Refugee Practice Questions

1.       Refugee by Alan Gratz

2.       Practice Questions

1.       What was the occupation of Josef’s father? Lawyer p. 1

2.       How scared was Josef when the “shadows” chased him in the flat? So scared that he wet himself, p. 2

3.       What did the “shadows” do to Ruth’s bed? Threw it against the wall OR broke it into pieces, p. 2

4.       What was the uniform of Hitler’s “storm troopers”? Brown shirts and red swastika armbands, p. 3

5.       Why is Josef’s father not allowed to practice law anymore?  Because he is Jewish OR it is against German law of 1933, p. 3

6.       What does Josef say he will be in 6 months and 11 days?  A man, p. 4

7.       What is the full name of Josef’s father? Aaron Landau, p. 4

8.       The raid on the Landau home was part of what larger event? Kristallnacht or “Night of Broken glass”, p. 5

9.       How did the message from Papa come to the Landau family? By telegram, p. 6

10.   From which concentration camp had Papa been released? Dachau, p. 6

11.   What did the family have to do within fourteen days?  Leave Germany, p. 6

12.   What food does Isabel offer the scrawny kitten? Beans, p. 7

13.   What did most Cuban farms grow?  Sugarcane, p. 8

14.   Which country had paid 11X the price for Cuban sugar? Russia, p. 8

15.   What did desperate people do at the Havana Zoo?  They broke in to eat the meat of the animals housed there, p. 8

16.   Who are the Industriales? A baseball team from Havana, p.9

17.   What had Iván found for the cat?  A bit of dead fish, p. 9

18.   What does Iván say he and his father are building?  A doghouse, p. 9

19.   What was the Cuban name for the USA? El norte, p. 10.

20.   How does Isabel know what happens to those trying to flee Cuba in a boat?  Her father was arrested for it, p. 10

21.   What instrument does Isabel use to busk with? Trumpet, p. 10

22.   How do people at Isabel’s time buy food?  With food ration booklets, p. 10

23.   Who are the only ones around Isabel with actual pesos? Tourists, p. 10

24.   How does Mahmoud attempt to survive when the reader first meets him? By staying invisible, p. 12

25.   What does Waleed look like when he smiles? A cartoon squirrel, p. 13

26.   What is the best protection against barrel bombs and why?  A wall to hide behind because these bombs contain nails and scrap metal, p. 13

27.   What is the name of Mahmoud’s home city?  Aleppo, p. 14

28.   Why were Syrian people afraid to protest their president? He made his enemies “disappear.” p. 14

29.   Who are Assad’s soldiers and tanks fighting against?  Other Syrian people: it is a civil war, p. 15

30.   Who had been Mahmoud’s best friend at school? Khalid, p. 15

31.   Why did the bully beat Khalid?  He was a different kind of Muslim—Shia, not Sunni, p. 16

32.   Why did the friends grow apart? It was easier to be “invisible” when you were alone, p. 16

33.   Why does the narrator say, “It was better not to have friends in Syria in 2015”? Khalid died in an airstrike, p. 17 [Having friends means more sadness when you lose them.]

34.   What kind of armbands did Josef and his family wear? Bright yellow Star of David armbands, p. 18

35.   How does Josef’s family begin the journey out of Germany? By train, p. 18

36.   How is the train compartment labelled to keep Germans from sitting there?  With the letter “j”, p. 18

37.   What is the only place that will take Josef’s family?  The island of Cuba, p. 19

38.   What is Ruthie’s toy? A corduroy stuffed bunny named Bitsy, p. 19

39.   Who was Josef’s teacher when he still attended school?  Herr Meier, p. 20

40.   How does Herr Meier humiliate Josef one day?  He uses Josef as an example of how to tell a Jew from a true German, p. 20

41.   What two items does Josef try to buy on the train? A newspaper and a piece of candy for Ruth, p. 22

42.   What goes wrong when Josef tries to pay for the candy?  His paper armband falls out of his pocket and he is caught as a Jewish boy in the wrong compartment, p. 22

43.   Why did boys Josef’s age join the Hitler Youth? German families were shamed if they did not join, p. 23

44.   What is Josef’s fear when being marched back to the Jewish compartment on the train?  That his family will be sent to a concentration camp as punishment, p. 24.

