English 2F - Children's Lit
Response 7 -Number the Stars

Purpose: To analyze the elements of historical fiction, to identify the potential responses of children to the book, to interpret a work according to the principles of historical and sociocultural theory

Directions: 

Note: The responses are intended to be a way for you to explore ideas that you might later wish to refine in a paper or a discussion.  I will not censor these responses in any way, nor will I grade them on content or grammar (though, like the seminars, they must be coherent and display some measure of critical thinking about the question at hand). You do not have to answer all the questions, nor do you have to confine yourself to these questions.  You can write as much as you want, as long as you meet the minimum length requirements for the assignment

1. Read Lois Lowry 's Number the Stars

2. Review the material on Historical/Biographical and Sociocultural Theory from Module 5. 

3. Write at least a page analzying the cultural elements in the text.  Questions to think about:

1. A Believable World : How effective is Lowry at creating a believable, accessible setting? Does her vision of Denmark in the 1940's feel real to you? Would it to a young reader? Why or why not?

2. Childhood Then and Now : How does Lowry negotiate the cultural norms of mid-20th century Denmark and those of late 20th century America? What were the expectations for children in the time and place of the story, and how do those expectations differ from those familiar to her contemporary audience? What would modern audiences infer about what children and childhood was like in WWII Europe?
3. Good v. Bad : What does Lowry suggest about the nature of good and evil in this book? What lessons might children take away about the complexity of morality in the real world? What moral issues seem clear-cut, and which are murkier?
4.The Power of Story: What is the role of story-telling in this book? What do you think Lowry is suggesting about the power of stories, and how do those messages translate beyond the pages of the book?
5. A Child's Perspective: The story is told from the point of view of Annemarie, who does not have a full understanding of the wider events that are taking place around her. What effect does this have on the audience, many of whom may or may not know about this period of history?

3. Include at least three quotes from the book to illustrate your ideas.

4. Submit your response.

5. Extra Credit Option: Post your response to the extra credit forums, "Response 7 - Number the Stars".  You will receive extra credit if you post your response and/or respond to at least one other student's posting.