Novel study: Number the Stars and Miracle at Midnight - compare and contrast

This chart provides a way for students to organize their observations about the Newbery-winning novel Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. This novel, describing the Nazis' occupation and their persecution of Jews during World War II, has become a middle-school staple of historical fiction literature and Holocaust studies.

The book is often paired with the historical fiction film "Miracle at Midnight," which has many parallels with Number the Stars. It is also set in Copenhagen during 1943, when several thousand Danish Jews were helped to escape to Sweden.

The movie also reveals more about the pivotal role of German official Georg Duckwitz, who does not appear in the main text of the novel (although he is mentioned in Lois Lowry's afterword).

Rather than "just watching a movie," students will be able to analyze "Miracle at Midnight" effectively by comparing and contrasting it with the novel. As a graphic organizer, this chart heightens the students' attentive responses and improves their awareness of the messages of hope and courage in Number the Stars, as presented through different media.

"Miracle at Midnight" runs for 89 minutes and is available at Amazon.com and elsewhere. Two or three brief gun battles are portrayed, and the suicide of a Jewish shopkeeper is implied in images (but not shown) and later mentioned in conversation.

This resource is created by Stephen Campbell.

Check out my full list of charts for other novel/movie pairings:

• Because of Winn-Dixie

• The BFG

• Bridge to Terabithia

• Charlotte's Web

• The City of Ember

• The Devil's Arithmetic

• The Giver

• Hatchet

• Holes

• James and the Giant Peach

• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

• Maniac Magee

• Number the Stars and the movie Miracle at Midnight

• Number the Stars and an amateur film version

• The Outsiders

• Shiloh

• The Tale of Despereaux

• Tuck Everlasting

• The Westing Game

• Wonder

• A Wrinkle in Time