

● A puppy
● A kitten
● A train
● A doll

2. After which god is the kitten named?

● The god of commerce

● The god of farming
 ● The god of war
● The god of thunder

3. In Chapter VIII, Henrik tells Mrs. Johansen that the next day will be a day for ___.

● Fishing
● Running
● Hunting
● Farming

4. Where does Annemarie angrily confront Henrik?

● The dock
● The field
● The barn
● The kitchen

5. Where is the casket placed in the house?

● The living room

● The cellar
● The study
● The pantry

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Chapters 10-11 Quiz

Top of Form

1. What is Annemarie woken by after falling asleep in a chair?

● Headlights
● Knocking
● Boots stomping
● Yells

2. What does Mrs. Johansen say great-aunt Birte died of?

● The plague
● Typhus
● Cholera
● Dysentery
 3. After the officers depart, what does Peter read aloud?

● A parable
● A newspaper article
● A poem
● A psalm

4. What is in the casket?

● Blankets, clothing
● Guns, food
● Banned books
● A dead body

5. What is Mrs. Johansen's first name?

● Lise
● Berit
● Inge
● Sonya

Chapters 12-13 Quiz

Top of Form

1. By Annemarie's calculations, how long should it take Mrs. Johansen to get back from the
boat?

● One hour
● Six hours
● Thirty minutes
● A day

2. Where is Mr. Johansen while Mrs. Johansen is escorting the Rosens?

● On the boat
● In Copenhagen
● In Germany
● In Sweden

3. What time does Annemarie wake up to find Mrs. Johansen is not yet back?

● 5 am
● 4:30 am
● 6:30 am
● 7 am
 4. What does Annemarie notice in the grass?

● Peter's packet
● Mr. Rosen's passport
● Mrs. Johansen's spectacles
● Peter's hat

5. Where does Annemarie hide the packet?

● In a basket
● In her pocket
● In her coat lining
● In her hair

Chapters 14-15 Quiz

Top of Form

1. What fairy tale does Annemarie think of as she walks towards the boat?

● Sleeping Beauty
● Little Red Riding-Hood
● Goldilocks
● Snow White

2. Annemarie walks past one of her favorite summer spots. What is growing there?

● Strawberries
● Apple trees
● Blueberries
● Blackberries

3. How many soldiers appear on the path in front of Annemarie?

● 4
● 6
● 2
● 3

4. What does Annemarie tell the soldiers her uncle forgot?

● His lunch
● His dinner
● His packet
● His keys
 5. Who does Annemarie try to act like when she is talking to the soldiers?

● Peter
● Kirsti
● Henrik
● Mrs. Johansen

Chapters 16-17 Quiz

Top of Form

1. According to Henrik, what word means to do what you must without thinking of the
danger?

● Bravery
● Stupidity
● Necessity
● Life

2. What is on the handkerchief that stops dogs from being able to smell the people on the
boat?

● Dog pheromones
● Perfume
● Meat paste
● A special drug

3. What falls into the milk, making Annemarie and Henrik laugh?

● A bird
● The kitten
● Annemarie
● A stone

4. How old is Annemarie when the war ends?

● 13
● 12
● 9
● 11

5. From where does Annemarie pull Ellen's Star of David necklace?

● Lise's dress
● Lise's book
● Lise's jeans
 ● Lise's coat pocket

Afterword Quiz

1. Lowry was impressed by the Danes' bravery and devotion to who or what?

● Their art
● Their government
● Their queen
● Their king

2. What did King Christian X continue to ride through the streets of Copenhagen daily?

● His horse
● His motorbike
● His bicycle
● His elephant

3. The Danes destroyed ___ in 1943.

● Their castles
● Their navy
● Their gold
● Their parliament

4. What did Swedish scientists use a mix of in order to temporarily kill a dog's sense of
smell?

● Cocaine, rabbit blood

● Toad skin, rabbit blood
● Cocaine, tea leaves
● Toad skin, mushrooms

5. What was the name of the young man who inspired Peter's character?

● Jim Malthe-Brunn
● Kim Malthe-Brunn
● King Christian X
● Jean Malthe-Brunn

Bottom of Form

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 Bottom of Form
Activity 2: (to be submitted)

Very briefly, answer the following:

1. According to Number the Stars, why would growing up in a time of war make the normal
process of maturing more complicated?