45.   What did the sound of broken glass mean while Isabel was playing the trumpet?  People were rioting, breaking windows and stealing things from shops, p. 25

46.   Why does Isabel call her grandfather Lito, when his name is Mariano?  Lito is short for Abuelito, the Spanish word for grandfather, p. 26

47.   What is Isabel’s Papi doing when she spots him in all the confusion?  He throws a bottle at the police, p. 27

48.   Who stops the policeman beating Papi and about to strike Isabel?  Iván’s older brother, p.28

49.   Why does Papi have to leave Cuba “tonight.”? The policeman wants to put him in jail for good, p. 29.

50.   How does the family know it is prayer time? It is announced from the mosque loud enough for all to hear, p. 30

51.   What was Waleed watching on TV when the call to prayer came?  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, p. 30

52.   Who is Hana?  Waleed and Mahmoud’s baby sister, p. 30

53.   What direction do the people in Mahmoud’s family pray towards? Wherever Mecca is, p. 31

54.   After the missile hits Mahmoud’s apartment, what is he unable to do? Breathe, p. 32.

55.   In which city did the Landau family board the ship?  Hamburg, p. 35

56.   Who is “a skeleton in a threadbare suit three sizes too big for him”? Josef’s father, when they see him at the Hamburg docks, p. 36

57.   Why is Josef comforted by the name of the ship: MS St. Louis? It is a city in America, a country to which he, one day, wishes to go, p. 36

58.   What surprises Josef about the crew as they board the ship?  They are helpful and kind, p. 38

59.   How does Josef’s father behave when boarding the ship? He seems afraid and untrusting, feels it is a trick, p. 39.

60.   What does Isabel get under the sink for her father’s injury?  Iodine, p. 40

61.   What was the new American policy towards Cuban people trying to get to its shores? “Wet Foot, Dry Foot.” p. 41

62.   What does “wet foot” mean? If the Americans find you still in the water, they send you to Guantanamo Bay (US naval base), p. 41

63.   What does “dry foot” mean? If you get onto American soil before being found by the navy, you are granted refugee status, p. 41

64.   What does Fidel Castro always wear in public appearances? Green military jacket and flat round cap, p. 42

65.   Why is Isabel’s mother hesitant to leave Cuba?  She is pregnant; the baby will come very soon, p. 44

66.   What is the “boat” Isabel’s neighbours are building made of? Metal ads, road signs and oil drums p. 45

67.   What does Iván’s father say is holding them back from leaving in their boat?  They have no gasoline, p. 45

68.   How does Isabel get gasoline from the fisherman?  She trades her trumpet for it, p. 46

69.   What name does Isabel give to the kitten as she hands it over to the fisherman?  Leona, p. 47

70.   Why does Waleed hesitate in leaving the bombed apartment? He wants to get his action figures, p. 50

71.   What had Mahmoud’s mother carried out of the apartment before it collapsed?  Backpacks filled with clothes and diapers, p. 53

72.   What does Mahmoud’s father do for work?  He is an engineer with a mobile phone company, p. 53

73.   What is Mahmoud’s mother’s name? Fatima, p. 53

74.   What does Mahmoud’s father suggest the family do?  Drive to Turkey, sell the car and head towards Germany, p. 54

75.   Which film does Mahmoud’s father mention as they talk about Germany?  Frozen, p. 54

76.   What two games do they have on board the MS St. Louis?  Badminton and shuffleboard, p. 56

77.   What are the two girl passengers on the ship doing to tease napping people on a lower deck?  Holding a string to tickle their noses and pulling it up and hiding when the adult swats at it, p. 57

78.   What is Josef looking forward to on the next Shabbos?  His bar mitzvah, p. 58

79.   What does Shabbos mean?  Sabbath or Saturday, a day of rest and worship for the Jewish faith, p. 58

80.   What is the next prank Josef and Ruthie join Renata and Evelyne in? Putting soap on the door handles so that they are almost impossible to open, p. 58

81.   What makes the children laugh so hard? The person with the big tray drops it when he can’t open the cabin door, p. 59

82.   What hairstyle does Iván’s mother have?  Dreadlocks, p. 60

83.   Which American state are the Cuban refugees trying to reach? Florida, p. 60

84.   Where were the reporters at the beach from?  CNN, p. 61

85.   What was the raft made of that quickly sank?  An old refrigerator, p. 62

86.   Why is Papi terrified when two people run towards their boat? They are wearing police uniforms, so he thinks they will arrest him, p. 63

87.   Who are these two police officers? Iván’s brother Luis and his girlfriend, p. 64

88.   Why do the police now shoot at the boat Isabel is in?  The two police officers are considered deserters, p. 64

89.   Why does Isabel think about “90 miles”? This is the distance to Florida, p. 65

90.   What is ISIS called within Syria itself? Daesh, p. 66

91.   How does Mahmoud’s family know how to travel? They use Google Maps on his mom’s phone, p. 67

92.   Why does Mahmoud’s father direct his wife to put on her hijab when they approach four soldiers? They do not know if the soldiers are very strict about face/head coverings of women in public.  Better to be safe than sorry, p. 68

93.   How did Waleed save the day in the conversation with the soldiers?  He said the family was against “whoever is dropping the bombs on us,” when asked what “side” they were on, p. 69

94.   What travel advice do the soldiers give?  They tell them all the cities they cannot get through because of fighting, p. 70

95.   Where does Mahmoud’s family find shelter when their car becomes part of a gun battle?  In a ditch, p. 72

96.   What does Mahmoud’s father retrieve from the car? Their phones, p. 72

97.   Why does Josef’s father not attend the bar mitzvah on the ship?  He is paranoid and believes it is a trap to arrest the Jews, p. 74-5

98.   What is a yarmulke? The hats Jewish men wear at worship times, p. 75

99.   What are tallisim?  Prayer shawls, p. 75

100.                       What was on the table at the front of the makeshift synagogue? A Torah scroll, p. 75

101.                       Whose permission is asked to remove the portrait of Adolf Hitler during the synagogue service. The captain Gustav Schroeder, p. 76

102.                       What was the title for Adolf Hitler? The Fuhrer, p. 76

103.                       Which book of the Bible is read during Josef’s bar mitzvah service? Hosea, p. 77

104.                       How are people arranged in the synagogue service? Women and men separate, p. 77

105.                       What is the name for the Jewish clergy man? Rabbi, p. 77

106.                       What mischief are Renata and Evelyne up to when they ask Josef to guard the girl’s washroom for them?  They are locking the cubicles from the inside, p. 78

107.                       Why do the stewards think the ship is going maximum speed? There are other ships going to Cuba, and there is some concern that Cuba might send one back, p. 79

108.                       What was the first solution used to the bullet hole in the boat leaving Cuba? Stuffing a sock into it, p. 81

109.                       What do the adults on the boat say when they ask, “What are the greatest failures [of the Cuban Revolution]”? Breakfast, lunch and dinner, p. 82

110.                       What is the name of Luis’ girlfriend? Amara, p. 83

111.                       What does Lito/Grandfather want to call her instead? Summer, p. 83

112.                       What happens while the Cuban refugees are singing a salsa song on their boat?  The motor sputters and quits, p. 86

113.                       What joke does Mahmoud’s father make when they make it to the refugee camp in Turkey? “We’re in luck. The circus is in town!” p. 89

114.                       To what does the narrator compare the makeshift market at the refugee camp? A giant rummage sale, p. 90

115.                       What are the people in the old blue taxi celebrating at the Turkish refugee camp? Their wedding, p. 91-92

116.                       Why does everyone suddenly duck as the taxi drives along? Its exhaust pipe pops, and the sound is too similar to a gunshot, p. 92

