Number the Stars

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. Whom was Lise planning to marry?

2. What does Mrs. Hirsch sell at her shop?

3. What nickname does Kirsti give the tall German soldier?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Mr. Johansen tell Annemarie to keep an eye on Ellen?

2. Why does Annemarie challenge Ellen to a race?

Paired Resource

Beyond the Shadows: The Holocaust and the Danish Exception

• This excerpt details the Danish resistance movement. The novel presents King Christian X as a figure of the resistance, and this excerpt sheds a light on why he was idolized. (Due to length, reading level, and content, this resource may serve best as a teacher-facing resource from which to share ideas and topics.)
• Why does Mr. Johansen say that “[a]ny Danish citizen would die for King Christian” (Chapter 12)? Why did the Danish people still love King Christian despite his surrender to the Germans? How did he show Bravery in Both Large and Small Actions?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. What holiday are the Rosens celebrating?

2. What code word does Mr. Johansen use to describe Ellen?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Kirsti wear shoes made of fish skin?

2. Why are the German officers skeptical that Ellen is a member of the Johansen family?

3. Why doesn’t Mr. Johansen go on the trip with Mrs. Johansen and the girls?

Paired Resource

“The Rosh Hashanah Warning That Saved Denmark’s Jews”

• This article from Time gives the historical context for why the Rosens fled on the Jewish New Year. Rabbi Marcus Melchior delivered a warning to all Jewish families in Denmark, telling them to either leave the country or go into hiding.
• Rabbi Melchior’s warning connects to the theme of Bravery in Both Large and Small Actions.
• Why did the rabbi issue the warning instead of celebrating a traditional Rosh Hashanah? What did Annemarie, Ellen, and their families feel when they heard about the warning, and how did they react? How does the celebration of Rosh Hashanah highlight the differences and similarities between the Jewish and Christian characters in the novel?

Chapters 7-10

Reading Check

1. What does Annemarie promise to keep safe for Ellen?

2. What was Great-Aunt Birte's supposed cause of death?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why hasn’t Ellen been to the sea before?

2. Why does Mrs. Johansen have to prepare the living room?

3. How does Annemarie know that there is no Great-Aunt Birte?

Paired Resource

“Thor”

• This article from the World History Encyclopedia describes Thor, the mythological Norse figure.
• According to the article, what role does Thor play in the Norse pantheon? Why might Kirsti have named the kitten Thor?

Chapters 11-13

Reading Check

1. What item of clothing does Mrs. Johansen give to the mother with a young child?

2. What is the shape that Annemarie sees on the path?

3. What body part does Mrs. Johansen injure?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Mrs. Johansen tell Annemarie to run to the boat?

2. What is unusual about the name that Peter uses for Mrs. Johansen?

Paired Resource

“Danish Citizens Resist the Nazis, 1940-1945”

• This article from the Global Nonviolent Action Database is an overview of Danish resistance during World War II. It focuses on the strikes in Denmark as a method of resistance.
• This resource connects to the themes of Bravery in Both Large and Small Actions and The Importance of Resisting Evil.
• How do the Johansens and Peter participate in nonviolent resistance? How did other Danish workers protest the German occupation? Why do you think their methods were successful?

Chapters 14-17

Reading Check

1. What fairy tale does Annemarie tell herself as she walks?

2. What does Annemarie ask Mr. Johansen to fix?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Annemarie try to imitate what Kirsti would have said when talking to the Germans?

2. What is special about the handkerchief?

3. What secret does Annemarie learn about Lise?

Recommended Next Reads 

The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen

• This novel tells the story of a young Jewish girl who is transported back in time to a concentration camp in Poland during World War II. As she experiences the past, she gains a deeper understanding of the Holocaust and the sacrifices made by her ancestors.
• There is a shared theme of Bravery in Both Large and Small Actions as the characters in the novel show small acts of kindness in addition to larger acts of resistance in the concentration camps.
• The Devil’s Arithmetic on SuperSummary

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

• This story is set in Nazi Germany during World War II and follows a young girl named Liesel who steals books to deal with the atrocities of war.
• The two novels share the same time period, but The Book Thief takes place in Germany itself.
• Shared themes include Bravery in Both Large and Small Actions, The Importance of Resisting Evil, and The Safety and Dangers of Ignorance.
• The Book Thief on SuperSummary