2. Discuss how a war might be compared to a fairy tale or fictional story.

Lesson 2
Graphic Novel: Coraline
I. Overview
What is Graphic Novel?
"Graphic Novel" is a format, not a genre. Graphic novels can be fiction, non-fiction,
history, fantasy, or anything in-between. Graphic novels are similar to comic books because
they use sequential art to tell a story.

Note: Open the separate file on graphic novel to better understand what it is.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
1. Define graphic novel
2. Read the full story for understanding and appreciation.
3. Analyze the story in terms of the basic elements particularly plot and theme.
4. Identify lessons that will guide children as they journey through life.

III. Learning Experience

a. Background
Coraline (/ˈkɒrəlaɪn/) is a dark fantasy children's novella by British author Neil
Gaiman, published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and Harper Collins. It was awarded the 2003
Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novella, and the 2002 Bram
Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers.The Guardian ranked Coraline #82 in its
list of 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. Gaiman started writing Coraline in 1990. The
titular character's name came from a typo in "Caroline". According to Gaiman, "I had typed
the name Caroline, and it came out wrong. I looked at the word Coraline, and knew it was
someone's name. I wanted to know what happened to her." It was adapted as a 2009 stop-
motion animated film, directed by Henry Selick.
b. Brief Biography of Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is renowned the world over for his darkly fanciful fantasy and sci-fi works,
which range from graphic novels to children’s books to literature for adults. Born in
Portsmouth to Jewish parents who, shortly after Neil’s birth, converted to Scientology,
Gaiman’s early influences included C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia and J.R.R.
Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Because Gaiman’s father David, the head of the UK branch
of the Church of Scientology, was often embroiled in public relations scandals tied to the
church’s controversial practices, Gaiman bounced from school to school as a child and has
described himself as interviews as a “feral child who was raised in libraries.” He has also
noted that he himself is not a Scientologist. Gaiman began his writing career in the 1980s as a
journalist and biographer, penning books about the band Duran Duran and Douglas Adams,
the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. After his breakout series Sandman,
published by DC Comics, gained worldwide renown in the early 1990s, Gaiman’s literary
career took off in earnest. Gaiman’s most famous titles include Stardust, Good
Omens (cowritten with Terry Pratchett,) American Gods, and The Ocean at the End of the
Lane. American Gods and Coraline have been recognized by the Hugo Awards, the Nebula
Awards, and the Bram Stoker Awards, while 2008’s The Graveyard Book earned Gaiman
the British Carnegie Medal and the American Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s
literature. Gaiman’s work has been widely adapted for film, radio, and television, garnering
nominations at the Academy Awards, the BAFTAs, the Primetime Emmy Awards, and the
Saturn Awards.

c. Synopsis:
Coraline Jones and her mother and father have just moved to a new town. Their new
flat is part of a larger house which has been parceled up into individual units. The house’s
other tenants include Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, two aging former actresses who
own several Highland terriers, and an individual Coraline knows only as the crazy old
man upstairs—a man who claims to be training a “mouse circus” to play tiny
instruments. Coraline’s parents are often busy working in their studies, and, since it’s the
end of the summer, Coraline is left to her own devices much of the time. One afternoon,
exploring the yard, Coraline meets a black cat who runs away when she tries to pet it;
another afternoon, stuck inside during a rainstorm, Coraline becomes curious about a
large wooden door in the corner of the drawing room. Coraline’s mother opens the door
with a black key to show her that it opens up onto a brick wall and explains that the door
goes nowhere. As Coraline falls asleep that night, she hears a scuttling noise outside her
door. She gets out of bed and follows the noise through the house toward the drawing
room—when she flicks on the light, she sees that the door is open. Coraline returns to bed
and tries to fall asleep, but she is disturbed by a nightmare about a chorus of rats singing
a threatening song. The next day, the rain has given way to a thick mist. Coraline visits
with her neighbors, since exploring is too hard in the fog. The man upstairs says that his
mice have a message for Coraline: “Don’t go through the door.” At Miss Spink and Miss
Forcible’s, Miss Spink reads Coraline’s tea leaves and warns her that she is in danger.
She gives Coraline a pebble with a hole in it to carry as a talisman.

