Persecuted in russia by the soldiers and others who dislike jews, rifkas family makes their way across russia to poland and the u. Letters from rifka timeline timeline created by kittycat. Sections date we will finish reading date we will discuss 1. Letters to juliet 2010 official trailer amanda seyfried, gael garcia bernal movie hd duration. She carries with her a lone beloved volume of poems by pushkin. A youth in nazi germany tells the truth about hitler. Letters from rifka is a childrens historical novel by karen hesse, published by holt in 1992.
I dont remember which school i was going to at the time of reading or why i even picked up this. For each country rifka visits, have students label that country on the map. The power of pushkins poetry in karen hesses letters. At the end, rifka is finally able to send the letters to her cousin. We plan to read letters from rifka and meet on these dates. In letters to her cousin, a young jewish girl chronicles her familys flight from russia in 1919 and her own experiences when she must be left in belgium for a. This book tackles the issues of antisemitism and a totalitarian government, which are the underlying causes of rifkas familys need to flee russia. Letters from rifka is the story of a young russianjewish girl and her family who leave their homeland in 1919 to travel to america. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. I have also included the letter i sent home for parents. I guess one can say in this case that the book has found me. When garnet finds a silver thimble in the sand by the river, she is sure its magical. Rifkas family hid in the trains boxcars, and rifka had to distract the soldiers. Pj our way offers free, monthly jewish chapter books to kids 911 years of age.
Bald from the ringworm, poor and needy, she proves shes no greenhorn. Its important to lay some background knowledge early by posing these prereading questions. Rifka makes the difficult journey from the ukraine to america and records the adventure, as well as her solo journey to rejoin her family after being separated from them, in a series of letters. See the progress your students make while they are reading. What especially raises it above docunovel is the emerging sense of rifkas personality. When a case of ringworm prevents rifka from joining her russian family as they emigrate to the united states, she spends nine months living in warsaw, with her care overseen by the hebrew immigrant aid society. Letters from rifka study guide name date letters to. This book is an indepth look at a 12 year old girls struggle to get to america from russia. Conflictclimax letters from rifkabook project by anna. First travels rifka is on her way to poland from ukraine on a freight train. Karen hesse is the author of many books for young people, including out of the dust, winner of the newbery medal, brooklyn bridge, phoenix rising, sable and lavender. National jewish book award finalist, ala best books for young adults, sydney taylor award, ira. Rifka was also able to convince the officials that she could succeed in life with or without hair.
Her family had to flee russia so her brothers would not be killed because they fled their regiment in the russian armed services. Twenty years ago i was in third grade reading my first karen hesse book, letters from rifka. Plot summary letters from rifkabook project by anna dayton. Read with a group group members read an agreedupon number of pages, complete the corresponding student journal pages, and meet to discuss. Because she has no spare paper, she uses the blank spaces of the book to write letters to a cousin who remains in the motherland. Rifkas father decides its time to leave russia and go to america so they can avoid the german army. The thrilling novel letters from rifka includes content some students may struggle to understand. Based on a true story from the authors family, letters from rifka presents a real life heroine with an. They chose rifka because she could speak russian and she had light hair and blue eyes. However, rifka convinced him to read from her book and the officials saw that he was actually very intelligent, and was granted permission. However, rifka encounters many difficulties along the way. Bartoletti has taken one episode from her newbery honor book, hitler youth, and fleshed it out into a full novel. When a case of ringworm prevents rifka from joining her russian family as they emigrate. Along the way she faces many obstacles and the only way she feels comfort is when she writes in a book called pushkin, that her cousin gave her.
She writes about all of the problems she has to get through. Read the book form the group that will read letters from rifka. Free letters from rifka study unit worksheets for teachers to print. But she dreams she will at last be safe from the russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the jews in the new country. I bought it for my 9year old and, thankfully, read a part of it first before making a determination to give it to her. She has received honors including the scott odell historical fiction award, the christopher award, and the macarthur fellowship genius award, making her only the second childrens book author to. The letters, each prefaced by a few telling lines of pushkin, tell of the fear, indignities, privation, and disease endured as they traveled through poland and into. This puts the family at great risk, so to protect themselves, twelveyearold rifka and her family flee russia for america in.
