Choose a short passage from your novel that made an impact on you as you read it, that made you stop and think maybe even say "Oh wow" to yourself. It may have made you stop and think because you made a personal connection. It may have made you wonder and ask a question. It may have made you react in some emotional way to the words on the paper. In your response, quote the passage and list the page number that it can be found on. Explain, in detail, why you chose this passage, what reason did you have that made you stop and think or had you reacting in some way. Include your feelings and emotions as well as state any connections you made (text to self, text to text, text to world). An example from another novel of how to start is this:
"Big signs were posted at the pool saying"No Jews or Dogs Allowed". pg 14
As I read this passage I couldn't believe that this could happen. How could the Jewish even be compared to dogs?"
first for the win im on page 40 and its a good book so far lots of details
ReplyDeleteI'm on page 7 but I still have some comments it is why does people hate jewish in jacob's rescue?
ReplyDelete@john they hate the jews because hitler hates the jews so he has soilders walking areound taking jews away
DeleteWhat is areound are you talking about around?
Deletepg. 6
ReplyDelete"When Jacob was four and a half, his mother died giving birth to his brother David. Jacob remembered little about her, only a soft blue dress and the sweet, sad song she sang the day they spent picking berries."
I had a "Wow" on that page because it made me really sad that she died while giving birth to Jacob's little brother David.
@country crash-I also had that wow moment I was so surprised when that event happened I felt so bad for Jacob's family.
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ReplyDeletePg.18, Marishka came forward with and handed him a small bouquet of wilted flowers. "We are happy to have you here." Jacob took the flowers and sniffed them. They were the first flowers he had seen in two years.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't imagine living in a place like the ghetto where they kept they jews. Stone walls with no windows and no light. Nothing was living except for starving man behind you, him with all the other men, women, and children in the small camp. Nothing to cheer me up except the fact of knowing that most of my family was still alive because they were in this terrible place with me. Us people in 2012 are content with our T.V and our cellphones. They were totally satisfied with the light pounding of the rain, and the body heat next them. All hope is still there no matter what the conditions, them chanting in their head. "The war will be over."
Thoughtful response, Livee. We tend to take so much for granted. Should we feel guilty about this, um maybe but maybe not. Should we always feel lucky, absolutely. What would make you smile if you lived in a ghetto? The heat of your family? Would you be able to leave your family and all that you knew? How did the children survive this time mentally - how did they stay sane and keep moving forward?
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ReplyDeletepg.6
ReplyDelete"when Jacob was 4 and a half, his mother died giving birth to his brother David."
This was a wow moment for me, it is really sad and its more sad that this book is a true story.
"then he listened to the comforting sound of Mela washing dishes overhead, knowing that as soon as alex was done selling fabric scraps to customors who came to the apartment, he could crawl out from under the sink" i think that it is sad that he has to hide under the floor boards under the sink when people are over
ReplyDelete"When Jacob was four and a half, his mother died giving birth to his brother David. Jacob remembered little about her, only a soft blue dress and the sweet, sad song she sang the day they spent picking berries." (Page 6) That paraghraph really made me think about how it would be to lose your mother when you where 4, or if you where to grow up without 1.
ReplyDeletei could not emajin growing up with out a mother it would be so hard at times you could not think of life without a mother
DeleteI have connection on page 6 me and my cousin was picking berries because my grandma has a farm
ReplyDeletewe was helping grandma. The funny part is my cousin squish the berries and it blow up!
@jonnyboycomputer
Deletei used to do that with my grandpa and i would crush them some times to.
Yeah its funny!!
DeleteAlex and Yurek ran up the stairs climbing to the roof of the building "look papa!" Yurek exclaimed "fire"alex looked where Yurek was pointing "my god that's the ghetto!" (page 75) when i read this i thought all those inecent people geting shot and killed burned that is very unfair for the people that workedhard to get their money to get nice houses and cars and within a couple of weeks they have went from normal people to evetrem poverty.
ReplyDelete@Dr. Cookie- Very thoughtful response Dr. Cookie, I also had a WOW moment on this page. When I read this page I could not believe that this was how the Jews were treated, they are all human beings no matter what their religion. I'm so glad now that anyone can believe in whatever they want, no matter is they are Jewish, Catholic, Christian, or they don't have any religion at all. I couldn't imagine not being able to believe what I wanted, no one should have their faith taken away.
Delete@Drcookie @Livee Have you wondered why the Jews were the ones persecuted against at this time? Why is it that throughout Europe during WWII it happened by more than just the Germans - others too were swayed to despise the Jews. Why them, why not a different group?
