TEACHERS GUIDE


ABOUT THIS BOOK

A lively and evocative novel full of sweet, sad, and funny moments in the history of a Jewish family.

Imagine a cozy kitchen in another time and place. A family is baking apple strudel together, and while they work, they tell each other stories of the past--the cherished stories of their family history. There is the boy who danced with ghosts, the greatest baseball moment ever, and the almost-a-disaster day. There are stories of braving war, of daring the difficulties of immigration, and of enjoying the simple pleasures of friendship and sports--stories of joy and sadness, mistakes and triumphs, courage and love.

This warm and intimate novel is an inspiring portrait of a truly memorable family.

"Rocklin makes her Jewish family come alive in these warm, humorous selections. . . . Sure to inspire families to share their own memories."
--School Library Journal, Starred

"It's a tribute to Rocklin's storytelling that this light but nourishing title leaves readers wanting more."
--The Bulletin, Recommended

"Tender. . . . Rocklin writes with flair and with heart."
--Publishers Weekly

ABOUT THIS AUTHOR

Joanne Rocklin, the author of over a dozen children's books, including The Very Best Hanukkah Gift, is a former psychologist and elementary school teacher.

TEACHING IDEAS

In the Classroom
Strudel Stories provides readers with historically accurate details as they travel from the Pale of Settlement (an area in western Russia and eastern Poland controlled by czarist Russia where Jews were forced to live by order of the Jewish government) to Ellis Island and the crowded tenements of New York. Memories are shared, ranging from the New York Yankees' victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers (and Jackie Robinson's inclusion on the team) to one cousin's separation from his family during World War II. As Rocklin creates true-to-life stories over a span of seven generations, multiple interdisciplinary connections can easily be extended into the classroom.

Pre-Reading Activity

Ask students to come to class prepared with a family recipe to share. Encourage students to contribute stories from their own family's history and discuss how such stories impact them today. Allow students to consider how their lives would be different if not for the life of one of their ancestors. Collaborate on recipes and discuss the number of different ethnicities represented. Create a class cookbook.

Thematic Connections

Geneaology--Since genealogy and family history are central to this novel, ask students to interview one or more family members. Have the class formulate a basic set of questions for the interviews but stress that students will need to tailor their interviews for each family. Suggest that students tape the interview as well as take notes. Have the interviews serve as the basis for various projects--a transcription of an interview, a family history, a family tree, a play, or even a video.

Intergenerational Relationships--Ask students to identify different intergenerational relationships in the book. Consider how the relationships are different and how they are similar. Encourage students to recognize what each party contributes to the relationship. What does Willy learn from his Great-grandpa Meyer? What does he learn from Aunt Bertie? How do these lessons extend to Jessica and Lori? Have students identify someone in their life with whom they have an intergenerational relationship. Students can write letters thanking their identified elders for what they have taught them.

Adjusting to a New Life--In the course of seven generations, several members of Jessica and Lori's family immigrate to America. Who are they? Why do they immigrate? Throughout history, many people have immigrated to America in hopes of a better life. Bertie thought America was all it promised to be. Her mother and father did not. Why did Bertie and her parents have different opinions? Compare the reaction of Bertie to that of her parents.

Family and Relationships--Strudel Stories is an account of one family's history as passed on through stories. Encourage class discussions on family oral histories and what students have learned through stories. Have students write an account of their personal family history and allow them to place their stories in a "time capsule" they would want to pass down to their grandchildren.

Interdisciplinary Connections

Social Studies--Have students identify those characters in Strudel Stories who were directly affected by World War II. Engage the class in a discussion on the cruelties of the war and its consequences. Mark a map, using pushpins, of those countries World War II was fought in. Allow students time to consider why Leon would have left his home to come to America.

Science/Health-- From 1892 to 1954, 12 million immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island. Bertie's family was among the many who feared the threat of separation at this immigration depot. Why was Bertie afraid she might not be allowed into the country? Immigrants to the United States were screened for health problems, physical and mental. What health issues would have kept people from entering the U.S.? Ask students to choose one health issue to research and present to the class, noting why this would have kept immigrants from being allowed in.

Math--Ask students to identify what nationalities came to America through Ellis Island. How many were Irish, Italian, Polish, etc.? Create a bar graph. How many nationalities are represented? This activity can be used to illustrate how America is truly the melting pot of many nations.

Language Arts--In Strudel Stories, three members of Jessica and Lori's family die. Have students identify them as well as the different manifestations of mourning throughout the book. Allow discussion time to consider why different people deal with death in different ways. Ask students to write a short story in which the central character deals with death and dying. Discuss the different approaches used.

Physical Education--Willy is a big fan of Jackie Robinson, the first professional African American in baseball, and the Brooklyn Dodgers. Divide the class into groups and allow each to choose one topic of baseball history referred to in Strudel Stories to research (e.g., Jackie Robinson/African Americans in baseball, the 1947 World Series between the Dodgers and the Yankees, the move of the Dodgers from Brooklyn to Los Angeles). Provide time for each group to present their findings to the class. Encourage students to find parallels between these moments in baseball history and current events in baseball.




REVIEWS

* "Rocklin makes her Jewish family come alive in these warm, humorous selections . . . . Strudel Stories is an excellent choice for oral history and intergenerational projects, as well as for immigration units."
--Starred, School Library Journal
"The premise is happily fleshed out with identifiable characters and solid storytelling that should touch young readers."
--Booklist

"The stories are related by adults, but the tales are often childhood memories, and the child-centered point of view ensures the interest of young readers . . . . It's a tribute to Rocklin's story-telling that this . . . nourishing title leaves readers wanting more."
--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

FURTHER READING

If I Forget, You Remember by Carol Lynch Williams[0-440-41420-2]
Search for the Shadowman by Joan Lowery Nixon[0-385-32203-8]

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

http://http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/5464/index.html
http://http://www.ellisisland.org/
http://http://www.dodgers.com/robinson.html
http://http://www.wiesenthal.com