Lois Lowry’s quiet, powerful novel remains a benchmark in children’s historical fiction, and the Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz offers a meaningful way to reflect on the people who gave this story its heart. Each character whether brave, scared, subtle, or outspoken serves a purpose beyond the plot. They reveal how ordinary people respond to extraordinary pressure. Matching these characters to their roles in the story is more than an exercise in memory. It’s a way of recognizing the choices each one made, and how those choices shaped the outcome of a life-or-death story.
In *Number the Stars*, no one wears a cape. The characters are not larger than life. They are people family members, neighbors, classmates living in a time that demanded moral clarity in moments of extreme fear. The Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz invites readers to look at each character as more than a name on the page. Annemarie, Ellen, Mama, Uncle Henrik, Peter, and others all carried risks, secrets, and loyalties. Some were leaders. Some were protectors. Some gave everything. Matching them correctly means understanding not only what they did, but why they mattered.
How well do you know the characters of Number the Stars? Take it a step further and find out which one you truly resemble with Which Number The Stars Character Are You Quiz. Want to test your attention to detail? See if you can separate fact from fiction in Number The Stars True Or False Quiz. And when you’re ready for the ultimate challenge, try Number The Stars Full Book Quiz.
This quiz isn’t about trivia. It’s about empathy. The Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz helps readers revisit how relationships develop, how trust is built under pressure, and how each character’s personality shapes their response to Nazi occupation. From Kirsti’s innocence to Peter’s sacrifice, every character offers a piece of the emotional and ethical framework that supports the novel. These aren’t symbols they’re stand-ins for real people who lived, resisted, and survived.
Lowry based much of her cast on real figures or composites of actual resistance stories. The quiz honors that origin. Every correct match is another step toward preserving memory. Whether you’re a student reviewing for class or a reader revisiting the book years later, the Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz is a powerful tool for keeping the story’s meaning fresh, vivid, and true to the characters who carried it.
Annemarie Johansen: The Reluctant Heroine
Annemarie is the emotional core of the novel. At ten years old, she begins the story with a sense of childish pride, playful competition, and a relatively limited understanding of the dangers her family faces. As the narrative progresses, she transforms into someone who lies to soldiers, carries secret messages, and learns to navigate fear without showing it. She doesn’t do this because she wants to be brave. She does it because circumstances force her to grow. Matching Annemarie means recognizing the internal shift from innocence to courage not through speeches, but through small, steady choices.
The Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz uses Annemarie as a central figure because so many other characters revolve around her perspective. Readers who connect with her often identify with the weight of new responsibility, the tension between fear and action, and the realization that silence can sometimes be the loudest form of resistance. Her arc isn’t about becoming fearless. It’s about learning to act even when fear remains.
Ellen Rosen: Hidden Identity, Lasting Friendship
Ellen is Annemarie’s best friend and the reason the Johansen family enters into direct danger. As a Jewish girl in occupied Denmark, Ellen becomes a target not because of anything she’s done, but because of who she is. Her role in the story isn’t passive, though. She plays along with the ruse when soldiers search the apartment. She trusts the Johansens to keep her safe. And though she doesn’t have as many scenes as Annemarie, her presence lingers throughout the book as a symbol of both vulnerability and strength.
In the quiz, matching Ellen means recognizing how identity becomes a risk and how trust becomes an act of bravery. She’s quiet, observant, and emotionally intelligent. Her character reminds readers that hiding isn’t easy, and that depending on others can be as brave as leading them. Ellen’s necklace, her hesitation during tense moments, and her relationship with Annemarie all reinforce her role as both friend and symbol of what’s worth protecting.
Mrs. Johansen: The Calm Protector
Often referred to simply as “Mama,” Mrs. Johansen carries enormous emotional and logistical responsibility in the novel. While Mr. Johansen remains in Copenhagen to avoid suspicion, she takes on the burden of smuggling the Rosens, organizing misleading “funerals,” and coaching Annemarie through lies that could save or destroy lives. She never appears frightened, but her calm is carefully constructed a survival mechanism meant to keep her children safe and focused.
The Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz includes Mrs. Johansen not just for her role, but for her example. She’s the kind of character who teaches by doing. She doesn’t panic. She improvises. She instructs without lecturing. Matching her in the quiz means recognizing that maternal strength isn’t always emotional or nurturing sometimes it’s strategic, fierce, and urgent. Her injury later in the book doesn’t slow her resolve. If anything, it reinforces her role as one of the story’s quiet warriors.