The next day, Coraline is bored and antsy when her mother heads out for groceries.
Coraline uses the black key to open the door and finds that the brick wall has become a
hallway. She walks through the hall and finds herself in another version of her home. In
the kitchen there is a woman who looks like Coraline’s mother—but the “other mother”
has black buttons for eyes. The other mother is happy to see Coraline and says she’s been
waiting for her a long time. Coraline’s “other father” joins them for dinner and serves
a sumptuous meal which stands in stark contrast to the fancy, nasty “recipes” Coraline’s
 real father often serves. After dinner, Coraline’s other parents urge her to go play in her
bedroom. Coraline finds a pack of rats living under her bed—they sing her another
ominous song. Perturbed, Coraline leaves her room and tells her other parents she’s going
for a walk. Outside, Coraline encounters the same black cat from the “real” world—here,
it’s able to talk to her, and its voice sounds like the voice at the back of her head.
Coraline asks the cat about where she is, what she’s doing there, and who her other
parents really are, but the cat doesn’t give Coraline any answers and instead darts off into
the woods. Coraline decides to go visit the other Miss Spink and the other Miss
Forcible. In this world, the two of them are beautiful young women who perform a
never-ending show that combines Shakespearean soliloquy and circus acts to a rapt
audience of talking terriers. Coraline leaves the performance and returns to her own flat,
where her other parents tell her they’d like for her to stay with them forever. All she has
to do, they tell her, is let them remove her eyes and replace them with buttons. Coraline
refuses. Her other mother begrudgingly agrees to let Coraline return to her own world.