117.                       What did eight children on the MS St. Louis sign up for? A tour of the bridge and engine room, p. 94

118.                       What does Josef notice about the bedrooms of the crew?  They are small and two people share, p. 95

119.                       What song is being sung in the crew’s quarters? The Horst Wessel song, the anthem of the Nazi party, p. 96

120.                       What is wrong with the crew member who is angry about the children being in the crew’s quarters? He is drunk (and racist), p. 97

121.                       What insulting name does he give to the children on the tour? Jewish rats, p. 97

122.                       Where does the narrator of Josef’s tale say the real world was? Below decks, p. 98

123.                       Who has a relative in el norte? Lito—his brother Guillermo (pronounce Yahr-mo), p. 100

124.                       How does Lito feel about his brother who left Cuba in 1970? That he left his country, p. 100

125.                       What does Lito think of their decision to leave Cuba with this boat? That it was a mistake, p. 101

126.                       What does Isabel’s mother say to counter her father’s negative comments about the US? “Miama is North Cuba.” p. 102

127.                       How will the smugglers let Mahmoud’s family know when the boat will be ready?  By text, p. 104

128.                       What does Mahmoud’s family notice about the streets of Izmir on their way to the hotel?  The cleanliness of the streets, p. 105

129.                       What is the hotel clerk’s response when Mahmoud’s father suggests they could share a room with another family? Each room already has three families in it, p. 106

130.                       What is the thin Syrian boy at the park trying to sell? Small packages of tissues, p. 107

131.                       Where does the same boy show them a place to stay? An abandoned shopping mall, p. 108

132.                       Why does Mahmoud shiver when they get to the abandoned mall? His clothes are wet from the rain AND the boy mentions they could drown if they fall out of the boat crossing the sea, p. 109

133.                       Why does the MS St Louis slow down mid-journey?  For a funeral at sea, p. 110

134.                       What was the cause of death for the old man on board? He was sick with cancer, p. 112

135.                       Why does Josef’s father want to go to this funeral? He had seen many men die in Dachau without a funeral, p. 113

136.                       What Jewish traditions are part of the funeral? Tearing clothes, taking a handful of sand, p. 113

137.                       What does the Nazi crew member suggest that upsets all those at the funeral?  That the body be wrapped in the national [Nazi] flag before being buried at sea, p. 114

138.                       How does Josef’s papa react to Otto Schiendick’s flag? He spits at his feet, p. 114

139.                       Why do the Cuban families argue about the box of matches? One wants to make light so they won’t be hit by the tanker; another fears being seen because they will be taken back to Cuba, p. 117

140.                       Who falls overboard after the near miss with the tanker? Iván’s father, Señor Castillo, p. 119

141.                       What does this scary event remind Isabel of?  The time her grandmother (Lita) drowned, p. 120

142.                       How does Mahmoud’s dad see the bright side of the delay in getting a boat to cross to Europe? He says they have more time to practice speaking Turkish, p. 122

143.                       What do the armed men at the abandoned shopping mall want? To be paid a fee per person to stay there every night, p. 123

144.                       How does Mahmoud’s father respond? They will find another place to sleep, p. 124

145.                       How does Mahmoud find a friendly person to help them? He waves his life vest into traffic, p. 126

146.                       Where does the old man driving a brown car offer to let the family stay? In the office of his car dealership, p. 126

147.                       Where was this old man from? Palestine; he had been a refugee for 67 years, p. 127

148.                       What does Mr. Nasseer offer to do when they get a text from the smuggler? Drive them to the water; if there is no boat, he will take them to the car dealership as planned, p. 128

149.                       Why is the MS St Louis anchored so far from shore? For a medical quarantine, p. 130

150.                       Why do all the passengers have to gather in the social hall? A Cuban doctor has to examine them all, p. 131

151.                       How does Josef’s father react?  This is just like roll call at the concentration camp; he is terrified, p. 132

152.                       What does Josef do to his father to make him quiet? He slaps him in the face and speaks harshly to him, p. 133

