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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

10. #mgbuddyread

Sace I do feel like the themes of this book are still relevant today and would be a perfect part of a unit on immigration. 5y

Sace In addition to many other books too. 5y

sblbooks Agree with @Sace Thanks for hosting this month! 5y

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megnews Thanks for hosting!! 5y

Peddler410 I agree with @Sace 5y

mrp27 Thanks for hosting, I really enjoyed it. 5y

JaclynW @Sace Definitely!! This was a great book. Thanks for hosting. @mrp27 @Peddler410 @megnews @sblbooks Do any of you know how this book is reviewed by students? I'm curious to hear their thoughts. 5y

mrp27 @JaclynW Sadly I don't. My niece is 12 and I'm definitely going to recommend this to her, I think she'll like it. 5y

JaclynW @mrp27 I like to buy books for my nieces and nephews as birthday gifts, I might do this one. 5y

TheBookHippie So sorry to be late! Wonderful read! 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

9. #mgbuddyread

Sace *snort* she's blond and from Russia. She'd be fine. It's the brown people fleeing for their lives our country has problems with (man... I am really bitter and cynical today...) 5y

Peddler410 I‘m not sure it would be different. 5y

mrp27 Well for one ringworm wouldn't bar anyone from entering the country nowadays at least I don't think so, and sadly I agree she's blond and multilingual so I don't think she'd have a hard time being allowed into the country. Her journey may still have been difficult though. 5y

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JaclynW @Sace 😂😂😂 5y

JaclynW I honestly have no idea how it would be but now I'm really curious. 5y

TheBookHippie @Sace word. ✊🏼 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

8. #mgbuddyread

megnews I am not surprised by this. When I visited Ellis Island we learned women could not leave without a male escort. There were laws to only take able bodied immigrants who would not be a burden on society. They gave “intelligence tests.” I listened to a recording of an immigrant who came at a young age and whose grandmother was turned back because she was too old. Never saw her again. It was quite sad. 5y

sblbooks It's ridiculous! What does being bald have to do with being a good citizen. You shouldn't discriminate against somebody for being single, and you base your decision to marry someone on how much hair they have. 5y

Sace Anger. Aren't we still using similar arguments to keep refugees out even today? 5y

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sblbooks @megnews It's a good thing I was born here because I wouldn't have been allowed entry. I have a disability, but I have never relied on the government for any assistance. I've always had a full-time job. I'm sure at that time it would be much more difficult for someone in my condition, but that's still no reason to keep them out. 5y

megnews @sblbooks it‘s very sad that humans tend to lump groups into categories and cast judgement on who is worthwhile and who not. So many people with disabilities have made great contributions to society and so many who aren‘t disabled don‘t. Why the need to judge value based on this or any category??? 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y

sblbooks @megnews exactly, good ? 5y

megnews @sblbooks we‘re good. I hope you didn‘t think I agreed with that. Was just mentioning what they told us there about the laws and reasoning for immigrants at the time. 5y

sblbooks @megnews no, I meant "why the need to judge value based on this or any category" was a good question! I don't know why people do that, we always seem to focus on what makes us different, instead of similarities. 5y

megnews @sblbooks ahh I understand now. I agree. We have so much more in common than different 5y

Daisey This was frustrating but not surprising to me. The thing that surprised me was how they still had to argue her case once she clearly demonstrated her skill with the children and languages. 5y

Peddler410 I agree with what others have said. This was very frustrating and sad that it actually happened. 5y

mrp27 Absolutely ridiculous but it was a period of time when it was not common that women supported themselves. Sadly we haven't come very far from these backwards thoughts. Just take a gander at our current immigration laws and policies. 5y

JaclynW Agreed!! ⬆️ It is so sad, frustrating and ridiculous. These shouldn't be reasons to keep people out. 5y

TheBookHippie So infuriating ... 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

