Why a Booktrail?
WW2: Inspired by real events which happened during WW2 when Nazi soldiers came to the streets of Copenhagen
Number the Stars
What you need to know before your trail
Best friends Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen love doing what all other best friends do – spending time together, laughing, joking – all the things that every other ten year olds do.
But this is Copenhagen 1943 and life is changing. As they walk in the streets of their city, Nazi uniforms are commonplace. They have less food than they used to and many other things have changed.
Ellen Rosen is Jewish. So when it’s announced that the Jews of Denmark are to be “relocated,” Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family.
But that might not be enough…
Travel Guide
“They plan to arrest all the Danish Jews. They plan to take them away. And we have been told that they may come tonight.”
Imagine being ten and hearing those words. Your best friend is Jewish and you know what that could mean.
One day, Annemarie, her sister Kirstie and Ellen are on their way home when they see a Nazi symbol in one of the shop windows. Annemarie’s parents try to explain the unexplainable – why people are being taken and why the Nazis think the Jews are a danger.
Papa explains to her that Denmark is small and doesn’t really have an army so can’t defend itself. The Nazis moved in and in twist of fate, the only part of life they didn’t control was King Christian himself and his daily ride from the palace to greet his people. All this in the author’s note she explains is real.
An extremely poignant part of the story is when Annemarie takes a small hand-hemmed handkerchief to her uncle – the author also explains this was a ruse to confuse the Nazi dogs who would sniff out hidden Jews on boats. By soaking handkerchiefs in rabbit blood and cocaine, the dogs would get confused.
In the story the pride of the people shines through, this is their Denmark, their King, their streets and Peter Neilsen although fictional represents the determination and pride of the Danish people. The author based him on the real Kin Malthe -Bruun who died at Nazi hands at the age of 21.
Booktrailer Review
Susan:
This book always makes me cry. I read it and have never forgotten it. Seeing all of this through the eyes of a ten year old girl and her best friend is to see the real horrors of war. Having to fake a funeral, packing Jews into Uncle Henrik’s boat, the handkerchief…
Run Annemarie run! Your bravery will go down in history.
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