Number the Stars — Chapter 10

About This Passage

This passage was chosen because Lowry uses one of her most important sound images of the whole book — the staccato of soldier boots — and pairs it with the sudden weeping of the mother holding the baby. The dashes around 'as if in a recurring nightmare' show how a familiar fear has come to live inside Annemarie's body. Trailblazers will study how rhythm in a sentence can make a reader's chest tighten.

Narration Prompt

Tell what happens in this chapter in your own words. How do the soldiers arrive, what does the officer demand to do, and what does Mama say to make him change his mind? What does Peter do after the soldiers leave?

Discussion Questions

1. When the officer asks 'Who died?' Annemarie remembers Uncle Henrik's lesson from the barn — that 'to be brave came more easily if you knew nothing.' What in the story tells you that Annemarie understands her uncle's lesson at this exact moment? How do you know that not knowing what is in the casket actually helps her keep her voice steady?
2. Mama walks straight to the casket and says, 'Of course we will open the casket! I am glad you suggested—' even though opening it would ruin everything. Why does this strange, eager answer work? What does Lowry seem to be teaching her readers about how clever people behave when they are caught in a trap?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide