Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Cricket Books (2001), Edition: 1st, 137 pages
Description
Unsure about her upcoming marriage and eager to see what lies beyond the walls of Prague's Jewish quarter in 1778, fifteen-year-old Rivka Lieberman takes great risks to venture outside, where her many new experiences include friendship with a Christian boy.
Library's review
Readers learn that as early as the 1790s, Jews were restricted to ghetto living in Prague. This protected the Jewish community from the animosity of the Gentile communities prevalent in Eastern Europe at the time. Living in the Jewish ghetto during this time was very different than ghetto living
In the 1700s, the Jews of Prague were restricted to living within the walls of the ghetto, but they had their own apartments, their own government, and their own stores. They were free to live their own lifestyle. The Polish Jews practiced Orthodox Jewish rules. They ate particular foods, dressed very conservatively, and strictly followed Jewish traditions.
Girls were not allowed outside their homes alone. They were engaged to be married at 16 to mates chosen by their parents. And they were not allowed outside the ghetto walls at any time. Rivka's father, a very respected man, took Rivka outside once. She was astonished and wanted desperately to go outside by herself. Since boys had less restriction than girls, Rivka dressed as a boy, using the clothes of one of her brothers, and successfully fooled the gatekeeper four times. She loved the forest, trees, relative freedoms outside the ghetto walls. She was enchanted with her surroundings and very innocently met a Gentile boy, found work and in fact, helped the boy out of debtors' prison. Of course, she was eventually caught, but ultimately found contentment within the walls of the ghetto. - Cookie M.
Show More
under the Nazis.In the 1700s, the Jews of Prague were restricted to living within the walls of the ghetto, but they had their own apartments, their own government, and their own stores. They were free to live their own lifestyle. The Polish Jews practiced Orthodox Jewish rules. They ate particular foods, dressed very conservatively, and strictly followed Jewish traditions.
Girls were not allowed outside their homes alone. They were engaged to be married at 16 to mates chosen by their parents. And they were not allowed outside the ghetto walls at any time. Rivka's father, a very respected man, took Rivka outside once. She was astonished and wanted desperately to go outside by herself. Since boys had less restriction than girls, Rivka dressed as a boy, using the clothes of one of her brothers, and successfully fooled the gatekeeper four times. She loved the forest, trees, relative freedoms outside the ghetto walls. She was enchanted with her surroundings and very innocently met a Gentile boy, found work and in fact, helped the boy out of debtors' prison. Of course, she was eventually caught, but ultimately found contentment within the walls of the ghetto. - Cookie M.
Show Less
Subjects
Awards
Sydney Taylor Book Award (Mass Import -- Pending Differentiation)
Language
User reviews
LibraryThing member Digilormo
Loved this book!
This is a book everyone could learn from. Shows that you should not judge a person. The characters are easy to relate to. The book gives great detail you can picture the scenes that are bro g described. I like a book that keeps you turning the pages saying just one more.
Can not
This is a book everyone could learn from. Shows that you should not judge a person. The characters are easy to relate to. The book gives great detail you can picture the scenes that are bro g described. I like a book that keeps you turning the pages saying just one more.
Can not
Show More
wait to read more by Teri Kanefield. Show Less
LibraryThing member skstiles612
If you love historical fiction as much as I do then this is the book for you. Rivka is a fifteen year old girl who lives in the Jewish ghetto of Prague. The time period is the late 1800's. Unlike many of the other Jews in the ghetto, her family has it much better. You may be wondering why. Her
Rivka is best friends with her brother Jakob. She has grown up listening to his stories about the outside world. He has left Prague to go to school to become a Rabbi. Her mother just wants her to put foolish notions and stories away and prepare for her arranged engagement. I loved the fact that Rivka wanted to plant trees and other plants so much that she created a garden on the rooftop of her building. Having a garden isn't enough for her. She wants so much to see what is outside the ghetto that she dresses in boys clothing and travels around as a gentile boy. I loved her spunk. I am not sure, given the time period that I would have had as much courage as she had to do this. I would want the freedom, but I'm not sure I could pull it off.
This is a must read for all historical fiction buffs out there. You won't regret this one. Since this is considered a middle grade book I'll let you in on a secret. I'm not a middle grade kid and I loved it. This is a book to be loved by all ages.
I received a copy to facilitate my review, the opinions expressed heere are my own.
Show More
father is a doctor and there for is considere upper class in the ghetto.Rivka is best friends with her brother Jakob. She has grown up listening to his stories about the outside world. He has left Prague to go to school to become a Rabbi. Her mother just wants her to put foolish notions and stories away and prepare for her arranged engagement. I loved the fact that Rivka wanted to plant trees and other plants so much that she created a garden on the rooftop of her building. Having a garden isn't enough for her. She wants so much to see what is outside the ghetto that she dresses in boys clothing and travels around as a gentile boy. I loved her spunk. I am not sure, given the time period that I would have had as much courage as she had to do this. I would want the freedom, but I'm not sure I could pull it off.
This is a must read for all historical fiction buffs out there. You won't regret this one. Since this is considered a middle grade book I'll let you in on a secret. I'm not a middle grade kid and I loved it. This is a book to be loved by all ages.
I received a copy to facilitate my review, the opinions expressed heere are my own.
Show Less
LibraryThing member alsaadiah
This book talk about the difficult a adventure is of one village's history .A brave girl who wear boy cloth leave her village to discover the word behind the wall surrounded her village . After that she meet a boy who show her the world she ever seen before.
LibraryThing member AniIma
This is a tale of a young girl named Rivka, recently engaged to a young man. She is just 15 living in the Jewish ghettos in Prague in the 1800s. She begins to grow nervous over her impending nuptials, as any young bride-to-be.
As she helps her mother day-to-day, she hears news of the outside world
Soon Rivka starts longing to actually see the outside world, and she dresses as a boy to brave the unknown. She slips past the guards of the Ghetto, and wanders into the world of strangers to fill a longing and curiosity that she does not understand. Do the things she finds satisfy her curiosity and answer her questions for what lays outside, as well as what she must return to?
I enjoyed this book very much. This was intended to be a Middle School Book, but I found this book to be suitable for adults as well. I would highly recommend this book for all ages. I would advise all religious and ethnic backgrounds to read this book as well. There is a lesson to be learned by all.
*DISCLAIMER: I was given a free copy of this book to facilitate my review.
As she helps her mother day-to-day, she hears news of the outside world
Show More
from her favorite older brother, Jacob. Jacob has left for Rabbinical studies but comes back to visit his family. These visits are something Rivka cherishes. Soon Rivka starts longing to actually see the outside world, and she dresses as a boy to brave the unknown. She slips past the guards of the Ghetto, and wanders into the world of strangers to fill a longing and curiosity that she does not understand. Do the things she finds satisfy her curiosity and answer her questions for what lays outside, as well as what she must return to?
I enjoyed this book very much. This was intended to be a Middle School Book, but I found this book to be suitable for adults as well. I would highly recommend this book for all ages. I would advise all religious and ethnic backgrounds to read this book as well. There is a lesson to be learned by all.
*DISCLAIMER: I was given a free copy of this book to facilitate my review.
Show Less
ISBN
0812628705 / 9780812628708