d. Characters
● Coraline Jones – The young explorer. She is curious, intelligent, resourceful, and
courageous. Coraline is often irritated by rain, crazy grown-ups (as they all seem to
be), and not being taken seriously because of her young age. She's described as being
"small for her age", but Coraline is not afraid to face anyone; she is the most
adventurous person in the book. Even though Coraline wants to never see the Other
Mother again after she learns the truth about her nature, she does so anyway in order
to rescue her parents. After everything she had heard about the Other Mother and
what she has done to Coraline's family, she can't deny that the Other Mother does
genuinely love her in her own selfish way. She feels some empathy for her Other
Mother at the very slightest and realizes that the Beldam wants a strong mother-
daughter bond that she doesn't fully understand how to make. This shows the
compassionate side of Coraline Jones and the strong will she has. In the film, she is
voiced by Dakota Fanning.
● Mrs. Jones – Coraline's mother. She is very busy most of the time, and sometimes a
little inattentive, but she loves and cares about Coraline. She is nice, and helpful,
though Coraline considers her to be rather boring. Coraline also gets annoyed with
her real mother because she doesn't seem to want to let Coraline "fit in". In the film,
her first name is Mel and is voiced by Teri Hatcher.
● Mr. Jones – Coraline's father. He works at his house on the computer. He cares about
Coraline very much and is kind, brave, and helpful. He makes "creative" food
creations that Coraline strongly dislikes. He, too, is usually too busy to spend time
with Coraline. In the film, his first name is Charlie and is voiced by John Hodgman.
● The Cat – A black cat from the real world. The cat acts as a mentor to Coraline and
guides her through her journey. He is left unnamed, as he explains that cats do not
need names to tell each other apart. Unlike many of the characters in the novel, he
does not have an "Other World" counterpart, saying that unlike other creatures in the
world, cats can "keep themselves together". He moves freely from one world to the
other, although he appears to be capable of talking in the Other World. He possess a
very sarcastic personality, constantly belittling Coraline, but nevertheless is helpful to
her. He is defiant of the Other Mother, but seems to tremble at the thought of being
stuck in the Other World forever. He befriends Coraline and helps her escape from
the Other Mother, though Coraline also uses him as an impromptu weapon. He is
voiced by Keith David in the film.
● The Other Mother – The primary antagonist of the novel. She is an evil sorceress
and the ruler of the Other World. She looks similar to Coraline's real mother but taller
 and thinner, with long black hair that seems to move by itself, black button eyes,
paper-white skin, and extremely long, twitchy fingers with long dark red nails.
During the course of the novel, she grows taller, thinner, and paler, looking less and
less like Coraline's mother. She cannot create, but only copy, twist and change things
from the real world when constructing her version of it. She collects children, whom
she loves possessively to the point of eventual destruction, taking their souls so they
cannot leave her world and caring for them until they pass away, but wanting to feel
their happiness and joy afterwards. She mainly wants someone to mother. It's implied
that she killed her own mother because when Coraline asked her if she had a grave
she replied "Oh yes, I put her there myself." In the film, her true form is a humanoid
arachnid with needle-like fingers on her hands. She is referred to several times as "the
beldam", a Middle English word meaning "grandmother", "ugly old woman", "hag",
or "witch", and also used to refer to creatures of fairy. In the film, she is voiced by
Teri Hatcher, who also voices Coraline's mother.
● The Other Father – A creation of the Other Mother in the image of Mr. Jones, the
Other Father is used to help trick Coraline into staying in the Other World. Like her
real father, he has a study and sits there during the day and will not talk to Coraline
for long. He does not work, however; he merely occupies the study, as he is not
permitted to talk to Coraline by himself. He is much more fun than Coraline's real
father and always tries to be cheerful and fun in front of Coraline. In reality, the Other
Father is sad and nervous. The Other Mother ends up punishing him for revealing too
much to Coraline—she transforms him into a soft, doughy, grub-like creature, and
orders the Other Father to trap Coraline so she cannot win her challenge. He voices
his reluctance to harm her, yet cannot refuse Other Mother's orders and attacks, but
Coraline narrowly escapes. In the film, he is voiced by John Hodgman, who also
voices his real world counterpart, but his singing voice is provided by John Linnell.
● Miss Spink and Miss Forcible – A pair of retired actresses who live in the flat under
Coraline's. They own many ageing Scotties, such as Hamish, Angus, and Jock, and
talk in theater jargon, often referencing their time as actresses. They recognize the
danger Coraline is in after reading her fortune through tea leaves and give her an
adder stone to help protect her. In the Other World they are young, pretty, and
perform continuously in front of many different dogs, who, in the Other World, are
anthropomorphic. In the film, they and their Other World counterparts are voiced by
Jennifer Saunders (as the voice of Spink) and Dawn French (as the voice of Forcible)
● Mr. Bobo – A retired circus performer living in the flat above Coraline's; he is
commonly referred to as the Crazy Old Man Upstairs. Over the course of the book he
claims to be training mice to perform in a mouse circus, and often brings Coraline
messages from them, though at first Coraline doubts he even has mice to train, and
doesn't listen to what he says to be messages from the mice. His Other World
counterpart trains rats, and is in fact made of rats. In the film adaptation, he is
renamed Sergei Alexsander Bobinski, but goes by Mr. Bobinski or Mr. B, and is
voiced by Ian McShane, who also voices his Other World counterpart.
● The Ghost Children – The spirits of three children who were previous victims of the
Other Mother: two girls and one boy. The boy is described as having a dirty face and
red trousers. One of the girls has brown hair, a pink blouse and a pink skirt. The other
has a brown bonnet and brown dress. They were trapped by the other mother at
different times before Coraline, and reside in the dark space behind the mirror. After
having their souls restored, they go to the afterlife, but not before meeting Coraline
for a last time, in a dream where she has a picnic with them. Here, she sees their true
appearances and they thank her for freeing them from the Other Mother. They also
warn her that the Other Mother is not done with her.
e. Coraline Themes
The Importance of Overcoming One's Fears
At the beginning of the story, Coraline feels secure in her comfortable existence.
However, she is bored by her life and is constantly seeking stimulation or encouragement
from either her environment or her loved ones. Once Coraline is put in an uncomfortable
and compromising situation, she learns more about herself and her inner strength. In the
other world, Coraline is confronted by various fears that intensify after she conquers each
one. She must conquer her fear of the other mother in order to restore her reality. As the
story progresses, Coraline realizes that her biggest fear is losing those whom she loves
the most. As Coraline overcomes each obstacle, she realizes that she is strong, powerful,
and capable.
Identity
At the beginning of the novel, Coraline views herself as an explorer lost in a boring
world. Although her parents are at home most of the time, she finds herself lonely and
dissatisfied. She asserts her independence by refusing to ask for help. Once Coraline
discovers the other world, she is forced to confront the strengths and weaknesses of her
character. She places her faith in the cat, her sole companion as she battles the beldam.
Although Coraline struggles with asserting her own identity in both the real world and in
the other world, she is also left to hyper-examine the identities of others. As she further
discovers herself, she also discovers the true identities of those that surround her.
The Potential of Imagination
Imagination plays an ambiguous yet essential role throughout the novel. At the very
beginning of the novel, it is clear that Coraline uses her imagination in order to escape
life's banality. In one example, Coraline's mother asks her daughter where she has
wandered off to. Instead of explaining the reality of the situation, Coraline opts for a
more provocative answer. She imagines that she has been kidnapped by aliens who
eventually let her free because she faked a foreign accent. In this example, Coraline's
imagination is comedic relief. As the story progresses, the reader is left to consider
whether the entire existence of the other world is another imaginative exploration of the
story's protagonist. Although this question remains unanswered, it is clear that Coraline's
imagination is her personal salvation.

