Log B
LOG B contains a large variety of literary
texts approved for the literature program of
the 3-point Bagrut. LOG B includes five short stories
and three poems.
LOG B offers:
○ touching and interesting
texts.
○ engaging & explicit
teaching of the Higher
Order Thinking Skills (HOTS).
○ interesting and stimulating
vocabulary tasks.
○ simple analysis questions.
new!
3
1
1
Suzy and Leah
Pre Reading
A Look at the picture below. What do you think the story is going to talk about?
B
In 1944, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to open shelters for Jewish refugees who came from Europe during the Second World War. One of these shelters was in Oswego (New York) and that's where this story takes place.
Which of the following sentences might be said by a refugee girl from Europe? Which sentences might be said by a Native American girl?
A refugee girl
from Europe
A Native
American girl
1. I have my own bedroom on the second
floor of our home.
2. My mother is a great cook. Last night she
prepared the most delicious meatballs for supper.
3. It’s difficult to know which shaky wooden
building is ours because they all look the same.
4. Our family doctor comes and visits whenever I
have aches or pains. He tells lots of jokes.
5. I try very hard to do well in school, but it’s
so hard learning in English!
6. The only candy we ever get comes as a gift
from kind people.
1
Unit A
Suzy and Leah
Part One
New
words
assign (v)
grab (v)
remind
barbed wire
low grades
stare (v)
comforting words
name tag
fit (v)
refugee
Suzy
and
Leah
August 5, 1944
Dear Diary,
Today I walked past that place. It’s
ugly! It has a high fence and barbed
wire. How can anyone—even a
refugee—live there?
I brought them candy. Kids ran to
the fence, grabbing, like in a zoo.
Except one girl with dark braids. She
stood to one side, staring. After a
minute I looked away. When I looked
back, she was gone. Disappeared as if
she’d never been.
Suzy
August 5, 1944
My Dear Mutti,
I have only one piece of paper, but
I will write small. I address it to you,
Mutti, though you are gone forever. I
write in English, to learn better.
Today another girl came with
sweets. With yellow hair and a false
smile. My friends, all grabbed like ...
2
By
Jane Yolen
prisoners. But we are
no longer prisoners.
I stared at her until
she looked down. Then
I walked away. When I
turned back, she was
gone. Disappeared. As
if she had never been.
Leah
September 2, 1944
Dear Diary,
Mom says they are
coming
to
school.
But they don’t speak
English. Imagine not
being able to understand
anything in school!
Anyway, they’ll have to be cleaned
up first. My hand still hurts where
one girl grabbed it. I wonder if she
had bugs.
Suzy
Suzy and Leah
September 2, 1944
My Dear Mutti,
The Americans say we must go
to school because we are safe. The
Germans said we were safe! Then you
and baby Natan were killed. Anyway,
my friends speak Yiddish, Russian
and German, but no English beyond
"thank you" and "please". And how can
little Rivka go to school? She stopped
speaking because her grandmother
was taken away by the Nazis after
hiding Rivka in a cupboard. Rivka
went days without food, water, or
comforting words. Is English a safer
language than German?
There is barbed wire still between
us and the world.
Leah
September 14, 1944
Dear Diary,
The refugees got better clothes
and shoes. Some of them had stripy
pajamas when they arrived in
America. The girl with dark braids
wore my old blue dress to school, and
Mom hadn’t told me she was giving
it away. It doesn’t fit me anymore,
anyway.
That girl didn’t have a name tag, so
no one knew her name.
Unit A
us all in low grades. Because of our
English. I do not care. This way I do
not have to see the girl with yellow
hair.
They made us wear name tags.
What next? Yellow stars? I threw
mine away.
Leah
September 16, 1944
Dear Diary,
Mr. Forest assigned each of us to
help a refugee with English. He gave
me the girl with dark braids, the one
in my dress. She never smiles. I asked
if I could have a different kid. He said
she speaks the best English and I’m
the best English student.
Her name is Leah. I wish she would
wear another dress.
Suzy
September 16, 1944
My Dear Mutti,
Now I write in a real notebook at
school. I will keep it in the cupboard
each one of us has been given.
