Number the Stars

This week and next, we are reading a excerpt from the novel Number the Stars. It is an historical fiction story about the Danish resistance during World War II. It is not a harsh story, but one that clearly expresses the emotions and fears of the characters. However, the theme is actually one of friendship and hope.

To fully understand the background of this story, we had a discussion of the Nazi political party, the Danish resistance effort, concentration camps, treatment of Jews and other people considered "undesirable" by the Nazi's, and the US Holocaust Museum. We discussed how fear and ignorance can cause people to do things they are later ashamed of. We drew correlations to bullying and voting; noting that each person has the responsibility to act responsibly, intelligently, and in good conscience.

I asked students to discuss this story with you; I hope they have had time to do this. I consider this a perfect "coming of age" story. While not being too graphic, it does expose students to a harsher side of our reality. War and terrorism do exist in our every-day world.

Your children are sensitive and wise, but their fantasy world of gaming, TV, and movies can sometimes shape their belief system more than you'd like. Power struggles exist on all levels of society, from sibling rivalries to countries at war. In a sense those struggles are natural, but compassion and compromise need to be a part of the process.

I thought you'd like to know about this discussion and hope it can be a springboard for a family discussion.

The following video clip is a trailer for the movie Number the Stars