7. #mgbuddyread

Sace My cynical response - the naivete of youth. 5y

Peddler410 I thought the same thing @Sace 5y

Sace @Peddler410 I feel so bad about my cranky cynicism. It doesn't mean I didn't like the book though! 5y

JaclynW Some personalities are more naturally optimistic I think. But it could be her age like @Sace @Peddler410 said. 5y

TheBookHippie I think she was extremely intelligent and I think she was gifted a spirit of hope. Age maybe but I see cynical 4 year olds daily. I think a strong will to survive is a gift. She had it. It made her have hope. 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

6. #mgbuddyread

sblbooks It helps her adjust quickly to new cultures in different countries, like Belgium. She was also able to help others, by translating. 5y

Sace It also makes her less dependent on others. 5y

Sace PS it's easy to be taken advantage of when you have to be dependant on a translator. 5y

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Daisey I agree with the comments by @Sace and @sblbooks. I also think it will make her successful in the U.S. as well as probably helping her whole family. 5y

Peddler410 I agree with everyone @sblbooks @Sace @Daisey 5y

mrp27 Helps her to assimilate more quickly. 5y

Sace @Daisey especially since at that time (and even long after) bilingualism was practically considered treason. And it's not just her ability to understand, she was able to pick up speaking. Granted it's easier when you're young. People are sometimes criticized for not learning English just because they don't speak it well. It's a lot easier to understand than to actually take the step of speaking. 5y

JaclynW Agree with everyone ⬆️ Knowing multiple languages is always a benefit. I wish I were more multilingual. (I do know Spanish. Sort of.) 5y

TheBookHippie Huge benefit to her surviving it all. 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

5. #mgbuddyread

sblbooks I quess that's what older brothers do. Sibling rivalry. I think it bothered Saul that Rifka adjusted quicker than he did. 5y

megnews @sblbooks agree about siblings 5y

mrp27 In some ways he was just being a typical big brother but I also think there was a hint of jealousy. Perhaps that was just how he dealt with the horrors they were forced to live through. 5y

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JaclynW @sblbooks @megnews @mrp27 What about him feeling the stress/burden to protect her?? That's what I thought. I think he really cared for her. I think he worried about her safety. To me, he was a protective brother. He just showed his love differently. 5y

mrp27 @JaclynW I agree. That's part of what I was trying to say about him dealing with the difficult circumstances in his own kind of way, protecting her, himself. 5y

JaclynW @mrp27 Living in those circumstances at that time would be a lot to deal with. It would definitely wear on people and alter behaviors. 5y

TheBookHippie Fight flight I think the stress of it all. 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

4. #mgbuddyread

Sace Oh hell no. They weren't safe anyway. I'm sure the uncle was targeted soon after by virtue of having wealth. 5y

Daisey No, I do not at all think she should actually send the letters. They reveal too much. 5y

Peddler410 I agree! @Sace @Daisey 5y

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mrp27 No way. That's all I could think about as she was writing these letters, too much info that could to lots of trouble. 5y

JaclynW NO! That's so sad to me too. I can't imagine.... 5y

TheBookHippie No!!!!! Oye. 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

3. #mgbuddyread

sblbooks I like the style, it gives it a more personal touch. 5y

megnews I think it gives the sense of finality when immigrants left the Old World and everything they knew behind and how many families never saw each other again. 5y

Sace I think it also makes the reader feel an instant connection with Rifka. The letter format allows direct address (ie "you.) 5y

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megnews I love books written as letters. 5y

Daisey I agree with @Sace and and that it makes everything written feel very personal. Especially when writing a letter that might not be sent, the writer expresses exactly what they are thinking and feeling. 5y

Peddler410 This format is a great way to build a more personal connection, as others have already mentioned. It also gives the story a uniqueness among many set in the time period. 5y

mrp27 I agree about the letters making it feel more personal, almost like writing in a journal. 5y

JaclynW @sblbooks @Sace @Daisey @Peddler410 @mrp27 Agreed. Letters really do give a personal touch. It jumps right into the real, genuine person and their inner thoughts. @megnews I love books written in this format too. 5y

