Bravery in A Most Unlikely Hero: A Book Review of Lois Lowry's "Number the Stars"

When wickedness and evil invade your country, what will you do to stand up for it? When you mention the heroic acts of people during the 1940's, we think of adults helping Jews. Names like Corrie ten Boom, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Oskar Schindler pop into our heads. What about children, though? Lois Lowry's Number the Stars is a work of historical fiction about a young Danish girl and her Jewish friend.
Number the Stars, published in 1989, was the Newberry Medal winner the following year.

SUMMARY

   Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her friend Ellen Rosen walk home from school, Annemarie's little sister Kirstie tagging along behind. On their way home, they are stopped by Nazi soldiers (as Denmark is being occupied by Germany), who question them about all sorts of things. Kirstie gets angry, but the soldiers just laugh and let them go.

   Bad news reaches the Johansens that night. Annemarie's late sister's fiancé tells them that the Nazis are shutting down Jewish stores in Denmark. This spells out bad trouble for their neighbors, the Rosen family. The next day, it is discovered that the Nazis have obtained lists of Danish Jews from the synagogues and will use them to arrest all Jews they find.

   Mr. and Mrs. Rosen disappear, and Ellen stays with the Johansens. She disguises herself as the dead eldest Johansen daughter, Lise (pronounced LEE-ZA). While Kirstie sleeps with her parents, Ellen and Annemarie stay in the other bedroom.

   However, that night Nazi soldiers enter the Johansen apartment, searching for Jews, specifically the Rosens, as they were not to be found in their own apartment. The door to the girls' bedroom is shut, so Annemarie has enough time to realize Ellen is wearing a necklace of the Star of David and rips it off her neck. She does not have time to hide it safely, but must keep it clasped in her hand. When the Nazis see Ellen, they notice how her hair color does not match anyone else's. The Johansens are able to trick them, using an old baby picture of the real Lise who once had dark hair (as opposed to blond).

   Once the soldiers have left, Mr. Johansen calls his brother-in-law, Henrik. He uses a secret code to explain that Mrs. Johansen is bringing her daughters for a visit...along with a Jewish child.

   Eventually, Annemarie's mother takes the Rosen family to her brother. Hours later, though, Annemarie discovers her mother outside with a broken leg (she tripped on a dark trail). The two also discover a packet sitting by the steps of Henrik's house. "Mama" knows that it is vital to the Rosen's escape. Annemarie must brave the dangers of a dark forest, as well as Nazi soldiers (and their dogs), to save the Rosens and Uncle Hendrik from certain doom.

CONTENT

   While this is a book about Nazi-controlled Denmark, it is not as violent as one might expect. Number the Stars is a children's book, of course. There is some minor violence, though. Mrs. Johansen is smacked by a soldier, along with several tense encounters with Nazi soldiers (one including their dogs). The dangers of Jews being captured by Nazis are not specifically stated, but are hinted at (i.e. something along the lines of, "If they are caught..."). As this book is for kids, there is not specific or graphic Holocaust violence.

   There is no sexual content in this book.

   I was surprised at the language used in the story, as a kids’ book. There was one use of d*** and some inappropriate uses of God's name (all by Annemarie's mother, I recall). This annoyed me that someone would put these words in a children's book (not that it is alright for any age). 

   Apart from the language, I was extremely pleased with Number the Stars. It was a wonderful story about two Danish girls living under Nazi oppression. Without depicting the utter horrors of the Holocaust, it was able to introduce kids to that time period. It definitely deserved the Newberry Medal.

   You probably will not want kids younger than nine to read this, but older kids might just find Number the Stars to be a treasure!

GENERAL INFORMATION

 Number of pages: 138

Author of book: Lois Lowry

Published in: 1989

Primary audience: Children (older elementary), pre-teens

Assuming Responsibility: A Movie Review of Dave Filoni's "Star Wars: The Clone Wars"

Two armies fight a civil war for control of the galaxy and supply routes are a vital part of this. The Republic agrees to rescue the kidnapped son of an alien gangster in order to gain use of his supply routes. First, the Jedi heroes must get through a tightly-woven web of villainous mysteries...and survive a surprise attack.
The film did fairly well at the box office (it was just behind The Dark Knight), though not as well as it likely could have done due to a sudden decision to make the film. The movie stars the voices of Matt Lanter as Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker, Ashley Eckstein as Jedi student Ahsoka Tano, and James Arnold Taylor as Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi.

