Tear Jerker / Number the Stars

• The Nazi occupation, especially from the Rosens' POV: you are just living your life in your home country when these racist thugs invade and take over the country. Now you have to contend with the restrictions put on people of your religion and even have to fear deportment, and eventually death.
  • Ellen's distress when some Nazis are approaching Annemarie's bedroom, where she's temporarily hiding out in. Annemarie has to rip off Ellen's Star of David necklace that could give her away.
  • Ellen worries over the fact that she has no idea where her parents even are. Annemarie knows there's nothing she can say to make it better, so she just quietly holds Ellen's hand and hopes it helps.
• Kristi is so little that her bigger worry with the occupation is that she misses butter and cupcakes. Annemarie notes that it's probably better (if "dumb") that she believes the local Jewish bakers are at the seaside, because the realistic option is much worse.
  • By the end when Denmark is liberated, Annemarie notes that Kirsti (who's only seven years old at this point) has become "solemn", like their older sister Lise. It's a terrible thing to grow up in the middle of a war.
• Uncle Henrik talks with Annemarie about the Great-Aunt Birte ruse while milking his cow. He explains that adults have to lie all the time to keep their friends safe, but it's harder when you're scared. That's why he didn't tell the girls that the funeral was a ruse to get clothes to refugees and help smuggle them onto his fishing boat. Annemarie forgives him for the lie, especially when she has to lie to the Nazis' faces to save everyone.
• Lise's death when she was barely 20, and the fact that she was deliberately killed by the Nazis due to her work with the resistance, and her parents had to keep it a secret for a few years from Annemarie and Kirsti.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Johannsen admit they didn't know. Peter told them after Lise was killed, to honor her memory. Even now, Mrs. Johannsen cries both at how brave Lise was, and how the Resistance members were so young.
  • When Annemarie finds out, she's not surprised because her big sister was that brave. Her bigger worry was that perhaps Lise was shot the way that Peter later was. She finds out from her parents that it was not the case; she was run down, but she wasn't publicly executed. Annemarie at least has that reassurance.
• In the end, Peter was executed by the Nazis and couldn't be buried next to Lise per his request. The Johannsen family goes to an unmarked grave and leaves flowers, hoping that it's his.