I wish I had another dress. I wish a
different student would help me.
Leah
Suzy
September 14, 1944
My Dear Mutti,
I put on the blue dress for our first
day. The color reminded me of your
eyes. The Americans have placed
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Unit A
Suzy and Leah
Basic Understanding
Vocabulary
A Write the English word for each of the following.
Word
Meaning
1.
‫גדר תיל‬
2.
‫כיתות נמוכות‬
3.
‫לבהות‬
4.
‫להזכיר‬
5.
‫להתאים‬
6.
‫לחטוף‬
7.
‫לייעד‬
8.
)‫מילים מנחמות (מילות עידוד‬
9.
‫פליט‬
10.
‫תג‬
B Fill in the passage using the words below.
assigned ● barbed wire ● grab ● low grades
name tags ● refugee ● reminds ● stares
This story takes place during World War II. Leah has come to America as a
1.
..................................... from the war. Suzy visits the children from Europe who are in
a camp fenced in with sharp 2. ..................................... all around. She gives out candies
and all the children 3. ..................................... the sweets from her hands, except for
Leah, who stands and 4. ..................................... at her. The refugee children are sent to
the 5. ..................................... in school since they don’t speak English well. On the first
day of school Leah wears an old blue dress of Suzy’s that 6. ..................................... her
of her mother. All of the refugees are given 7. ..................................... , but Leah throws
hers away. Leah is 8. ..................................... to Suzy, who will help her with her English.
C
Fill in the sentences using the words below.
comforting words ● barbed wire ● lower grades ● fit ● grab
1.The little boy who fell down was crying, so his mother spoke ..................................... to him.
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Suzy and Leah
2.The ..................................... on the fence is sharp. Don’t ever touch it!
3.The girls in the ..................................... went to the park on a school trip.
Unit A
4.My shoes from last year don’t ..................................... me anymore, so I bought a new pair.
5.It is not fair to ..................................... the ball out of my hands when we are in the middle of a game.
assigned ● name tag ● refugees ● remind ● staring
6.The teacher ..................................... partners to work on a project together.
7.The nurse who took care of me wore a ..................................... . It said, “Rivka Zaks.”
8.The lion in the zoo looked so magnificent that I couldn’t stop .................................. .
9.I asked my friend to give me a phone call to ..................................... me to study for the test.
10. The war ..................................... were tired and hungry.
D EXTRA How would you feel in the following situations?
Circle the answer that is true for you.
1.You are in a place which is surrounded by barbed wire.
good / bad
2.The principal has just said comforting words to you.
good / bad
3.You find that the new shoes you bought don’t fit your feet. good / bad
4.While you are walking in the street, somebody grabs your wallet. good / bad
5.The teacher assigns you an important project. good / bad
6.You accompany students in a lower grade on their class trip. good / bad
7.You realized that your name tag was dirty the whole day and you hadn't noticed. good / bad
8.Your friend reminds you to bring a cake to the class party. good / bad
9.A stranger is staring at you. good / bad
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Unit A
Suzy and Leah
LOTS
A Answer each question using one of the words below.
barbed wire ● grab ● low grades ● refugees ● remind
1.What is the refugee camp fenced in with?
..............................................................................................................................................................
2.How did the refugee children take the candy from Suzy’s hands?
..............................................................................................................................................................
3.Which classes were the refugee children put into because they didn’t speak English?
..............................................................................................................................................................
4.What is the group of children at the camp called?
..............................................................................................................................................................
5.What does Leah say about the blue dress?
..............................................................................................................................................................
B
Answer the following questions about Part One of the story.
1.Choose the correct answer.
Suzy and Leah meet at:
a.the refugee camp
b.the zoo
c. in Europe
2.Why does Suzy think the refugee camp is ugly?
..............................................................................................................................................................
3.Why does Leah write in English?
..............................................................................................................................................................
4.Why does Leah think that Rivkah can't go to school?
Choose the correct answer.
a.She doesn’t speak English.
b.She stopped speaking.
c.She doesn’t get enough food and water at the refugee camp
5.Why doesn’t Rivka speak?
..............................................................................................................................................................