SUMMARY

   The Republic is stuck and spread out in various parts of the galaxy known as the Outer Rim, due to the number of Separatist-controlled "hyperlanes" (or supply routes). They must get more routes so as to get around their enemies. Meanwhile, the gangster Jabba the Hutt's son is suddenly kidnapped.

   Far off on the crystal planet Christophosis, Jedi warriors Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi lead battles against the robot armies of the Separatists. Although they make a victory, the droids return in greater forces and have an energy shield protecting them. To make matters harder, Jedi master Yoda sends a Jedi student named Ahsoka Tano. She is to train under the leadership of Anakin. The two of them must sneak past the droid soldiers and destroy their shield generator.

   Although the two bicker at first, they begin to develop a good bond. During the battle, Republic leaders agree to assist in finding Rotta the Huttlet, son of Jabba, so that they may gain use of his hyperlanes. Anakin and Ahsoka are tasked with the mission of locating and getting Rotta.

   Anakin and Ahsoka arrive on the jungle planet Teth and, with clone trooper soldiers, enter an abandoned temple (after a battle against enemy droids). They make their way to the prisons, attacking enemy droids on the way. They find Rotta and make their way out to the courtyard. Little do they know, a droid is recording their every moves, including Anakin saying, "I hate Hutts."

   The Jedi are attacked by droids, accompanied by Sith warrior Asajj Ventress. They narrowly escape and make their way to the sand planet Tatooine, home of Jabba. They are attacked by enemy droids and must make a crash-landing.

   Eventually, they arrive at Jabba's palace, though there is another unexpected surprise waiting there.

CONTENT

   While the violence in the film is certainly not PG-13 material, it is about as graphic as other movies of its kind (such as The Adventures of Tintin). Guns are fired not only at droids, but also at human clone soldiers. While there is no blood or gore, clone troopers are shot. Lightsabers are also used during battles. Also, the Sith assassin Ventress might be frightening for younger children. In one scene, a tray is brought before Jabba bearing the heads of several aliens (this is bloodless, as I recall). The violence is the same as some other PG films, though it might be tense for some kids.

   There is no sexual content, though the clothing of some female aliens are inappropriate. Ahsoka's outfit shows her stomach, but no more than that. An alien dancer in Jabba's palace wears tight-fitting clothes, though she can only be seen for a few seconds. While dueling Obi-Wan, Ventress removes her skirt and throws it at him (she does have pants on underneath). On a related note, Jabba's uncle Ziro the Hutt is male, though he is purple and talks like a woman (with a southern accent), as well as wearing feathers. 

   The word d*** is spoken briefly once, but other than that, the word "scum" is used.

   The mystical energy field called the "Force" is mentioned and used by both Jedi and Sith. Anakin tells Ahsoka about the "will of the Force" (which made me think the Force is supposed to be like a sort of deity). This, of course, follows the Eastern religions where good and evil must be balanced, and that both are equal. This twists reality where God is sovereign and will triumph over Satan; well, to be honest, He already has triumphed when His Son died on the cross.

   I enjoyed The Clone Wars, though not as much as the other six films or even the following TV Show that recently ended with its fifth season. Parents will want to be present while younger children watch the film, but kids in elementary and older should be fine with most of the content. 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 98 minutes

Rating: PG

Director: Dave Filoni

Producers: George Lucas, Catherine Winder

Music: Kevin Kiner (original score by John Williams)

Year of release: 2008

Primary audience: Children, family

A Vengeful Hero: A Movie Review of Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel"

When the word "superhero" is mentioned, what do you think of? Most of us will think of traditional heroes that have been around for decades: Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, and especially Superman. Possibly the most-portrayed hero of all time, the alien superhero recently got a new film, appropriately titled Man of Steel.
Man of Steel made the most money out of any Superman movie ever, and that includes Superman: The Movie and Superman Returns. It is also currently the second highest-grossing reboot film of all time (following The Amazing Spider-Man). The film stars Henry Cavill as Superman/Clark Kent, Amy Adams as news-reporter Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon as evil General Dru-Zod.

SUMMARY

   The alien planet Krypton is being torn apart by overuse of natural resources, as well as a civil war between the rightful leaders and rebels. Scientist Jor-El has tried to save his planet, but he sees that there is no hope, so he and his wife Lara plan to send their son Kal-El off the planet. They will send him to a planet called Earth.