153.                       When will the passengers be allowed off the ship, according to the Cuban policeman? Mañana (tomorrow), p. 135

154.                       Who rescues Mr. Castillo from the water? Isabel, p. 138

155.                       What are the next tasks to get the boat back “in shape”? Scoop out the sea water from the bottom of the boat and get the engine running again, p. 139

156.                       Who is the new pilot of the Cuban boat after Mr. Castillo nearly drowned? Amara, the female police officer, p. 140

157.                       What warning does the sky give? It is red in the morning—a storm is on its way, p. 140

158.                       What shows the greed of the smugglers? Even babies pay the full price to ride a dangerous, crowded raft, p. 141

159.                       How had the family gotten sealable plastic bags to protect their phones from water? Mahmoud had dug in the trash for them, p. 143

160.                       Which Greek island are they aiming for? Lesbos, p. 143

161.                       What causes the dinghy (raft) to break? Rocks, p. 146

162.                       What are the names of the smaller ships that come to Havana? SS Orduña and SS Flandre, p. 147-148

163.                       What do the MS St. Louis passengers see the passengers of the smaller ships do? Get off the ship in Cuba, p. 148

164.                       How does Otto Schiendick retaliate against Josef’s father for spitting at him?  He and some crewmates ransack their cabin on the ship, p. 151

165.                       What promise did Josef make to his father that his father calls him on? Josef had promised he wouldn’t be “sent back” to the hands of the Nazis, p. 152

166.                       What was the circumstance in which Isabel’s grandmother drowned?  A storm, a gigantic cyclone, p. 154

167.                       To what does Isabel compare her life? A symphony, p. 155

168.                       To what does Isabel compare this journey? a song, a Cuban song, p. 155

169.                       What frightening discovery does Mahmoud’s father make when the raft is broken by rocks? The life preservers are fakes; they do not work, p. 159

170.                       How does the family in the Mediterranean Sea lighten their bodies? By kicking off their shoes, p. 160

171.                       Why will the other dinghy not take Mahmoud’s family aboard?  It is already overcrowded, p. 162

172.                       Who takes Hana onto the dinghy? A woman, a stranger, p. 162

173.                       How does Mahmoud lose his hold on the dinghy? A passenger pries his fingers off, p. 162

174.                       After a day and a half of tidying the Landau’s cabin, what does Josef’s father do?  He put everything of substance against the door to keep the enemies out, p. 165

175.                       What is Josef’s mother’s plan to calm her husband? To get a sleeping draught from the doctor, p. 165

176.                       Why does the sleeping draught plan fail? The doctor makes Josef’s mother take the medicine in his presence so she cannot bring it to her husband, p. 166

177.                       What does Josef’s mother do when she gets back to the family’s cabin?  She falls into a deep sleep, p. 167

178.                       Where has Ruthie been left?  At the pool, p. 167

179.                       What happens while Josef goes to get Ruthie from the pool? His father escapes the room and jumps overboard, p. 169-170

180.                       Who can live next door to each other “forever”? Iván and Isabel, p. 172

181.                       What kind of place do the Cuban families first dock? A beach resort, p. 174

182.                       What country/island is it?  The Bahamas, p. 175

183.                       Why can they not come on land at the Bahamas?  Their law is that you will be put in jail and then sent back to your original country, p. 175

184.                       What do the Bahamian tourists give the families as they leave again? Water bottles, snacks and aspirin, p. 177

185.                       How does Mahmoud help his mother stay afloat?  He gets a life jacket from someone who did not survive, p. 181

186.                       Why does Mahmoud feel guilty about taking the life jacket? The man will not have a proper burial, p. 181

187.                       How does he try to make this right? He prays for the man, p. 182

188.                       Why are pistols shot into the water around Josef’s father? There are sharks circling, p. 185

189.                       Where is Josef’s father taken? into Cuba for treatment, p. 186

190.                       What word reminds Isabel’s grandfather of something painful? Mañana, p. 188

191.                       Who gets the squabbling adults to settle down with a scolding and a water break? Amara, p. 189