TheBookHippie I agree with the personal relational so you are invested and feel it. 5y

5 likes9 comments

Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

2. #mgbuddyread

Daisey I actually wondered about this some as I read and it looks like none of us really have an answer. Maybe his business was already well established before persecution picked up and money talks? 5y

Peddler410 I would have to agree with @Daisey 5y

mrp27 I agree with the others but I also wondered if he provided a service that was needed and valuable by the government or something like that. 5y

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JaclynW @Daisey @Peddler410 @mrp27 I wondered those things as well. I also thought he may be paying them money to let him stay. Or giving much needed jobs to the locals. 5y

TheBookHippie He probably put it in a benefactors name the benefactor takes a cut and registers it with the government. It‘s a risk but it is how most Jews had to do business during severe times of persecution very popular way in Germany and the Netherlands as well. @JaclynW @Daisey @Peddler410 @mrp27 5y

JaclynW @TheBookHippie Oh wow. I didn't know that. 5y

TheBookHippie @JaclynW it is also how Anne Franks family did it. 5y

JaclynW @TheBookHippie I feel like I should know this! Thanks for bringing it to my attention! 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

This post contains spoilers

1. #mgbuddyread

megnews I suppose it is toward the end of the persecution of Jews shown in The Fiddler on the Roof. 5y

sblbooks No, I have read numerous Holocaust historical fiction novels. I don't remember any about Russian Jews. 5y

Sace Yes. Unfortunately I can't remember where I heard about it. Maybe some book by Cynthia Freeman? 5y

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Chelsibno Yes, I first learned about it from the movie An American Tail. 5y

Daisey I‘ve read some about persecution of different groups in Russia, but not specifically Jews. 5y

Peddler410 I read this book quite a while ago and that was my introduction. 5y

mrp27 I don't recall when or how I learned about this but I was aware before I read this book. 5y

JaclynW I am not really familiar with the persecution of the Jewish people in Russia. I've heard bits, but never read it in a book or dove into it deeply. I've mostly learned about the Nazis. 5y

JaclynW The Russians seemed to be quite brutal though in what I have heard. Brutal to everyone who wasn't Russian. I'm curious about this. 5y

TheBookHippie Yes. My grandma told me. 5y

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#mgbuddyread
@JaclynW @mrp27 @sblbooks @LibrarianRyan @Peddler410 @megnews @Chelsibno @TheBookHippie @cwarnier @Daisey @Lifeisasnap @SamanthaMarie @SaturnDoo @AnneCecilie @Sace

Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

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Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

Just realized I finished 1 prompt for #Booked2020winter (the tagged book.)

🤔 Hmm...did I already post about this? And since I'm not really participating for chances to win, do I need to do the hashtag? I mean, does my using the hashtag clutter things up for you, @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @BarbaraBB

Also double checking.... Since winter to me is December, January and February I'm thinking if I don't finish this month I've got December too 🤣

Cinfhen No clutter!! Post and hashtag all you want. And every book read earns you a chance so why not participate?!?! 5y

Sace @Cinfhen eh. I just like the company and the inspiration so I feel like it's more fair to not participate for prizes. I'm great at clutter though! 🤣 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

Soooooo...yeah, in my mind this Sunday is January 31st, you know the last Sunday of the month reserved for the #mgbuddyread But apparently according to the calendar this Sunday is Feb. 2nd. So we'll be discussing this book a little late 🤦

@JaclynW @mrp27 @sblbooks @LibrarianRyan @Peddler410 @megnews @Chelsibno @TheBookHippie @cwarnier @Daisey @Lifeisasnap @SamanthaMarie @SaturnDoo @AnneCecilie @Sace