The Power of Choice

Coraline touches on a theme that is essential to human existence—the importance and the
difficulties of making choices. Coraline must consistently make choices, both big and
small. After her parents are abducted, Coraline must choose how to structure her time and
make herself comfortable in the real world without their support or guidance. As the
narrative intensifies, Coraline is faced with big choices that will affect her and her
family's futures. Despite the initial comfort of the other world, Coraline chooses to escape
this environment and save her parents from the evil other mother. Coraline is never held
to anyone's expectations except for her own. She finds her independence and her strength
from evaluating all potential options and choosing the most responsible way to achieve
her goals.
Deception and Illusions
The other world was carefully constructed by the beldam to represent Coraline's real life.
Upon her initial visit to the other world, Coraline is shocked at how the world beyond the
door is a better version of her own. However, Coraline makes the decision to not be
complacent in accepting this world's initial appeal. She is prompted to consider how her
other mother has deceived her, and she is forced to unpack the motivations for the
beldam's deceit. Later in the novel, Coraline is convinced that her other father is an
innocent and complacent character. Later, she discovers that this persona was merely an
illusion in order to convince Coraline that he is not a suspicious or sinister figure.
Through her exposure to the other world, Coraline learns to understand how appearances
can differ from the reality of a situation.
 The Harm of Manipulation
The character that most clearly personifies manipulation is the other mother, also known
as the beldam. The beldam has created the other world by manipulating and replicating
Coraline's reality. As the story continues, the reader begins to understand how the other
mother has manipulated numerous other figures in the other world. She manipulates the
other father in order to trap Coraline in the other world. Simultaneously, the beldam
manipulates Coraline into believing that her other father is a trustworthy and reliable
character. Coraline must become aware of the other mother's manipulative tendencies in
order to stay vigilant and accomplish her ultimate goals.
The Truth about Family
It is clear that Coraline struggles with her parents. When they first move into their new
apartment, Coraline is disheartened by her parent's busy schedules and their general
inattentiveness towards their daughter. In the other world, Coraline meets an alternate
parental duo who shower her with attention and cook her favorite recipes. Although her
other mother and other father seem to check all of the boxes, Coraline begins to truly
miss her real parents. In her real parents' absence, Coraline learns to accept and
appreciate their flaws and quirks. Throughout her journey into the other world, Coraline
learns that family is the most important and meaningful thing in life.