192.                       What idea do they have to lighten the boat? Take turns swimming alongside the boat in the water, p. 190

193.                       How does the Greek Coast Guard ship spot Mahmoud in the dark? He lit up his cell phone, p. 193

194.                       Who was already on the ship? Waleed and Mahmoud’s father, p. 193

195.                       How does Mahmoud’s father react when he finds out about Hana?  He cries but also hugs and thanks his son for ensuring her survival, p. 194

196.                       At the shore of Lesbos, what was piled high like rubble? Life jackets, p. 194

197.                       Who is allowed to get closer to the MS St Louis when it is anchored? Relatives of people on board, p. 198

198.                       What is the significance of the 150 reichsmarks? This is the collection taken by the people on the ship to thank the policeman who saved Josef’s father from drowning, p. 199

199.                       Who saved the life of Josef’s father? The policeman Mariano Padron, the grandfather of Isabel, p. 199; 46; 276

200.                       How does Officer Padron make fun with Ruthie?  He gives her his police beret to wear and then chase him as if he is the criminal to be caught, p. 201

201.                       How does Mami assure the others that she is not quite ready to have the baby?  She tells them it took ten hours from the first contractions for Isabel to be born, p. 205

202.                       Why do the Cuban families not settle on a name for their boat? Suddenly Iván is bitten by a shark, p. 207

203.                       Why does Lito stop Luis from shooting at the shark? A wounded shark will attract more sharks, p. 209

204.                       Why does Mahmoud’s mother speak to as many refugees as possible? To try to find out where Hana is, p. 211

205.                       What seems to make the tourists on the ferry from Lesbos to the mainland of Greece uncomfortable? Seeing Syrians praying on the floor of the boat, p. 213

206.                       Why does the family not wait a week for a travel document in Greece? A week of staying in a hotel would deplete their cash, and they still had a long way to go, p. 215

207.                       Which border will they try to cross? From Greece to Macedonia, p. 215

208.                       Who are the only passengers allowed to go off the MS St. Louis with their relative?  Evelyne and Renata leave with their father, Dr. Aber, p. 216

209.                       Who can finally explain what is happening to the MS St Louis? The captain, p. 219

210.                       What happened during the meeting between President Brú and Captain Schroeder? President Brú refused to see him, p. 219

211.                       What is the Captain’s plan now that they have been ordered to leave Cuban waters? To cruise the American coast and try to land anywhere but Germany, p. 220

212.                       Why does Mr. Landau not come back to the ship?  He is not well enough, and the ship is leaving without him, p. 221

213.                       What does Josef do as the ship leaves Havana, as a sign of mourning? He rips his shirt collar, p. 222

214.                       On the 5^th day from home, what does Isabel see in the night sky? The Milky Way, p. 223

215.                       Who says the words over Iván’s body before they bury him at sea? Lito, p. 226

216.                       What does Luis do before Iván’s body is buried at sea? Shoots the shark, so the other sharks will go there and leave Iván’s body alone, p. 227

217.                       What keepsake does Isabel find and keep to remember Iván? His baseball cap, p. 227

218.                       In which way does Mahmoud feel Waleed is acting like a baby?  He expects to be carried, p. 230

219.                       How does the Syrian family cross the border to Macedonia without paperwork?  They crawl through a forested area, p. 230-1

220.                       When they get to the train station, who offers to help?  A taxi driver, p. 232

221.                       What happens with the second taxi driver who promises to get them to Hungary? He pulls a gun on them, p. 235

222.                       Why is an airplane circling the MS St. Louis? Newspaper reporters and photographers are interested in the story, p. 236

223.                       What do some people on the MS St. Louis tune into on their radios as they get near Miami?  New York Yankees game, p. 237

224.                       Who spends time in the dance hall alone? Josef’s mother, p. 237

225.                       Who is Josef named after? His mother’s brother (uncle) who died in the Great War, p. 238

226.                       Which passenger approaches Josef for help to find the way to the bridge because they want to force the ship to run aground? Pozner, p. 242