Delete"When Jacob was four and a half, his mother died giving birth to his brother David. Jacob remembered little about her, only a soft blue dress and the sweet, sad song she sang the day they spent picking berries." (Page 6) That paraghraph really made me think about how it would be to lose your mother when you where 4, or if you where to grow up without 1. It made me sad because the only thing he remembered about his mom was that they picked berries together and a sad song she sang.
ReplyDelete@Rodriguez
DeleteI totally agree with your response. I could not imagine losing my mother at the age of 4 then growing up without a mother. I also agree with how it's sad that all he could remember the sad song his mother sang. It would be nice, if you lost your mother, to remember the happy fun times growing up with her and not hearing a sad song forever whenever you think of her.
@Rodriguez and @Game
DeleteI also agree with your post aswell.
I had a very big Wow moment on that part of the story and I can imagine lots of people would of had that wow moment. If I lost my mother at the age of 4 (or at any age,) I think that it would be very hard for myself to keep my life a good life without her.
@Rodirguez & Game
DeleteWhen I was reading that I was like"WOW" because I just couldn't see myself with out my mother at the age of four.
Page 25
ReplyDelete"No. We can't do it. Thousands of children are dying every day. What good would it do?"
Alex had replied, "We could save one life."
But Mela protested. "What about our lives and out children's? The Nazis kill entire families if they are caught hiding a Jew."
Alex hadn't replied, he'd looked at his wife steadily. Finally she had said, "All right. We'll try it."
I had a Wow moment here because I just couldn't believe that this story was real, the Roslans were real, and they risked everything, even their lives to save Jacob. If I were one of the Roslans I probably wouldn't have risked my life to save another. The real people though risked everything and almost lost everything in their life they hold near and dear to themselves: Their children, their home, and the rest of their family. And this all began with the coming of Jacob. The Roslans knew the dangers that came and still kept Jacob safe.
@Game
DeleteI had a very similar wow to that part of the story because they would kill an entire family if the were caught hiding a jew, and why would the have to dothat? Cant they just take away the jew instead of killing the entire family?
@Game The bravery in the Roslans family to hide a jewish persons is very thoughtful even though they knew that they would kill the whole family if they where hiding a jewish person with them. Mela's main focus was about on her children and what would happen to them.
DeletePage 27
ReplyDelete"Genyek, do you feel all right?" Marishka called down to the floor.
A muffled voice replied, "I feel like a mole." As everyone laughed, Alex lifted the loose board from the floor, reached for Jacob's hand,and pulled him out. Jacob's face felt hot,and his head felt as if it would explode.
"you look feverish," Mela said, putting her hand to Jacob's forehead. "How do you feel?"
Jacob tried to say "Fine," but instead he burst into tears. It was true he felt weak and achy, but he didn't want to bother anyone. He was enough trouble for the Roslans already without getting sick.
I had a wow and a question here because If Jacob was already in trouble for the Roslans already without getting sick, why can't he just admit that he doesnt feel well?
Page 34-35
ReplyDeleteGregory said that he saw a big animal with black eyes. He screamed alot and it turnoed to be just a black old ugly pot.
So my question is, why did he think it was a rat, and how did it look like a rat? Whas he trying to get attention? Or was he actually being scared?
@Courtney Cash Gregory was scared because he saw Jacob (Genyek) under the sink siting in his hiding spot when Jacob poked his head out because he was curious.
DeletePage 31
ReplyDeleteWhen Alex left, Marishka burst out, "Mama! Why does Genyek get everything?"
Mela hugged Marishka, rocking back and forth. "Because he has lost everything, child," she answered softly. "His house, his family, his friends. He can't leave this little apartment."
I had one little question and a wow moment in this part. My question was how did Genyek lose everything? What was the case? My wow moment here was I can't even imagime my self losing everything that I have. I have lots of things that I am very greatful for having, because lots of people don't have the kind of things that we do here. If I lost all of my things, it would be a chance to see what it is like to be sombody who has a very little amount of things in their lives. So in that case, I cam't even imagine about losing all of my belongings.
@Courtney Cash
DeleteThat had made me stop and think but the question you had "how did Genyek lose everything?" he lost everything because of how the Nazis started invading and it started to get not safe where Genyek lived...
When Alex left, Marishka burst out, "Mama! Why does Genyek get everything?"
ReplyDeleteMela hugged Marishka, rocking back and forth. "Because he has lost everything, child," she answered softly. "His house, his family, his friends. He can't leave this little apartment." Page 31 When I was reading this paragraph I wondered what it would be like to go from what I have to it been taken away from me and geting moved in to a place like the ghetto, I would feel sad to have to leave my family and start a new life with a new family.