   As Lara prepares a space ship holding her infant son, rebels attack her and Jor-El's home. The rebellion's leader, General Zod, tries to stop the ship from leaving. When he fails in this, he murders Jor-El, though he and his team of leading rebels are soon banished to the Phantom Zone. Krypton soon explodes after this, causing them to be freed of their bonds. This is not the last time Zod will enter the scene, of course.

   Go forward about twenty years or so and we meet Clark Kent, a mysterious and somewhat dark young man. The audience is shown a rather angry Clark, as we go back and forth between his childhood and adulthood. In chronological time, the infant Kal-El lands on Earth and is adopted by Jonathan and Martha Kent, who name the boy Clark. 

   All the events leading up to Clark's adulthood are displayed. One day, while he is in Antarctica (visiting his secret cave), he is discovered by Lois Lane, reporter for Metropolis' The Daily Planet. He disappears, and Lois begins a search for the "mystery man."

   Eventually, General Zod and his band of rebels come to Earth in search of Kal-El, now named Superman. He and Lois are taken into custody, but are aided in escape by the "consciousness" of Jor-El (which was quite strange). 

   City-wide disaster strikes as Zod attacks both Smallville (Clark's home) and Metropolis (location of The Daily Planet). Pretty soon, though, this turns into worldwide chaos as Zod's machines begin changing Earth to be hospitable for Kryptonian aliens, rather than the native humans.

   For those who know the Superman stories, be prepared for a nearly completely different look at Kal-El's origin story. It will take the whole story and basically flip it upside down. 

CONTENT

   I believe that the violence in Man of Steel far exceeds that of any previous Superman film, even Superman Returns. There are punches, blood, many gunshots, and fights using superpowers. Sadly, some of the violence concerning Superman is out of revenge and anger. There is one scene where we see a Kryptonian woman being engulfed in flames, as well as a scene where human children are in a sinking bus. The violence and graphic content of this film rivals, if not passes, that of The Avengers. However, although the violence is intense, it is not what I would call gory.

   As in all Superman movies (and really all superhero movies), there is a romance between the superhero and the lead female. I recall only one or two kisses between Superman and Lois Lane. Also, the rebel commander Faora-Ul (a female Kryptonian) wears tight-fitting armor. On this topic, Clark Kent is seen for at least a few scenes without a shirt. Soon after this, Clark is in a bar and a man touches a woman's behind (Clark defends her). Towards the end of the film, a female soldier says that Superman is "hot."

   There is a moderate use of foul language. Lois Lane, I recall, contributes much of this. The film includes a few uses of God's name, besides multiple uses of d***, a**, and h***.

   Jor-El appears to Superman, Lois Lane, and General Zod on a few occasions, all of which are after his death. When Superman questions this, Jor-El explains that it is his "consciousness" which I took to mean spirit. This bothered me, but there were also some other things in the spiritual area. There are some clear connections between Jesus Christ and Superman (sent to save Kryptonians and humans, communes with his father), one of which is a scene with him in water with his hands outstretched, as if on a cross. I am not sure whether the filmmakers meant this as a mockery or not, but these things are still present.

   While Man of Steel was the most visually-stunning Superman film, I would strongly disagree that it is the cleanest or the most moral. Superman is portrayed much darker than in previous films. With the 1970's Superman, we had a noble and heroic superhero, but with 2013's version we have a vengeful and angry superhero (which might have something to do with producer Christopher Nolan, of The Dark Knight fame). This bothered me a lot. You might enjoy Man of Steel, which I did at points (particularly some of the musical scores), but it has little to redeem itself.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Length: 143 minutes

Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language)

Director: Zack Snyder

Producers: Christopher Nolan, Charles Rovan, Emma Thomas, Deborah Snyder

Music: Hans Zimmer

Year of release: 2013

Primary audience: Teens, adults

The Unintentional Hero: A Book Review of Donita K. Paul's "DragonSpell"

A young girl has lived virtually her entire life as a slave—that is, until she is called by the land's creator and ruler to undertake a dangerous mission to rescue stolen dragon eggs.
DragonSpell is the first book of the teen DragonKeeper series. The series is not too well known, though it was named 2005's Christy Honor Book.

SUMMARY

   Kale Allerion has lived all her life as a slave. Her masters are not necessarily cruel, but Kale's situation is certainly not what you would call a wonderful existence. One day, she is freed to go to the Hall, where people are trained to serve Paladin, the counterpart of Wulder. The book opens with Kale travelling to the capital city Vendela, talking to a farmer.