The soldiers came to the boxcars to search for nathan, and rifka distracted them. Ms hesse is also the author of wish on a unicorn and the forthcoming lesters dog and lavender. Free letters from rifka worksheets and literature unit for. It features a jewish familys emigration from russia in 1919, to belgium and ultimately to the u. This gives rifka a way to express her fears and loneliness as the family journeys across russia. The book letters from rifka, by karen hesse is an inspiring diary of a young russian girl and her family immigrating to america during the time of the bolshevik revolution.
Giving rifka a book helped to expand the readers understanding of her character, as well as providing a vehicle in which she could record her tale. Letters from rifka through the looking glass childrens. Our teacher resources team will look into the issue. Letters from rifka through the looking glass childrens book. Beginning in russia in 1919, this epistolary novel, based on experiences of the authors greataunt, tells how 12yearold rifka nebrot and her family fled the antisemitism of postrevolutionary russia and emigrated to the us. But she dreams that in the new country she will at last be safe from the russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the jews. The concepts of social classes, hatred and hardships, and rifkas determination also play a role in this moving story. Book report form letters from rifka book report form. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Hesse, karen letters from rifka 1992 i picked up this book at a school book fair because it looked quite interesting. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and.
Letters from rifka book project by carra bell on prezi. A multiaward winning book, letters from rifka inspires readers to be brave and resourceful and to never give up. On the way many obstacles occur, but the main conflict is rifkas disease not allowing her to live in america with her family. After doing a bit of research, i felt pushkin, whose poetry i knew only in passing, seemed the best optionhis work would have been in print and its possible rifkas family, particularly. Throughout her journey, rifka carries with her a cherished volume of poetry by alexander pushkin. Hesses vivacious tale colorfully and convincingly refreshes the. View letters from rifka study guide from science 208 at riviera beach maritime academy. Rifka, the protagonist of this book, is 12years old, which matches the beginning age for appropriateness of this book. It is 1919 and rifkas brother nathan has deserted the russian army. As karen hesse puts it this story isaunt lucys story. Letters from rifka comprehension quiz proprofs quiz. She is traveling with her mother, father,and her brothers, nathan and saul. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form. Once they arrive in poland the family creates a plan to hide in boxcars and find their way to america.
Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. Letters from rifka is a short childrens novel narrated by a 12 year old jewish girl fleeing russia in 1919. Indeed it is within the pages of this beloved volume that rifka writes letters to tovah, letters. Letters from rifka 10 questions by davisfor5th last updated. Letters from rifka karen hesse macmillan publishers. Karen hesse calls letters from rifka a gift to my grandparents and to my heritage, and to people like rifka who have made the passage between two worlds.
Letters from rifka and millions of other books are available for instant access. Rifka takes a poetry book with her and starts writing letters to tovah using rippedout pages from the book. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form of. This book has won many awards, including the national jewish book award. I chanced upon letters from rifka written by newbery medalist karen hesse in the community library by accident. This book includes an interview with the author, karen hesse.
Both rifka and ilya were grated permission to enter america. Letters from rifka by karen hesse in chm, epub, fb2 download ebook. Comprehension by chapter, vocabulary challenges, creative reading response activities and projects, tests, and much more. Follow rifka as she travels to america to avoid the harsh reality of life in russia. Twelveyearold rifkas journey from a jewish community in the ukraine to ellis island is anything but smooth sailing. One of rifka s cousins, tovah, remains in russia and wants to keep in touch with rifka. Among contemporary honors it won the 1993 national jewish book award in category childrens literature. A realistic and engaging depiction of one familys emigration from eastern europe to america, complete.
Good reads under rifkas family escapes russias persecution of the jews in but rifka is forced to stay behind when her family leaves for america. Karen hesse lives in williamsville, vermont, with her husband, randy, and her daughters, kate and rachel. Then have students briefly research each country and provide relevant. Have students use a blank world map to trace the journey of rifka and her family. Booklist based largely on the memories of the authors greataunt. Rifka knows nothing about america when she flees from russia with her family in 1919. And i am glad that i did since it is one of the perfect books to be featured for our message in a bottle special this januaryfebruary 2011. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading letters from rifka. In letters from rifka, rifka and her family travel to many countries before arriving in the united states.
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