@rodriguez i feel the same way, thats a strong paragraph that you wrote that makes me stop and think what that would be like.
Delete"Alex, what are you doing?" he asked. The old man smiled. "Jacob, did I ever let you go hungry? It's no different with your daughter." When Alex (the old man) said "Jacob, did I ever let you go hungry?" I immediately had a question, was he the person that agreed to be Jacob's Uncle when the Nazi soldiers invaded?
ReplyDeletePg-3
I HAVE A question I'm on page 36 doesn't your face change to white when your sick?
ReplyDelete@jhonnyboycomputer, no you're face does not turn white when you are sick some times it will go pail but not turn white.
Delete@jonnyboycomputer that is true it is imposibul for you face to turn white
Delete@johnnyboycomputer
DeleteSome times but not all the time. because either your dehydrated or you have a lot of blood loss.
on page 43 i had a connection when Marishka said to Jacob to make believe he is a mouse. i had a connection with that because when i was little i use to pretend i was a mouse and crawl around the house.
ReplyDeleteMarishka came forward and handed him a small bouquet of wilted flowers. "We're happy to have you here." Jacob took the flowers and sniffed them. They were the first flowers he'd seen in two years.
ReplyDeletePg-18
Right when I read that paragraph I had a HUGE OH WOW moment because I just couldn't bare to see where the Nazis kept the Jews. It just couldn't be predictable because the Nazis are treating the Jews so inhumanely more like animals....
i had a connection to self on page 24,when Yurek tried to shuffle cards and they flew out of his hands and landed on the floor, its a connection to me because sometimes when i try to shuffle that happens to me
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ReplyDeleteWhen Alex left, Marishka burst out, "Mama! Why does Genyek get everything?"
ReplyDelete"Because he has lost everything, child," she answered.
Pg-31
I thought it was beyond any doubt that Jacob should get treated better because he lost his house, family and friends. A child without family or friends just isn't right to see a child without any friends or family reading that just broke my heart.
@katniss- I also had this wow moment,I also think that Genyek should be treated better than all of the other children because he has lost everything he loved.
DeletePage 43
ReplyDeleteI have a connection to myself when jacob had to put himself into the couch and pretend he was a mouse.
My connection was that when I was little, I would put my self into small, hot and dark places and pretend I was a mouse and then I would jump out and scare my family. After that, my body would hurt.
pg 20 he smelled a pungent mixture of tobacco and wisky
ReplyDeletethis really shoced me that there son smokes and drinks
why does he smoke? is it because he feels like it or does he just do it because he has nothing els to do.
this is really bad because it is really bad for you to smock
Hay I like the book so far and I only have 50 pages left and i have read 2 other books in the last 2 weeks. Nothing in this book really shocks me because the other books had the same thing about the jew and the Nazis. The story line in is different but the same things are going on. The only thing that shocked me is that the family took him in.
ReplyDeleteI dont find it as bad as Daniels Story
DeleteI was a little bit shocked that Jacob could just leave behind his aunt. That would be really hard for me even though I hardly know my aunt.
ReplyDelete@mansonmarilyn99, I was shocked on that passage too. I am really close to my aunt's, and that would be really hard to leave theme to go live another family and not knowing if you will ever see her again.
Deletepg 52
ReplyDelete"Mela stepped into the dim hospital ward. Every bed was filled. Some patients lay on mattresses on the floor."
This event made me go wow, the reason for that is because the hospitals don't even have enough room for all the patients that are really sick these patients have to sleep on mattresses.
pg 54
ReplyDelete"Gently he laid Sholom on the bed and closed his eyes. He's dead?Jacob asked"
This moment made me feel so despondent, sad, bitter, and angry. Another member of Jacobs family was dead. Now Jacob has no family member to talk to when he is inside alone hiding from the Nazies.
pg 13
ReplyDelete"How could he leave his family to live with Poles"
This situation was probably made Jacob feel so sad, angry, and depressed. How could a young boy like that move in with a totally different family that he doesn't no anything about. It must of been really hard for him to leave all of his love ones behind.
pg 54 hes dead?
ReplyDeletethis made me very sad because of all the little family he has. if this actualy happend i think he would be devestated
pg 42 his voice caught. in a goat shed.
this is really sad beacuse he is living with a goat and being alone with no wone caring.
I had a wow moment on how can jacob live in that life about he have to hide every time when people comes to the doors.
