As a symbol of her friendship with Ellen, she puts on Ellen's Star of David Necklace to wear until she can personally return it to Ellen.Įllen Rosen is a short, stocky, dark-haired, ten-year-old Jewish girl. Annemarie knows that bravery is the result of standing up for what you believe in, regardless of the dangers.Īt the end of the novel, the war is over and Annemarie is hopeful that Ellen and her parents will return. She also realizes that it is much easier to be courageous if you don't know the extent of the danger. She understands from her experience that ordinary people are called upon to be courageous. Finally, Annemarie faces the Nazis alone in the woods, and, relying on the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale for courage, she bravely stands up to the Nazis.Īnnemarie learns the meaning of bravery. She later realizes that she must lie to protect Ellen and other Jews, so she pretends that she is mourning a great-aunt that doesn't exist. At her house, she pulls Ellen's Star of David necklace off her neck to keep the Nazis from knowing that Ellen is Jewish. She proves her friendship with Ellen many times by protecting her from the Nazis. The only constants in her life are fairy tales.Īnnemarie begins to lose her innocence when she realizes that Ellen's life is in danger. Annemarie understands that she mustn't draw attention to herself, that she needs 'to be one of the crowd.' Everything has changed for Annemarie. She is aware of the changes that her family has had to adapt to, such as food and fuel shortages. She is annoyed because there are Nazi soldiers at every corner. She runs races with her best friend, Ellen Rosen, and plays paper dolls.

When the novel begins, Annemarie is a relatively innocent child. We are aware of Annemarie's changes because Lowry narrates Number the Stars in the third person limited omniscient viewpoint in order to reveal Annemarie's thoughts and feelings. She changes during the course of the novel due to her experiences and actions. She is a tall, blonde, ten-year-old Christian girl living in Copenhagen, Denmark during World War II. Study Help for All 1990s Newbery Medal WinnersĪnnemarie is the protagonist, or main character in the novel, and can be seen as the heroine.Introduction to the 1990s Newbery Medal Winners.

Number the stars