Name______Date______
Period______English 7 – Rosen
Sample Independent Reading Essay
(which accompanies a creative project)
Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry, was a work of historical fiction about the Holocaust. The story took place in Denmark and the main character was Annmarie, a young, non-Jewish girl. Annmarie helped her Jewish best friend, and her family, escape Denmark into Sweden, away from Nazi control. Her uncle was a fisherman who smuggled the refugees out of danger by hiding them in his boat.
The scene in thediorama that I have chosen to represent is of a fake funeral. This moment in the book was particularly important because it was the first time that Annmarie learned about her uncle’s brave acts. This occasion was also important because Annemarie’s best friend, Ellen, was about to be transferred and Annmarie had to say good-bye to her. The funeral was a fake because there was no body in the coffin. Instead, there were heavy winter clothes and blankets to help keep the refugees warm. Annmarie’s family pretended that there was a funeral because they needed to have an excuse for all of the Jews to be in their house. Fortunately, the Nazis did not realize that the people in Annmarie’s living room were Jewish and that there was no deceased Aunt Birtie in the coffin.
Number the Starswas a good book. It taught about some lesser-known events in the Holocaust. Also, Number the Starsdealt with the important themes of bravery, friendship, and pride. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction or just wants to read a story about brave people willing to risk their lives for others.
**Bacically… Paragraph 1 – Explain what your book is about. Paragraph 2 – Explain what your project is about. Paragraph 3 – Give your opinion of the book and include a few themes.