Uncle Henrik: The Fisherman with a Secret Mission
Uncle Henrik provides the physical and emotional gateway to safety for the Rosen family. A fisherman by trade, he appears relaxed, even joking at times, but beneath that demeanor is a skilled and committed member of the Danish resistance. His boat, the Ingeborg, becomes the final lifeline in the escape plan, but it’s his understanding of secrecy and his ability to coach Annemarie without scaring her that defines his character.
Matching Uncle Henrik in the quiz requires more than recalling his role. It requires understanding his personality. He’s gentle, wise, and unafraid to admit when someone has grown. He treats Annemarie as an equal when she earns it, and his trust in her during the critical delivery of the handkerchief is one of the book’s most powerful exchanges. Uncle Henrik teaches readers that courage doesn’t need to be loud. It can wear a fisherman’s coat and still reshape history.
Peter Neilsen: The Martyr of the Resistance
Peter is perhaps the novel’s most tragic figure. Once engaged to Annemarie’s deceased sister Lise, he remains close to the family nd is later revealed to be a resistance member operating under intense danger. He helps arrange safe houses, coordinate escapes, and ultimately sacrifices his life for the cause. Peter is not described in detail. Lowry gives him a few scenes, a few lines, and then a posthumous tribute. That’s part of what makes his role so devastating. He represents the countless people who acted, suffered, and were lost without recognition.
The Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz includes Peter as a reminder that not all heroes are visible. Readers who match with him often identify with a deep sense of purpose, loyalty, and moral clarity. He doesn’t boast. He doesn’t flinch. And his absence at the end of the book is a reminder that resistance has a cost. Matching him correctly is more than a memory check it’s a way of honoring the unseen fighters in every conflict.
Kirsti Johansen and Other Supporting Roles
Kirsti, Annemarie’s younger sister, adds a layer of innocence to the story’s heavy themes. She complains about shoes, misremembers stories, and serves as an unintentional distraction during tense moments. But she also reminds readers of what’s at stake the preservation of childhood, of play, of normal life. Her character grounds the narrative emotionally. Other supporting characters soldiers, neighbors, the Rosen parents offer brief but essential glimpses into a world where danger hides in every shadow and kindness must often remain hidden.
The quiz includes Kirsti because she serves a narrative function that’s easy to underestimate. Matching her means recognizing that even innocence can be part of resistance. Her presence complicates the adult world she cannot be trusted with secrets, but she also becomes a kind of shield, a reminder of what the Johansens are trying to protect. The Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz gives these small roles the attention they deserve, and helps readers appreciate the ensemble that holds the story together.
Final Thoughts: Matching Memory with Meaning
Knowing who’s who in *Number the Stars* isn’t about memorization. It’s about empathy, nuance, and recognizing the power of individual choices. Each character reflects a different form of courage from Annemarie’s growth, to Mama’s calm, to Peter’s sacrifice. The Number the Stars Character Matching Quiz makes those distinctions clear. It rewards close reading, emotional attention, and reflection on what each person stood for, even when standing was dangerous.
In a world where historical fiction often relies on big gestures, *Number the Stars* stands apart. Its characters act in whispers. And those whispers, when remembered, speak louder than any anthem. This quiz ensures that each of those voices remains heard, matched with the actions that made them unforgettable. Number the Stars Quizzes – Friendship, bravery, and resistance…

Number The Stars Characters – FAQ
The main protagonist in Number the Stars is Annemarie Johansen. She is a ten-year-old Danish girl who navigates the complexities of life during the Nazi occupation of Denmark. Her courage and growth are central to the story.
Ellen Rosen is Annemarie’s best friend and a Jewish girl whose family is in danger due to the Nazi regime. Her character represents the real and present threat to Jewish families during this time, and her relationship with Annemarie highlights themes of friendship and bravery.
Uncle Henrik is Annemarie’s uncle and a fisherman who lives on the coast of Denmark. He plays a crucial role in helping Jewish families escape to Sweden, using his boat as a means of transport. His actions are pivotal to the story’s development and showcase the resistance efforts during the occupation.
Kirsti Johansen is Annemarie’s younger sister. Her innocence and naivety provide a stark contrast to the harsh realities faced by the other characters. Kirsti’s presence adds depth to the family dynamic and reminds readers of the innocence affected by war.
The Johansens help Ellen and her family by hiding Ellen when the Nazis come searching for Jewish families. They also pose as Ellen’s family to protect her identity. The Johansens’ bravery and compassion highlight the risks taken by many to save others during the Holocaust.