IV. Self-Assessment Activities

Activity 1:

1. What is the main point of the story?

2. Who is Coraline? Would you say that she is suffering from psychological disorder?
Explain your answer.
3. What lesson/moral could children possibly learn from the story?

Activity 2: (To be submitted)

Relate a personal experience where you sort of rebel from your family because you felt
you are neglected. What was the outcome and what have you realized in the end?

Lesson 3

Contemporary Realism/Multi-Cultural:
House on Mango Street
I. Overview
Realism, set of related theories of international relations that emphasizes the role of the state,
national interest, and military power in world politics. Realism has dominated the academic
study of international relations since the end of World War II.

Realists believe that there are no universal principles with which all states may guide their
actions. Instead, a state must always be aware of the actions of the states around it and must
use a pragmatic approach to resolve problems as they arise.

In literature, Contemporary Realistic Fiction consists of stories rooted in reality (could

actually happen) but the characters are fictionalized. Nothing in the story connects itself to a
time or event in history, but focuses on problems facing children's lives today such as divorce,
a new sibling,or teen issues.
 Contemporary realistic fiction includes literature with fictional characters,settings, and
events, but may happen in real life. Everything that happens in this type of genre is possible on
Earth. This genre is one of the most popular because people are interested in themselves and
find these stories the most familiar.

Specifically in Children and Young Adult Literature, common categories of modern realistic
stories include:

Animals
The bond between animals and people is both timeless and a mainstay in
the contemporary realistic fiction genre.

Humor
Humorous books are a great addition to every person's library. Reading a realistically funny
story is sure bring smiles and giggles across all ages. These also includes riddle and joke
books.

Mysteries
The fact that mysteries have captivated audiences is an ancient one. These stories are have
been children's favorites since the 1920's.

School and Family Novels

As the title of this category states, these stories present realistic literature dealing with family
and school life. The tone is usually lighter and the problems are less severe in this category
than of those in problem novels.

Series Books
Books in this category are important to literacy development because the familiarity of
characters provide comfort and story. These books have a main character that is memorable
and eventually evolves into a series of adventures.

Sports
Stories in this category are often either game-focused or problem-focused. There is large
emphasis on victory and drama. Although not very many titles make the Newberry list, it is
not unheard of.

Survival and Adventure

Mostly set in the wilderness, this type of realistic fiction often offer adventure stories
combining survival and discovery. The danger in these stories excite audiences and draw
readers into the adventures.

And what about multi-culturalism?

Simply put, multicultural children's literature is literature that is not of the

mainstream in the United States. Rather, it is about groups who have been previously
underrepresented and often marginalized by society as a whole, especially in depic- tions
in children's literature in the United States.

Broadly defined, multicultural literature includes literature about people who are
considered outside of the mainstream of society and have been in some manner marginalized.
This definition would include people from diverse cultural, linguistic, socioeconomic, and
religious backgrounds.

Multicultural literature serves as a powerful tool in enabling students to gain a better

understanding of both their own culture and the cultures of others. ... Students therefore
 develop greater cognitive skills as they learn to engage with and critically evaluate the texts
that they read.

II. Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson the students should be able to:

1. Get familiarized with multi-culturalism in contemporary realistic literature;
2. Determine the characteristics of the genre;
3. Tell why ‘House on Mango Street’ is a multi-cultural realism story.

III. Learning Experience

a. Background

The House on Mango Street is a 1984 novel by Mexican-American author Sandra

Cisneros. Structured as a series of vignettes, it tells the story of Esperanza Cordero, a 12-
year-old Chicana girl growing up in the Hispanic quarter of Chicago.

b. Plot Overview

On a series of vignettes, The House on Mango Street covers a year in the life of
Esperanza, a Chicana (Mexican-American girl), who is about twelve years old when the
novel begins. During the year, she moves with her family into a house on Mango Street. The
house is a huge improvement from the family’s previous apartment, and it is the first home
her parents actually own. However, the house is not what Esperanza has dreamed of, because
it is run-down and small. The house is in the center of a crowded Latino neighborhood in
Chicago, a city where many of the poor areas are racially segregated. Esperanza does not
have any privacy, and she resolves that she will someday leave Mango Street and have a
house all her own.

Esperanza matures significantly during the year, both sexually and emotionally. The
novel charts her life as she makes friends, grows hips, develops her first crush, endures
sexual assault, and begins to write as a way of expressing herself and as a way to escape the
neighborhood. The novel also includes the stories of many of Esperanza’s neighbors, giving
a full picture of the neighborhood and showing the many possible paths Esperanza may
follow in the future. to

After moving to the house, Esperanza quickly befriends Lucy and Rachel, two Chicana
girls who live across the street. Lucy, Rachel, Esperanza, and Esperanza’s little sister, Nenny,
have many adventures in the small space of their neighborhood. They buy a bike, learn
exciting stories about boys from a young woman named Marin, explore a junk shop, and
have intimate conversations while playing Double Dutch (jumping rope). The girls are on the
brink of puberty and sometimes find themselves sexually vulnerable, such as when they walk
around their neighborhood in high-heeled shoes or when Esperanza is kissed by an older man
at her first job. During the first half of the year, the girls are content to live and play in their
child’s world. At school, Esperanza feels ashamed about her family’s poverty and her
difficult-to-pronounce name. She secretly writes poems that she shares only with older
women she trusts.

Over the summer, Esperanza slips into puberty. She suddenly likes it when boys watch
her dance, and she enjoys dreaming about them. Esperanza’s newfound sexual maturity,
combined with the death of two of her family members, her grandfather and her Aunt Lupe,
bring her closer to the world of adults. She begins to closely watch the women in her
neighborhood. This second half of The House on Mango Street presents a string of stories
about older women in the neighborhood, all of whom are even more stuck in their situations
and, quite literally, in their houses, than Esperanza is. Meanwhile, during the beginning of
the following school year, Esperanza befriends Sally, a girl her age who is more sexually
mature than Lucy or Rachel. Sally, meanwhile, has her own agenda. She uses boys and men
as an escape route from her abusive father. Esperanza is not completely comfortable with
Sally’s sexual experience, and their friendship results in a crisis when Sally leaves Esperanza
alone, and a group of boys sexually assaults Esperanza in her absence.

Esperanza’s traumatic experiences as Sally’s friend, in conjunction with her detailed

observations of the older women in her neighborhood, cement her desire to escape Mango
Street and to have her own house. When Esperanza finds herself emotionally ready to leave
her neighborhood, however, she discovers that she will never fully be able to leave Mango
Street behind, and that after she leaves she’ll have to return to help the women she has left.
At the end of the year, Esperanza remains on Mango Street, but she has matured extensively.
She has a stronger desire to leave and understands that writing will help her put distance
between herself and her situation. Though for now writing helps her escape only emotionally,
in the future it may help her to escape physically as well.