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Suzy and Leah
Unit A
6.What had some refugee children been wearing before they got better clothes?
..............................................................................................................................................................
7.Why doesn’t anyone know Leah’s name on the first day?
..............................................................................................................................................................
8.Why does Mr. Forest assign Suzy to Leah?
..............................................................................................................................................................
Analysis and Interpretation
A Copy the correct words from the story under each picture.
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
...................................................
B
Answer the following questions according to Part One.
1.Who is Mutti? Why do you think Leah writes to her?
..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
2.The Americans said that the refugees are now safe. Did Leah believe them? Explain why.
..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
3.Leah feels isolated and disconnected from the world because she lost her mother, her home, and her former life.
Copy a sentence from the story in which Leah expresses the above.
..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
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Unit A
Suzy and Leah
4.Why didn’t Leah want to wear the name tag?
..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
5.Why do you think Suzy wishes Leah would wear a different dress?
..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
6.Suzy doesn’t like Leah. Where can you see it in the story? Write THREE things.
..............................................................................................................................................................
..............................................................................................................................................................
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Suzy and Leah
Unit A
Part Two
New
words
can't help
furious
pass (n)
fever
grow
several
frightened
make (no) sense shelter (n)
whole
Suzyand Leah
September 20, 1944
Dear Diary,
Her whole name is Leah Shoshana
Hershkowitz. I laughed when I tried
to say it, but she wouldn’t laugh with
me. Mom says I should invite her
over. We’ll have to get a special pass.
But I don’t want her to come. She’s
no fun.
She thinks no one sees her save the
school lunch in her pocket, but I do.
Does she eat it later? I’m sure they get
dinner at the shelter. Sometimes when
we’re having dinner I think of her.
Suzy
September 20, 1944
My Dear Mutti,
The girl with yellow
hair is Suzy Ann
McCarthy. It is a silly
name. She said it is
“for a book my mom
liked.” A book! I am proud
to be named after my grandmother.
Rivka loves the food I bring home
from school. She needs all the food
she can get. You would like the way
Rivka grows bigger and stronger. She
talks now, but only to me. Sometimes
when I am lonely I call her Natan, but
only when she is sleeping.
I, too, am growing fast. Soon the
blue dress will not fit. I have no other.
Leah
October 9, 1944
Dear Diary,
They skipped Leah into our grade,
her English has gotten so good.
Except for some words, like victory,
which she pronounces “wick-toe-ree.”
Sometimes I can’t help laughing!
Leah knows nothing about America.
She thinks New York is near Chicago!
She doesn’t know the words to any top
songs. And she is so stuck up. Why is
only my refugee unkind?
Suzy
October 9, 1944
My Dear Mutti,
I went to Suzy’s house because
Mr. Forest said they had gone to a lot
of trouble to get a pass for me. My
stomach hurt the whole time.
Suzy’s Mutti wore a dress with
roses. It reminded me of your dress,
with the asters1. You wore it the last
time I saw you.
Leah
1 asters - ‫תיפורים‬
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Unit A
Suzy and Leah
October 11, 1944
Dear Diary,
They’ve asked
me to bring Leah’s
school things to the
hospital. She had
her appendix1 out
and nearly died. She
almost didn’t tell
them she was sick
until too late.
Mom says we have to visit,
that I’m Leah’s American best friend.
Ha! We’re bringing several of my old
dresses, but not my green one with
white trim. I don’t want her to have it.
Even if it doesn’t fit me anymore.
Suzy
October 12, 1944
Dear Diary,
I did a terrible thing. I read
Leah’s diary.
At first it made no sense. Who
were Mutti and Natan? Why were
they killed? What are yellow stars?
And the way she talked about me
made me furious.
I asked Mom questions,
carefully, so she wouldn’t guess I
had read Leah’s diary. She said the
Nazis killed people, even mothers
and children. And Jews had to wear
yellow stars so they could be spotted
1 asters - ‫אפנדציט‬
10
blocks away. I could
hardly believe it, but
Mom said it was true.
How can Leah
live with that pain?
Suzy
October 12, 1944
My Dear Mutti,
Suzy brought me my
notebook so I can write
again.
