| Letters from Rifka Contributor(s): Hesse, Karen (Author) |
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ISBN: 0312535619 ISBN-13: 9780312535612 Publisher: Square Fish OUR PRICE: $8.09 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: January 2009 Annotation: A deeply felt, deeply personal story of immigration from beloved Newbery Medalist Karen Hesse. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Juvenile Fiction | Religious - Jewish - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure - Survival Stories - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes - Emigration & Immigration |
| Dewey: FIC |
| Lexile Measure: 660 |
| Physical Information: 0.5" H x 5.2" W x 7.6" (0.30 lbs) 176 pages |
| Themes: - Religious Orientation - Jewish |
| Accelerated Reader Info |
| Quiz #: 8533 Reading Level: 4.2 Interest Level: Middle Grades Point Value: 4.0 |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: From Newbery media winner Karen Hesse comes an unforgettable story of an immigrant family's journey to America. America, the girl repeated. What will you do there?I was silent for a little time. I will do everything there, I answered. Rifka knows nothing about America when she flees from Russia with her family in 1919. But she dreams that in the new country she will at last be safe from the Russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the Jews. Throughout her journey, Rifka carries with her a cherished volume of poetry by Alexander Pushkin. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form of letters to Tovah, the beloved cousin she has left behind. Strong-hearted and determined, Rifka must endure a great deal: humiliating examinations by doctors and soldiers, deadly typhus, separation from all she has ever known and loved, murderous storms at sea, detainment on Ellis Island--and is if this is not enough, the loss of her glorious golden hair. Based on a true story from the author's family, Letters from Rifka presents a real-life heroine with an uncommon courage and unsinkable spirit. |
Contributor Bio(s): Hesse, Karen: - Karen Hesse is the author of many books for young people, including Out of the Dust, winner of the Newbery Medal, Letters from Rifka, Brooklyn Bridge, Phoenix Rising, Sable and Lavender. In addition to the Newbery, she has received honors including the Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, the MacArthur Fellowship "Genius" Award and the Christopher Award, and was nominated for a National Jewish Book Award. Born in Baltimore, Hesse graduated from the University of Maryland. She and her husband Randy live in Vermont. |