1. It has been said that Kirsti heightens the tension of the book because she is an unpredictable character.

Find examples in the text where this is true. Rewrite one of the scenes in the novel—such as the Nazis' search of the Johansen household—from Kirsti's point of view.

2. What role does Denmark's King Christian X play in Number the Stars?

Research King Christian and compare Lowry's portrayal with the historical facts that you gather.

3. Research and report on the World War II Resistance movement in another occupied European country, such as France or Austria.

4. Read Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl, the story of a Jewish teen-ager who is hidden in a Dutch attic during World War II. Compare this real-life story with Lowry's tale. Do you think Number the Stars conveys the horrors of the...