I was frightened about telling
anyone I was sick. In the German
camp, if you were sick they did not
let you live. But in the middle of the
night, Rivka found me with a high
fever. She ran to a guard and spoke
for the first time. She said, “Please,
do not let Leah go into the dark.” A
doctor was sent for. I nearly died.
Suzy did a bad thing. She
read my notebook. But it helped her
understand. She said, “I am so sorry!”
Then, she gave me a book with a lock.
“Read this,” she said. “And I have a
green dress with white trim for you. It
will be perfect with your eyes.”
I do not know what trim is. But
I like the idea of a green dress. And I
have a new word, too: diary.
A new word. A new land. And—
just maybe—a new friend.
Leah
Suzy and Leah
Unit A
Basic Understanding
Vocabulary
A Write the English word for each of the following.
Word
Meaning
1.
‫אישור מעבר‬
2.
‫זועם‬
3.
‫חום‬
4.
‫לא הגיוני‬
5.
‫לא יכול להפסיק‬
6.
‫לגדול‬
7.
‫מספר‬
8.
‫מפוחד‬
9.
‫מקלט‬
10.
‫שלם‬
B Fill in the passage using the words below.
can’t help ● frightened ● furious ● makes no sense
pass ● shelter ● whole
Suzy and Leah learn each other’s 1. ..................................... names, but they still don’t
like each other. Leah doesn’t eat her lunch at school; she brings it to Rivka in the
2.
..................................... . Suzy 3. ..................................... wondering why Leah doesn’t eat.
One day Suzy and her mother get a special 4. .......................................... so that Leah
can come to their house. While Leah is at Suzy’s house, she begins to feel ill, but
she is too 5. .............................................. to tell anyone. Leah ends up being taken to
the hospital, and while she is there, Suzy reads Leah’s diary. What Suzy reads
6.
....................................... to her, but when her mother explains how bad the holocaust
was for Jews, Suzy understands why Leah has been behaving so unkindly. At first
Leah is 7. ................................... that Suzy has read her notebook, but when she sees
that Suzy understands her better, they become friends.
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Unit A
Suzy and Leah
C Fill in the sentences using the words below.
can’t help ● frightened ● made no sense ● pass ● shelter
1.The paragraph had so many mistakes in it, that it ..................................... .
2.The first thing you should do if it starts raining is to find ..................................... .
3.The clowns look so funny I ..................................... laughing!
4.My little sister is ..................................... of the dark.
5.You need a special ..................................... to leave the school building during school hours.
fever ● furious ● growing ● several ● whole
6.I wasn’t feeling well and my forehead was hot - I had a ..................................... .
7.We buy ..................................... bags of milk from the store every week.
8.You are a teenager already! It is amazing to see how you are ............................... up.
9.The teacher was ............................. when a student was caught cheating on the test.
10. The ..................................... family went on a trip. Nobody wanted to miss it.
D Which pairs of words have similar meanings? Which pairs of words have opposite meanings? Copy the answers into the correct columns in the chart below.
can't help
stop
fever
sickness
frightened
scared
furious
angry
grow
get smaller
makes sense
logical
several
a few
whole
broken
Word
12
Meaning
Suzy and Leah
E
Give an example of the following.
1.a job a boss might assign a worker to do
Unit A
..............................................................................................................................................................
2.something you are frightened of
..............................................................................................................................................................
3.what you can do to help a plant grow
..............................................................................................................................................................
4.someone who would help you if you had a fever
..............................................................................................................................................................
5.an action that would make a neighbor furious
..............................................................................................................................................................
6.a pass your principal might give you
..............................................................................................................................................................
7.a good shelter from a storm
..............................................................................................................................................................
8.something you can’t help buying when you are far away from home
..............................................................................................................................................................
LOTS
Answer the following questions according to Part Two of the story.
1.Who is Leah proud to be named after?
..............................................................................................................................................................
2.Why does Leah bring her lunch to the refugee shelter instead of eating it at school?
..............................................................................................................................................................
3.Why doesn’t Suzy want to bring Leah to her house?
Choose the correct answer.
a.Suzy doesn’t have a good time with Leah.
b.Suzy will have no fun with her friends.
c.Leah is proud.
