得獎感言

這本書是二年級上學期的指定讀物，因為它不厚，只有138頁，起初還以為是簡易版，像是美國小學生的讀物，但在仔細研讀後，就受到作者悲天憫人心懷的感動，真是獲得Newbery獎項的作品。

閱讀英文小說對我而言除了增進英文字彙與文字用法外，更讓我接近不同國家的文化，不僅拉近了地理上的距離，有時讀經典名著時，也體會了不同時空的生活與用字，我常覺得好比我們讀中國古文般，用字雖少見，卻有那個時代的象徵意義。我想閱讀是我一個很重要的興趣，藉由這次比賽，我第一次用英文寫下了感想，感謝評審老師的青睞，讓我獲得了佳作，更加強自己對英文閱讀及寫作的信心，讓我對英文有更親近的感覺。也謝謝我的導師廖慧慈老師的修正與指導，更謝謝書林給我一個機會，終止我屢試屢敗的「摃龜」人生!

At the first glance of the book title, a thought struck my mind -- why do we number the stars and how many stars are there in this immense Galaxy? However, it turns out that the star represents the Star of David, the symbol of Jews, which is symbolic to the whole story. As I turn the pages, I came to realize that this is a book about brotherhood, friendship, courage.

The story started with two girls, Annemarie Johansen and Ellen Rosen, chasing down the street and being blocked by two police officers. “Why are you running?” said a picky policeman. On the other hand, why can’t they run? They were only ten-year-old kids having fun racing down the street. Why so mean? It was because Denmark, the country they lived in, was under controlled by the Nazi. Due to the Jewish identity of the Rosens, they would have to leave their home, hiding somewhere else. Meanwhile, their daughter, Ellen, would pretend to be part of the Johansens. Yet, the Nazi began to keep an eye on the Jews. In this case, the Jews needed to be smuggled to a safer place, Sweden, a neutral country. Although the mission was full of dangers, with the help of the Resistance, a secret group fighting against the Nazi, they succeeded.

Imagine the atmosphere under the reign of Hitler. Cruelty, uncertainty, and fear filled the air. Anyone who stood out for the Jews would face death as soon as they were discovered or reported. Therefore, there should be no one standing against the government. Still, the Danish people risked their lives to help their Jewish friends in any form they could. Neighbors cleaned up the empty houses when the Jews were away, to waiting for their return. Fishing men remodeled their boats for the purpose of adding secret cabins on the boats so that they could relocate the Jews overseas to Sweden unnoticeably. Scientists invented a special handkerchief in order to destroy the Nazi search dogs’ sense of smell. I see the glory of brotherhood in the Danish’s endeavor to save the Jews. Connection of people standing for justice lighted up this darkest period of human history. Facing the tough time, the Danish teamed up to helping those in need, which reminds me of a quote, “Tough times don’t last, tough people do.” Even though some people may die unfortunately, their righteous act will be their legacy to the later generation.

Will you risk your life to save your friend? There is no denying that Annemarie was brave and courageous. She had to deliver a packet, which contained the crucial handkerchief. However, Uncle Henrik defined the word “brave” by not thinking about the dangers, but focusing on the mission you must accomplish. In this case, Annemarie didn’t really know what dangers lay ahead of journey. She never knew what was going on clearly enough. To wrap up, she was a good-hearted girl with a very kind personality. From the other point of view, acknowledging the dangers and still doing what he or she must do will be the highest level of bravery. Take Uncle Henry for instance, he truly knew what he had been involved in and what punishment he would receive while being caught, but he went on with all his heart. Unlikely to Annemarie, who also was brave, Uncle Henry should be most highly praised.

How much of the story is true? The story about the Resistance smuggling the Jewish, as well as the handkerchief, is solid fact. As for Annemarie, it isn’t. However, to me, the importance of the book isn't based on fact or fiction, but on what we have learned. The story, about friendship, brotherhood and courage, may and should happen every day as long as we strive to let humanity shine like the Danish did.