About this title: Set between 1919 and 1920, LETTERS FROM RIFKA tells the story of a 12-year-old Jewish girl who, along with her parents and her brother, attempts to escape persecution in her homeland of Russia. The family manages to flee to Poland, and from there, they plan to immigrate to the United States, already home to Rifka's three older brothers. Although the rest of her family is cleared to travel to America, Rifka, who has developed ringworm, is left behind in the care of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, a group that eventually relocates her to Belgium, where she grows from a frightened child to a ...
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Description: Very Good. 0440830508 PB, minor shelf wear, no dog-ears, no writing or highlighting, Your book will be carefully protected for transit in sturdy, weather-resistant packaging. We are prompt, efficient, communicative. read more
Edition: Ex-Library
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publisher: Hyperion Books for Children
Date Published: 1-Nov-93
ISBN-13:9780140363913ISBN:0140363912
Description: Good. No spine creases, moderate wear & a few bends on cover. Lightly aged pages, library stamps, no marks in text. From Publishers Weekly: Twelve-year-old Rifka's journey from a Jewish community in the Ukraine to Ellis Island is anything but smooth sailing. Modeled on the author's great-aunt, Rifka surmounts one obstacle after another in this riveting novel. First she outwits a band of Russian soldiers, enabling her family to escape to Poland. There the family is struck with typhus. Everyone ... read more
Description: Fine. 059051587X Excellent condition paperback book, clean pages, NO creases to spine, this book is Near NEW! Shop & Save With US. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell
ISBN-13:9780440830504ISBN:0440830508
Description: Good. 0440830508 Mass market paperback, previously read used book in good condition, varying degrees of shelf wear, some spine creases, m..._ read more
"During the harsh pogroms against Jews in the time right before and after the Bolshevik Revolution (think _Fiddler on the Roof_) Rifka Nebrot and her family flee the Ukraine heading for America. Almost every hardship short of death befalls the family during their journeys, including typhus and other debilitating illnesses, robberies, treachery, near starvation, and finally separation, as Rifka recovers from an illness in Europe while her family sails away to America. The book is written in the form of letters to a family member left behind, but most are never sent because they are written in the white spaces of a book of Pushkin's poetry (a surprisingly significant plot element). A moving account of persecution of the Jews about which today's children do not know enough."
"This is a moving book based on experiences of the author's great aunt as a Russian Jew fleeing to America in 1919. Very well written, this is a quick read that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was interesting to see Rifka's transformation from a scared, unsure little girl to a young woman who finds her strength and confidence in ways she never thought she would."
"This book is not what I expected. I though Rifka's travels to American would be different. So much of the book dealt with her being in one place for so long. I understand why she had to stay in the places she did but I just expected it would be more travel. That being said, I liked this book. it is such a great book to use in classrooms. Maybe in the lower intermediate grades it could be used as a read-aloud that would lead to great discussion and a link to history. In the middle school grades it would be a wonderful choice for a literature circle. Hesse's even gives a short historical notes section at the end of the book that would help scaffold the connection to history and at the beginning she she writes about how she came to write the book and the close sources she used. Also, it is different from other books dealing with Jewish families trying to survive, hide, or move to America because it is from an earlier time. It gives a whole new perspective and also shows the students just how long Jews were dealing with hardships in their homelands."
"This book is about a family of Russian Jews and there struggle to become Americans. They sneak out of there small village abourd a train leaving 11 year old Rifka to distract the guards. In Warsaw they come down with typhus and nearly die. Then Rifka finds out that she has ringworm and has to stay in Europe while her family goes to America. The whole time Rifka keeps writting letter to her cousin in Russia.
I can connect this book to Go Ask Alice. They both had horrible struggles trying to overcome illnesess. They both kept writing to stay remotely sane. Rifka is a lot like Alice exept Rifka's not a drug addict.
I rate this book a five. Rifka is a strong character and a goo letter writer."
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