ReplyDeleteCan any body tell me what eagerly mean? You can tell me or reply on my respond.
ReplyDelete@johnnyboycomputer eagerly means.... if your eager you are excited or badly want something to happen. Does that help?
DeleteYes thanks! HALEY
Deletepg.54 I couldn't believe that I read that! Poor Jacob finally gets to see his brother again then he dies. I felt so bad for him coming from the ghetto and already have lost so much. If I was Jacob I don;t know what I would have done, I can't believe that he died in Alex's arms.
ReplyDeletepg.78 I felt so happy knowing that David was okay and not sick or too skinny, it was as if David had been german and wasn't jewish. I would be so happy to reunite with my little brother if I hadn't seen them in a couple of years. After Sholom died it was good to know that Jacob wasn't alone.
This is a very good deep thinking question. I could not take it if I had a brother or sister that I haven't seen for a super long time and finally getting to see him/ her and then dieing in you close to fathes arms.
Delete@Haley
DeleteFirst of that was great deep thinking! And if my sisters or brother died in my father's arms i would be heart broken and would never recover because my family means so much to me. if I was jacob i would of died and went to heven that unlucky night. That would of sucked I mean realy sucked.
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DeleteRe-write of my last post:
DeleteSPOILER ALERT
Pg.54 "He's dead?" Jacob asked. I couldn't believe that I read that! Poor Jacob finally gets to see his brother again, and feels a sense of home, then he dies. I felt terrible with him coming from the horrors of the ghetto and already have lost so much. I have three younger brothers and would die for any one of them. So imagining me as Jacob and Sholom as one of my brothers, I would be heartbroken if one of them died just after reuniting with them for a month! I don't know what I would have done.
Pg.78 "Let me guess. This must be David." The five year old grinned, each cheek revealing a dimple. I can't believe it! I felt so happy and relieved knowing that David was okay and not sick or too skinny. It was as if David lived in a whole other world where there was no war! I would be so happy to see my little brother again after not being able to see him for many years. After Sholom died everyone was probably happy to know that Jacob was not the only one left in his family. If I was Jacob seeing David again would give me new hope, and sometimes that is all you need to reach your goal, in this case survival.
@haley
DeleteI would die for any of my brotehrs too. that passage made me stop and think about if that happend to me. It made me want to cry.
"Gently he laid Sholom on the bed and closed his eyes. He's dead?Jacob asked" Page 54 That really made me think about how it would be to lose your own brother. I have two brothers of my own and to lose them would be horrible.
ReplyDelete@Rodriguez, on page 54 i had the same, it really made me stop and think about how hard and sad it would be to loose a brother.
Delete@rodriguez
Deletei feel the same way i have tow brothers two and if one of them died i would be devestated
oops i ment two
DeleteThanks gordkor, motop2000,and EBchief gamer!
Delete"Gently he laid Sholom on the bed and closed his eyes. He's dead?" Jacobe asked. On page 54 That really made me stop and have a wow moment, it made me think how hard it would be to loose a brother. I would never want to loose a brother, it must of been really hard for Jacob.
ReplyDelete@gordkor I also feel the same way I have two brothers and it would be devastating two lose even one
Delete@gordkor
DeleteYea, I totally agree with you loosing a brother when I have two...
I couldn't imagine that and I really felt bad for jacob because he just got to see his brother and he has to see his brother die it made me want to literally make the leaders of the SS go through what the Jews went through...
This made me think it was really unacceptable for the Nazi's to do this thats why I said they should go through what the Jews went through...
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ReplyDeleteSPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Deletewhy did yurek not listen to his parents to stay inside?
ReplyDeleteSholom smiled into Alex's eyes. Jacob felt Sholom's hand loosen its grip. To his question ''Is he sleeping?'' he got no reply. instead Mela took his hand from Sholom's and held it tightly. Gently he laid Sholom on the bed and closed his eyes. ''He's dead?" Jacob asked. Nodding once, Mela put her hands on his shoulders. "he didn't suffer, Genyek. '' Pages 53-54 After I read those few chapters it made me think how it would be to lose half of my own family and see my brother and have him die the next couple of days. If I was Jacob and I saw what could be the last of my family die.
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ReplyDelete"Only Genyek doesn't have it. Yurek must get to a hospital immediately. Marishka is strong, and her case is not too bad. As for Orish, his case is mild, but he's so weak." Scarlet fever must be bad because they check for their heartbeats and swollen glands. It would be really bad because it's contagious too. I think it would be really difficult to have that all around your house with all of the germs.