c. Characters

Esperanza - young Mexican-American narrator, sister of Nenny, Carlos, and Kiki, who lives
with her family on Mango Street and records her feelings during her first year there. She
realizes that not only does she want to live somewhere better someday, but she wants to help
others escape as well.
Rachel and Lucy - Esperanza's friends who live across the street. They buy a bike together,
jump rope, and walk through the neighborhood in high heels.
Sally - classmate of Esperanza who is very beautiful, so her father hits her when he catches
her talking to a boy. Eventually she marries an older man who moves her away.
Nenny - Esperanza's spacey younger sister who she spends a lot of time with but who
sometimes embarrasses her
Marin - A young neighbor who lives with her cousin's family and baby-sits the children and
so cannot leave the house. She meets Geraldo at a dance, but he dies that same night.
Papa - Esperanza's father who works most of the time and isn't mentioned much
Mama - Esperanza's mother who is smart but dropped out of school because she was poor
and is disappointed with the way her life turned out
Alicia - Esperanza's college friend who is trying to escape through education
Cathy - a potentially racist neighbor who decides to move away
Carlos and Kiki - Esperanza's younger brothers who are mentioned more than seen
Meme Ortiz - moves into Cathy's house with his dog
Louie - lives in the basement of Cathy's house with his cousin and Marin. Louie's cousin
gives the kids a ride in a stolen car before they arrest him.
The Vargas Kids - misbehaved children who bother the neighbors and whose father
abandoned them
Uncle Nacho - Esperanza's uncle who dances with her at a baptism
Aunt Lupe - Esperanza's aunt who has become blind, and bedridden. She listens to
Esperanza's poems and encourages her to keep writing, but Esperanza and her friends mock
Lupe behind her back.
Elenita - A strange woman Esperanza visits to have her fortune told. Elenita reads Tarot
cards and tells Esperanza that she will have "a home in the heart."
 Ruthie - a neighbor who lives with her mother Edna despite being married
Geraldo - a man Marin meets at a dance who dies the same night
Mamacita - heavy neighbor whose son brings her to America but she doesn't speak English
and never leaves her apartment
Rafaela - A neighborhood woman whose husband locks her in their apartment, so she sends
money down to Esperanza and her friends so they can buy her sweet juices
Minerva - a married woman in the neighborhood who shares her poems with Esperanza.
Slightly older than Esperanza, she already has an abusive husband and two children.
Tito - boy who steals Sally's keys in order to get her to kiss him and his friends
Sire - Even though he sometimes looks at Esperanza lovingly, he and his girlfriend Lois hang
around outside late at night.
Earl - A neighbor who works nights and sometimes brings women home with him.
Neighbors think each woman is his wife, but the women are probably prostitutes.
The Three Sisters - women Esperanza meets at Lucy and Rachel's baby sister's funeral who
tell her to make a wish and promise it will come true. They advise Esperanza to return to
Mango Street after she leaves it.

IV. Self-Learning Assessment

Activity 1:

Read the full text of the story then answer the following:

● Five people die in The House on Mango Street: Angel Vargas, Esperanza’s grandfather,
Aunt Lupe, Geraldo, and Rachel and Lucy’s baby sister. Spanning all ages, these
characters include an infant, a boy, a young man in his twenties, and two elderly
figures. How do the many deaths in the novel relate to one another, and how do they
influence Esperanza?

● Esperanza defines herself as being completely separate from her parents. For most of The
House on Mango Street, she clings to the belief that she does not belong in her house or
in her neighborhood. She distances herself from her house physically by spending most
of her time outdoors, and she distances herself from it emotionally by denying her place
there. In both cases, Esperanza is distancing herself from her parents. Discuss the role of
parents in the novel. How can Esperanza’s relationship with her parents be characterized?
In what ways is it different or similar to other characters’ parent/child relationships in the
novel?
Activity 2: (to be submitted)
Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.
Two themes are dominant in the story: The Power of Language and The Struggle for
Self-Definition.
 In your own experience, briefly discuss how did these two universal ideas affect
your transformation from childhood to the matured young person that you are now.

******END OF MODULE******