TheBookHippie It‘s that way in my mind too ..so carry on ..❤️🤪🤷🏽‍♀️😂😂😩 5y

Lmstraubie @TheBookHippie 😖🤪🤯 lol thx for understanding 5y

sblbooks No problem, it'll be worth the wait. 5y

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Daisey Lol! That‘s a perfectly understandable reason for needing to wait for a few more days before discussing. 😂 5y

Peddler410 I‘m just glad to know my Litsy feed isn‘t broken 😂 I thought I might have accidentally muted the hashtag or something. 5y

LinesUponAPage Is there any way to follow a hashtag on Litsy? I keep missing the announcements for the #mgbuddyreads I‘m getting frustrated I‘ve missed some good books and good discussions. 5y

JaclynW No worries! I'm glad I didn't miss it! 5y

Lmstraubie @JaclynW @Peddler410 @Daisey @sblbooks You can't make this stuff up lol thanks for understanding ❤️ 5y

Lmstraubie @Lifeisasnap I'm not sure how to follow a hashtag, but know that I haven't posted much recently in regards to the #mgbuddyread I know you can search the hashtag. I will be sure to tag you in any future posts. 5y

LinesUponAPage @Lmstraubie Lisa, you tagged me for this one that‘s how i knew, so thank you. 5y

Lmstraubie @Lifeisasnap Phew! 5y

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Daisey

Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

#BookReport #DaiseysReadingWeek
📚 With some snow days this week, I got lots of reading time and finished #MGBuddyRead, a couple from #NetGalley, etc.

#CurrentlyReading - all #ReadingEurope2020 and/or #1001books
🎧 The Unwomanly Face of War
🎧 The Red and the Black
📖 The Magician of Lublin

#WeeklyForecast
📚 Continue current reads
📖 Smilla‘s Sense of Snow #ReadingEurope2020
🎧 The Comedy of Errors - hoping to join #ShakespeareReadalong

Cinfhen

merelybookish Yay! Pleased you might join us for Comedy of Errors! 5y

Cinfhen Wow!!! You do NEED your own hashtag 😜so many books 🙌🏻❣️😘 5y

Daisey @merelybookish I‘ve wanted to join in a few times and never quite fit the reading in, but new year means new goals. Looking forward to it! 5y

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Daisey @Cinfhen Thanks! It was a pretty unusually week for me! 5y

JazzFeathers I'm always so envious of your weeks. You're doing a great job! 5y

Daisey @JazzFeathers I just saw this again when comparing last week to this week. This week looks quite a bit different . . . all I seemed to do was pick up new books without finishing much. 5y

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Daisey

Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

pick

I‘ve read and enjoyed several of Karen Hesse‘s books over the years, but somehow I completely missed this one. I‘m so glad I finally read this great historical fiction about a Jewish girl immigrating from Russia to the U.S. in 1919-1920.

#MGBuddyRead #middlegrade

Eggs 💗 Karen Hesse 5y

jewright Is this your book? If so, I want to read it! 5y

Daisey @jewright It‘s not mine, but it‘s from the school library. 5y

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sblbooks

Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

pick

I loved this Episolary novel, about a Jewish girl's Escape From Russia in 1920. Rifka faces many challenges on her way to the USA. This should be a great discussion. #MiddleGrade #MGBuddyRead

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Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

pick

Image from http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/immigration/tour/

I sat down to read a few pages and ended up reading it all in one sitting. Perhaps overly simplified, but then again lots of information for the intended audience.

#MGBuddyReads

And another one to check off the #Booked2020 list. (2 Hat/Head covering)

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Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

So much WTF. See comments below.

Sace She gets put in a cage at Ellis Island. Anyone who thinks that it's just the current administration that does this is naive. As a nation we need to ask ourselves WTF is wrong with us. 5y

Sace And why is she in this cage? Because they are not convinced her ringworm is cured and her hair hasn't grown back so she might not be able to get a husband and therefore will become a burden to the govt. 5y

Leftcoastzen 😡 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

pick

This was an excellent choice for #mgbuddyread. I fell in love with Rifka. Can‘t wait for the discussion.

