Chapters 1-3
Why didn’t Hannah want to go to her family’s Seder?
What did Hannah’s mother want her to remember?
Who was Hannah named after?
Why was Grandpa Will upset at the beginning of Chapter 2?
What did Hannah do as a young girl to please her Grandpa Will? What was his reaction?
What honor was Hannah given to do at the end of Chapter 2?
What did Hannah see when she opened the door? Write notes inside the open door below.
Chapters 4-5
Good readers will draw pictures in their heads when reading…
Strategy Focus: Visualizing
Good readers draw pictures in their head as they read to better comprehend the story. This is
called visualizing. In the box below draw and color a picture of what Hannah saw in the room
she was now in. Then below the box, write down details of what she saw in complete
sentences.
Two sentences:
Describe Gitl and Shmuel below. Use details from Chapter 4 to help.
What did Gitl call Hannah? What did Hannah know about the name?
Why was Chaya with Gitl and Shmuel?
What did Hannah remember about her old life?
What was Hannah afraid of if she moved closer to Shmuel?
In the beginning of Chapter 5, what is the first thing Hannah did when she woke up? Why?
How did Shmuel react to Hannah saying she was from America?
Chapters 6-7
What did Hannah think of the dress that Gitl gave her? What was Gitl’s response?
In the mirror below, write what Hannah saw when she looked at herself. Include not only
physical details, but her thoughts as well.
What tributes did Gitl and Shmuel load onto the wagons? You can either draw and label the
tributes, or write them in a sentence.
Why were the girls shocked when Hannah said she was friends with a Catholic girl?
What were some details that Hannah shared with the girls that they could not believe?
How were her friendships different with her new friends compared to her friends in New
Rochelle?
What did the badchan say to Chaya about her name?
Chapters 8-9
Good readers will draw pictures in their heads when reading…
Describe Fayge as Hannah sees her for the first time below.
Why was Fayge happy when Hannah told her about what Shmuel had said?
Strategy Focus: Visualizing
Good readers draw pictures in their head as they read to better comprehend the story. This is
called visualizing. In the box below draw and color a picture of Viosk. Then below the box,
write down details of what Viosk looked like.
Three sentences:
What did the badchan say about the man with the medals? Where had Hannah heard that
before?
What year was it on the Jewish calendar and the Christian calendar? What did Hannah
realize?
Strategy Focus: Making Predictions
Before you read Chapter 9, predict what you think will happen to the wedding party. Make
sure to explain your prediction.
What story did Hannah tell earlier that led people not to believe her about the Nazis? Why?
What would it have been like for Hannah to board the trucks knowing what she knew about
the Nazis? What would you have done?
Chapters 10-11
On the boxcar below, describe what the conditions were like inside the boxcar.
What were three stories that some men shared on the boxcar about what they heard that the
Nazis had done?
What happened to a child on the boxcar at the end of Chapter 10? Why do you think this
happened?
What terrible things happened at the first stop at the beginning of Chapter 11?
What did Hannah think the showers were?
After the shower, what happened to the women? Why?
What thoughts would’ve been going through your mind if you were Hannah in this chapter?
Go back to getting off the boxcar all the way to then end of the chapter.
Chapters 12-13
Why was thinking dangerous in the camp?
Strategy Focus: Summarize
Write about the experience where Hannah gets her number. Discuss what the man who
writes the number down on her arm notices about her too. You should have at least four
sentences.
What was the Nazi soldiers’ response to Gitl when she asked them for food for the children?
What had happened to little Tzipporah? What was Gitl’s reaction when Chaya tried to touch
her?
Describe Rivka. What tips does she give Hannah to help her survive?
How do you know that Hannah’s memory is slipping from the past? Write down examples
from the chapter on the picture below.
Chapters 14-15
What had happened to Rivka’s family in the year that they had been at the camp?
Strategy Focus: Making Predictions
Good readers will predict. Predict why you think Rivka talks about “a brutal arithmetic” in
the beginning of Chapter 14.
Describe what each letter or number means to Rivka. Write your answer below each one.
What were at least three rules that Rivka shared with Hannah?
Describe what each letter or number means to Chaya. Write your answer below each one.
Why did the children run to the midden? What was in the midden?
What did it mean to be “chosen?” What types of people would fit this category?
What had happened to the rabbi and the badchan? Why?
Chapters 16-17
Strategy Focus: Making Predictions
Good readers will predict. Predict why Gitl calls what is happening, “The Devil’s Arithmetic.”
What had happened to the blokova’s hand?
Strategy Focus: Summarize
Describe what happened with Reuven in Chapter 16. You should include at least four
sentences.
What was happening with the latest arrivals to the camp? How did the long-termers feel
about this?
What did Gitl tell Hannah at the beginning of Chapter 17? What do you think it will be?
Explain “The Devil’s Arithmetic” as it is described in Chapter 17.
Strategy Focus: Summarize
Describe what happened when they tried to carry out the plan. Your summary should
include at least four events of what happened during the plan.
Where did Gitl go to bed? Why do you think she did this?
Whose shoes did Hannah wear? Why did that bring a small laugh to Gitl
Chapter 18-Epilogue
How did Breuer make it sound like he was a good person?
What happened to the men and Fayge?
Who was the boy that carried Fayge? What was his job?
What does Hannah tell the girls around the well? Why does she want them to remember?
What did the guard tell the children about people who do not work?
Who does the guard choose? What does Chaya do in response to this?
What story does Hannah tell the girls as they entered the door?
Where did Chaya end up when she entered the door?
What was Hannah able to do when she saw Great Aunt Eva’s arm?
Who was Wolfe? Who was Rivka? Were you surprised?
Which villagers that had come with Chaya to the camp had survived?
What did Gitl create after the war? What was it named?
Strategy Focus: Background Knowledge
Now that you have read the story, go back to the beginning and fill in “After Reading the
Story” column.
End of the Book Activity
Fact or Fiction
At the end of the book, the author explains what is fact or fiction from the story. Fill in the chart
below with information in the correct category. You should have at least 5 facts and 2 fictional
pieces of information.
FACT
FICTION
End of the Book Activity
Map of Europe
Directions: Locate and label the countries of Poland, Russia, and Germany on the map
of Europe below.