   Eventually, she must obey Wulder by reclaiming dragon eggs stolen by the evil wizard Risto. The rest of the book follows her adventures on the way to Risto's castle, accompanied by her new friends Dar, Leetu Bends, and some dragons. Also, along the way she learns about Wulder and what it means to obey him.

   The climax of the story is surprising and exciting!

CONTENT

   DragonSpell has some violence in the same vein as The Chronicles of Narnia series. While there is injury, death, and battles, it is not too detailed. Fans of C.S. Lewis' work will recognize a similar approach to this violence.

   There is no sexual content at all, which I was pleased with.

   I recall no foul language anywhere in the book.

   There is the use of spells in this book, and some of the characters are wizards (good and bad, according to the story). There are also some scenes where the heroes speak to each other through their minds. DragonSpell is definitely a Christian book, though if a parent is concerned with magic and how their child will react to it, they might want to either pre-read the book or find a different one. The magic contained in the book is similar to The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit. It is not real witchcraft and is meant to be something entirely different than sorcery and dark magic.

   It is rare to find a series written for teens that is clean and also presents a Christian worldview. Donita K. Paul's DragonKeeper series does just this! I really enjoyed DragonSpell, as I also enjoyed the following books in the series. It will appeal to both boys and girls, which is another plus. 

   Paul's writing style made me feel like I was really in the magical land, and any author that can do that is a favorite of mine! 

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of pages: 339 

Author of book: Donita K. Paul

Published in: 2004

First in a five-book series

Primary audience: Pre-teens, teens

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Murders from A-Z: A Book Review of Agatha Christie's "The ABC Murders"

Original 1936 cover

Imagine that an insane man begins a trek to commit 26 murders. The victim's last name begins with a certain letter, as does the name of the city they live in, such as "Betty Barnard in Bexhill." Detectives hurry to apprehend this man before he commits more murders. This actually happens in Agatha Chrisite's mystery fiction The ABC Murders.
 The main characters are Hercule Poirot (a famous character in Agatha Christie's books) and his friend Capt. Hastings (who narrates much of the novel). The end left me surprised and astonished, as Agatha Christie has a knack for doing that.

SUMMARY

   Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (that's "air-kewl pwa-ro") receives a letter from the mysterious ABC. It warns of an impending murder in Andover. He tells the authorities, but none of them quite take it seriously.

   When a Mrs. Ascher is murdered in Andover, then they certainly get serious about the whole thing! Poirot and a friend, Captain Hastings, investigate the murder scene. All they find of much value is an ABC Railway guide which has no fingerprints.

   Poirot gets another letter, this time signaling a murder to occur in Bexhill-on-Sea. It appears that the mysterious murderer has a crazed mania with the organization of the alphabet. Poirot, Hastings, the police, and a psychologist work together, but they can't seem to nab the crook.

   Finally, after a third murder in Churston, the relatives and friends of the victims join forces with Poirot to unravel the mystery.

   Let me tell you that the end will leave you utterly, amazingly, and in all other senses, surprised!

CONTENT

   The ABC Murders is, as the title implies, a murder mystery. This has a substantial amount of violence. The murders include hitting the head, strangling, and stabbing. There are also a few scenes in the book where blood is either mentioned or described. As in other Agatha Christie murder mysteries, she does not hold back details such as the look on the victim’s face. 

   One of the victims had a boyfriend, but as she is dead, there are no sensual moments there. Also, one of the victims clearly was fond of his secretary and his wife was fatally ill (as well as "out of it" most of the time), but he is loyal to his wife. He treats his secretary more like a daughter than anything. Once or twice, Poirot teases Hastings about admiring a beautiful girl or wanting to stay with a girl (this is a minor part of the book).

   There is some language in the novel, including a few uses G**, d***, and h***.

   While the mystery itself is enough to draw a reader into the story, there are also insights into human character (specifically that of an insane person). While I think there are both good and bad sides to psychology, The ABC Murders provided some interesting ideas, whether I agreed with them or not.

   This mystery book is certainly not appropriate for children. Teens will likely be able to handle it, but any younger and you might want an adult to pre-read the book. I personally very much enjoyed it, and it is always fun to try to figure out the mystery as you read the novel.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Number of pages: 256 (first edition)

Author of book: Agatha Christie

Published in: 1936

Primary audience: Teens, adults