Book 328 12/30/19

Lmstraubie I'm looking forward to reading this one. 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

💚
Photo taken on a trip to NYC.

#mgbuddyread

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

#mgbuddyread

tournevis True 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

Took a break from #24b42020 to pick up January‘s #mgbuddyread (tagged) from the library and ended up with 6 graphic novels as well.

Lmstraubie, Andrew65, jb72, BeansPage

Andrew65 Our library is shut until the new year. 😳😬😔 5y

megnews @andrew65 oh no! 5y

Andrew65 @megnews Not good! But at least got plenty of library books out beforehand. 5y

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Letters from Rifka | Karen Hesse

Thank you to everyone who participated in our November/December #mgbuddyread Mark down our next reads and join in-last Sunday of the month.
January - Letters from Rifka
February - The Parker Inheritance
March - Refugee
April - Fish in a Tree
May - The Night Diary

@JaclynW @mrp27 @sblbooks @LibrarianRyan @Peddler410 @megnews @Chelsibno @TheBookHippie @cwarnier @Daisey @Lifeisasnap @SamanthaMarie @SaturnDoo @AnneCecilie @Sace

megnews I put it on hold. 5y

TheBookHippie I‘ve got my copy ❤️ 5y

JaclynW I have my copy for this! 5y

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Lmstraubie @megnews @TheBookHippie @JaclynW Yay! 🙆 5y

Sace I'm ready! 5y

Daisey I‘m going to try to find a copy when we get back to school. 5y

LibrarianRyan I will get the ones I have not read put on hold. 5y

Peddler410 Was today the day for talking about Rifka? 5y

Lmstraubie @Peddler410 Sorry for the delayed response. Discussion is this coming Sunday :) 5y

Peddler410 I‘m so excited to start this month‘s book tonight. And....I‘m reading Fish in a Tree right now to my daughter — helping her catch up for Battle of the Books! 😊 5y

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OriginalCyn620, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

I'm ready for the first two selections for #MGBuddyReads! @Lmstraubie (Am I the only one who sees Meryl Streep on the Rifka cover?)

megnews Haha! Now that you mention it! 5y

LibrarianRyan No i see it too. 5y

Sace @megnews @LibrarianRyan Glad I'm not the only one (or that y'all are at least humoring me 🤣) 5y

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GatheringBooks

Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

pick

#SelfImprovementSept Day 19: #LettersEpistolaryNovel reminded me of this award-winning classic. In the 1920s America was more than a country for Rifka and her family and the thousands of immigrants who arrived during this period of social and political unrest with famine and diseases spreading out through cities. It was a place where one has a possibility of transforming one‘s life. It meant Hope and Survival. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-EM

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️ 5y

OriginalCyn620 👌🏻📚❤️ 5y

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Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

#WanderingJune Fleeing from Russia to America with her parents during WWI, Rifka is initially not admitted at Ellis Island for medical reasons. She is then sent to #Amsterdam to recover before she can try again to gain admittance in order to be reunited with her family.
@Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

Cheshirecat913 Oh wow. Blast from the past. I remember reading this book back when I was young. 5y

Cinfhen Sounds really sad 😔 5y

BarbaraBB Oh wow, this sounds good! Thanks for playing this month 💜 5y

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Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

Letters From Rifka is a middle grades book about a young Russian girl escaping to America with her family after WWI. One of her only possessions is a book by Alexander Pushkin, which she uses the margins of to write letters to her cousin Tovah back in Russia, telling about her journey. #AugustIsATrip #Russia @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88

vkois88 Sounds like a good read. 6y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful cover 💗 6y

Literary_Siren I love this book! I read it all the time when I was younger. I think it needs a reread because I haven‘t read it for over a decade. 6y

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Letters from Rifka | K. Hesse

"I miss you like soup misses salt."
I'm going to remember this one! It's so simple, and makes complete sense. ?

Vertabrain Love this...especially since I am currently making soup. 😉 7y

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