ReplyDeleteGently he laid Sholom on the bed and closed his eyes."He's dead?" jacob asked. Nodding once, Mela put her hands on his shoulders. "He didn't suffer, Genyek". pg54 This made me sad because i have two brothers and if one of them died i would be devastated. This would effect Jacob because Sholom is some of the very little family he has. because he left his grand mother and hi aunt at the ghetto and his parents where probably caught by the nazis and taken to one of the camps. If i had almost no family and my brother died i would give up hope of finding my family and i would fiell really sad and want to die to see my family. did jacob have a choice of leaving the ghetto? and did he really want to leave the little family he had?
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI hade a wow moment that was on Pg6 and it was",When Jacob was only four and a half, his mother died giving birth to his brother david." I was sad because David didn't even get to see his mother or even spend time with her and that made me sad. I have had this experience with death because I had a fish for a year and he died so that was a t/s and I wonder how do people die from birth?
ReplyDeleteSPOILER ALERT!!!!
ReplyDelete"Papa , we're free! Free! I'm going to get some sugar and horse meat for us, so we can have a real dinner," Yurek shouted as he ran out of the building. "Don't worry!"
A shot rang out. Alex watched the horror as Yurek crumpled in the middle of the street.
-pg.89
After I read that I thought I was going to cry... It just broke my heart how Yurek died but not only that, I thought if I was in Alex's position I would rip my heart just to see my child die right in front of me. I would've done anything to get revenge back to the Nazi soilders.
I also had these questions, Why didn't Yurek listen to Alex? Why would the solider shoot Yurek even though he wasn't he wasn't Jewish...
The last question I had made me think of the soldier, if he has a family I know he couldn't bare to see his child die like that, but why would he do that?!?!
T/T
When Yurek died it made me think of some of my realitives that I lost....
But I didn't see them die like Alex did.
@katniss They shot every person in sight, it didn't matter if you were jewish, or german they knew that they had lost and wanted to kill every polish person they could. Maybe so there would be less witnesses, or just to get revenge of the resistance and all the bombings they held. Yurek probably thought that the streets were safe now and everything was back to normal because they lost the war. I don't think that he understood what was happening and didn't know that people would still be shot on sight. I think that the german wouldn't care to see a person die as long as it wasn't him or his family. By the sounds of it they think that what they are doing is the right thing to do and that it would be impossible to happen to them.
Delete@Haley
DeleteYes, I know what you mean by them shooting every person in sight and how it would be impossible for it to happens to them but I was just talking about how inhumane they treated the Jews so that's why I wanted them to go through what the Jews did even though it is impossible...
"But Jacob was past the stopping point"."No,you just want to be stupid "he taunted". "I don't even think you're my brother". "You're to dumb". -pg 85
ReplyDeleteThis passage made me go WOW. I was so surprised when I read this because there brothers and they should not fight like that. David is the only real family to Jacob right now in this nightmare situation. Is Jacob jealous of David because he looks polish so he can go outside and not be locked up in a house?. Jacob and David should work and cooperate together they are brothers.
@hummingbird simpson It's amazing that he could even get mad at his brother considering as far as Jacob knows David is the only family he has left! I always get mad at my brothers but I don't know if I would in this situation... if David was all the family I knew I had left I would keep my anger to myself.
DeleteI had a wow moment on Jacob can live in a terrible life his a rat and living in a house has a whole bunch of rat catcher
ReplyDelete"Papa, we're free! Free! I'm going to get some sugar and horse meat for us, so we can have a real dinner, " Yurek shouted as he ran out of the building. "Don't worry!"
ReplyDeleteA shot rang out. Alex watched the horror as Yurek crumpled in the middle of the street. pg 89. I was really shocked and overwelmed because Yurek wasnt even jewish so why would they kill him? Yurek wasnt doing anything wrong either so that soldier had no reason to kill him.
Page 31
ReplyDeleteWhen Alex left, Marishka burst out, "Mama! Why does Genyek get everything?"
Mela hugged Marishka, rocking back and forth. "Because he has lost everything, child," she answered softly. "His house, his family, his friends. He can't leave this little apartment."
If I lost everything like poor Genyek, I would be very upset. I am happy with everything that I have and I don't really need anymore. I have lots of clothes, gadgets, and most of all, I have a family that loves me and care for me, and give me food and drinks. If I lost everything because of this, I will be devastated.
I have a connection T/W. I saw on T.V, that a little girl didn't want anything for her birthday because she already has a lot.
How did he lose everything? Did the army take everything away? Why can't Marishka have anything?