4.Why does Leah decide to go to Suzy’s house even though she doesn’t want to?
..............................................................................................................................................................
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Unit A
Suzy and Leah
5. When does Suzy begin to understand why Leah has been so unkind?
..............................................................................................................................................................
6.What did Suzy think the first time she opened Leah's diary?
Choose the correct answer.
a.The diary looked terrible.
b.Leah was furious with Rivka.
c.The diary made no sense.
7.Why is Leah frightened to tell someone that she wasn’t feeling well?
..............................................................................................................................................................
8.How does Rivka save Leah’s life?
..............................................................................................................................................................
Analysis and Interpretation
A Copy the correct words from the story under each picture.
1.
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
2.
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
3.
.............................................................................................................
Bracha
Weiss
14
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
Suzy and Leah
Unit A
4.
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
..........................................................................
5.
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................
B
Answer the questions below.
1.Who is Natan? What can you learn about him from the story?
2.Why did Suzy feel smarter than Leah? Write THREE things.
3.In the end of the story, Suzy became more understanding of Leah. Copy THREE facts that show this.
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Unit A
Suzy and Leah
Getting the Whole Picture
1. How are Suzy and Leah similar? Name TWO things.
...........................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................
2. How are Suzy and Leah different? Name TWO things.
...........................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................
3. At the end of the story Leah writes “a new land...a new friend.” What do you think this indicates about Leah’s perspective on life in America and her friendship with Suzy?
...........................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................
4. What is the message of the story, "Suzy and Leah"?
...........................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................
5. Do you think the message of the story is still relevant today? Explain why.
...........................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................
Literary Terms
Setting
The setting of the story refers to when and where the story took place.
What's the setting of the story, "Suzi and Leah"?
.................................................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................................................................................
16
Suzy and Leah
Unit A
Distinguishing Different Perspectives
A Look at the drawing by Rorschach.
1.What do you see in this picture?
..............................................................................................................................................................
2.Choose one of your classmates. What did she see in the picture?
..............................................................................................................................................................
3.Why do you think each of you sees different things in each picture?
..............................................................................................................................................................
The way people view things is called perspective. Many people can look at the
same thing and view it differently from one another. Identifying the differences in
people's perspectives is called Distinguishing Different Perspectives.
Hots in Life
Summer vacation is getting nearer and nearer. What might the following
people’s perspectives be toward the approaching summer vacation?
a student - ...
a mother - ...
a dietitian - ...
an amusement park owner - ...
a teacher - ...
Hots in Life
‫ כולם רואים את אותו דבר אך כל אחד רואה זאת בצורה‬.‫האופן שבו אנשים רואים דבר מסויים נקרא נקודת מבט‬
.‫ זיהו ההבדלים בנקודות מבט של אנשים שונים נקרא אבחנה בין נקודות מבט שונות‬.‫שונה‬
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Unit A
Suzy and Leah
Back into the Story
1. How does Suzy's understanding of Leah's actions change after reading the diary?
Complete the sentence below
Before reading the diary, ....................................................................................................................
After reading the diary, .......................................................................................................................
2. The children at the refugee camp grabbed the sweets from Suzy's hands. (August 5)
How was Leah's attitude towards that different from Suzy's attitude?
...................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................
3. Do you share the same perspective as Leah about being ill? Explain.
...................................................................................................................................................................
...................................................................................................................................................................
Bridging Text and Context
“When you really know somebody you can’t hate them."
Orson Scott Card
Make a connection between this passage and the story, "Suzy and Leah".
...........................................................................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................................................................
Post Reading Activity
1. Choose a scene from the story and act it out with a partner.
2. When Leah is released from the hospital, she writes a letter to Suzy. In the letter, Leah explains why she acted so strangely when first meeting Suzy. Write Leah's letter.
3. Choose FIVE sentences you especially liked in the story and illustrate them. Organize the sentences and the illustrations in a mini-album.
Personal Response
1. What HOTS did you learn?
2. How can you apply the HOTS to your own life? Give ONE example.
3. Which character in the story do you identify with? Explain why.
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