Margo's Musings: ✯ ✩✶ ★✦☆✭ ★ ✬ ✦✩ ★✶

Stars are everywhere.

Not just in the sky.

I'm over the moon happy to share Margo's latest book obsession with you. She heard it last week for the first time and has wanted it read to her no less than three times a day since. Luckily, I love it too! Stars is written by Mary Lyn Ray and illustrated by Marla Frazee. It's an enchanting story for people of all ages. The illustrations are imaginative and fanciful, which makes them flow perfectly with the writing. Of course, since we first read the story Margo has had a star in her pocket, and so have I. Plus, we've been looking for stars everywhere, and I'm amazed at all the places we've discovered them!

Have you ever wondered what a star is? If so, this book will take you on a wild adventure and help your imagination soar. Stars may come out when it is almost night, but we can find them just about anywhere. We know stars make the night seem less scary, so isn’t it a good idea to carry a one with us? Who knows when we'll need a star for ourselves or starlight to give to another. Margo loves stargazing with me, and now she points out objects all the time that she's deemed a “star”. Like Margo, you'll fall in love with this book. I like the message within the words of the story; stars are everywhere! I would recommend this book to kids, book lovers, and sky gazers of all ages.

Happy reading! ~ F

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Number the Stars...

It's 1943 and Denmark is being occupied by the Nazis. Jews are being sent to death and “relocated”. Annemarie Johansen, her sister, Kristi, and best friend, Ellen Rosen, are walking home from school when they get questioned by Nazi guards. This worries Annemarie because she doesn’t want her Jewish friend to be noticed by the Nazis. Later she finds out Ellen’s parents are leaving with a friend of the family to hopefully be smuggled to safety. Ellen is going to stay behind and pretend to be one of the Johansens. After Nazi’s storm the apartment searching for any remaining Jews and asking about Ellen’s dark hair, it looks like she may get taken away. The Johansens are clever and are able to buy some time. Mrs. Johansen takes all three girls to go to her brother’s house in order to attend a funeral for Great Aunt Birte. This gets Annemarie thinking because she doesn’t recall anyone in her family having that name. Unfortunately, being at Uncle Henrik’s doesn’t mean being away from the watch of the Nazis. Things become even more perilous. What plan will Annemarie uncover? What will happen if the Nazis catch any of them breaking the rules? Will Ellen ever see her mom and dad? Seeing the war through Annemarie’s eyes will draw you into the story, and you will not want to put the book down until you learn what happens to all of the characters. I was captivated!

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a wonderful book about being brave in a dangerous time. Annemarie is a loyal friend and more courageous than she knows. I felt as if I knew her, and she's definitely someone I'd want to be friends with. I was worried as I read about the stressful situations Annemarie and her family/friends were in and I was holding my breath, hoping things would end in the best way possible. This is a fabulous book for kids in fourth through eighth grade. Older readers will enjoy it as well! WWII was filled with so much tragedy, but I love to learn about the people who came together to help their friends and neighbors. It's a reminder to all of us that kindness and determination will prevail over evil. I didn’t realize that the events in this book were based on a true event in Denmark in September of 1943. Awesome! I was touched by the story and the characters. I'm still thinking about them and what life was like for the real people who lived during that time. I have read many books by Lois Lowry, and I definitely recommend this historical fiction winner to those who haven't read it yet. 

Has anyone else read Number the Stars? Or have you read another book by Lois Lowry? We would love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Reading! ~L

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Answer to Monday's Riddle: Look to the Stars!

Excellent guessing Riddlers! This week we're looking to the stars for inspiration. Lizzy's review will be far out, and Friday we've got something up our sleeves. See you all around the book block. ; ) ~ F


We're very bright, so we like it dark. If it's clear, we'll show our mark. We seem small, but we're just far away. You might not see us during the day. We've different shimmers to our shine; we may twinkle or cast a line. It's all in the circle of our matter- when the heat rises, we'll swell even fatter. We'll all burst in an explosion of light, leaving space in perpetual night. Making whole the fabric of time, we're each a stitch showing our sign. Given the sliding scale of size, we may be known as dust in your eyes.

What are we? Answer: ☆ Stars ☆ 

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Monday's Riddle: Pin Pricks in the Dark...

Hello Riddlers! We're back. The holiday weekend was beautiful, though we had some wacky weather here in New England. But, today, the sun is out and the skies are blue. So here's the riddle, you know what to do! ; ) ~ F

We're very bright, so we like it dark. If it's clear, we'll show our mark. We seem small, but we're just far away. You might not see us during the day. We've different shimmers to our shine; we may twinkle or cast a line. It's all in the circle of our matter- when the heat rises, we'll swell even fatter. We'll all burst in an explosion of light, leaving space in perpetual night. Making whole the fabric of time, we're each a stitch showing our sign. Given the sliding scale of size, we may be known as dust in your eyes.

What are we?

I gave you a clue!

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