Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key plot points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. What is Esther's house in Poland built around?

2. Which army occupies Vilna in 1940?

3. What is Tata's profession?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why is Vilna called "the Jerusalem of Europe"?

2. What does Esther's great-grandmother Reisa do to cheat the Nazis?

Chapters 4-6

Reading Check

1. What work are the Polish children required to do?

2. What do both Esther and her grandmother enjoy doing when they go to the village square to trade?

3. Where does Mother work after the family moves to town?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is one of the uses of the mined gypsum?

2. How does Anya transform vanity into an act of courage?

Paired Resource

“The Jewish Community of Vilnius”

• This page on the ANU (Museum of the Jewish People) website provides a brief history and photographs of the Jewish community in Vilna.
• This resource relates to the themes of Human Connection Across Class and Racial Barriers, The Human Need for Belonging, and Adaptability and Resistance to Change.