227.                       When in sight of Miami, what do Isabel and Amara jettison to lighten the boat even more? The engine, p. 245

228.                       What did the taxi driver want from Mahmoud’s family? More money, twice the price they had agreed on, p. 248

229.                       What kind of car did the thieving tax driver use? A Volkswagen, p. 248

230.                       What obstacle does Mahmoud’s family face at the Hungarian border? A fence being built to keep the refugees out, p. 250

231.                       What do the soldiers use to counter the angry and frustrated refugees? Tear gas, p. 252\

232.                       What is the significance that ten men are trying to take over the MS St. Louis? Ten Jewish men is a minyan, the core group needed to have a synagogue or a synagogue service, p. 254

233.                       What weapons are these ten men holding? Metal candlesticks and lead pipes, p. 254

234.                       How does the captain convince the mutineers to stop this behaviour? He points out that they are breaking the law and that he can press charges against them that will surely have bad consequences, p. 256-7

235.                       What does Captain Schroeder promise to do for the passengers? Try to get to England and if they will not accept them run the ship aground there, p. 258

236.                       What does Isabel’s Mami mean by “it’s started”? The baby will be born very soon, p. 260

237.                       What gives the families on the sinking boat near Miami renewed hope?  The coast guard is after a different boat a few hundred metres away, p. 260

238.                       What does Mami say when the searchlight of the coast guard shines on them? “No, I want to have my baby in el norte.” p. 262

239.                       How are Mahmoud’s hands tied together? With plastic zip ties, p. 264

240.                       Where are the men being taken in a truck with no windows? The immigration detention centre, p. 265

241.                       What does it take for Mahmoud’s father to stop being beaten in the prison? For Mahmoud to say they will submit to being “processed,” p. 267

242.                       Since the family does not want to claim asylum in Hungary, what will happen?  They will be sent back to Serbia and if they try to go to Hungary again, they will be arrested, p. 269

243.                       What had Captain Schroeder negotiated on behalf of the passengers on the MS St. Louis? They would be taken in by four European countries: France, England, Belgium and Holland, p. 270-1

244.                       What was the best joke at the party on the MS St. Louis? When a Jewish man read from the travel brochure and what was promised by the MS St. Louis, p. 270-1

245.                       What sounded familiar to Josef about how long he and the passengers going to England had been on board the MS St. Louis? Like Noah, it was 40 days and 40 nights, p. 272

246.                       What did some people do when disembarking in Boulogne, France? They kissed the ground, p. 273

247.                       What happened two months after Josef, Ruthie and their mother got to France? Germany invaded Poland, starting a world war, p. 274

248.                       What happens to the family 8 months after Poland’s invasion?  France is also invaded, p. 274

249.                       What does Lito do for the others in the boat? He jumps in the water so they will rescue him; the others will have more time to row to shore, p. 278

250.                       Why is this a sacrifice for Lito? He will get sent back to Cuba (wet foot), p. 278

251.                       Why does he feel this is the right thing to do?  He regrets his lack of compassion when the ship of Jewish refugees was turned away from Cuba, p. 278

252.                       How was food provided to the refugees in the camp in Hungary? Sandwiches were thrown at the crowd, as if they were caged animals at a zoo, p. 279

253.                       How does Mahmoud know that his father is also “broken”? He is no longer making jokes, p. 280

254.                       At the Hungarian refugee camp, who does Mahmoud determine to be “visible” to? The UN officials, p. 282

255.                       How does this help him? He leaves the camp and is not shot at because the UN observers are there, p. 283

256.                       What does Mahmoud say he is doing? Walking to Austria, p. 283

257.                       Where are Josef, Ruthie and their mother hiding one year, one month and 10 days from home? In a schoolhouse in France, p. 285

258.                       How do they escape the school building? Through a window Josef breaks, p. 287

259.                       Why is it odd that the family is wearing winter coats? It is summer, p. 287

260.                       When stopped by the German soldiers, what does Josef’s mother do to bargain with the men?  She offers them $ and diamond earrings that had been sewn into Ruthie’s coat, p. 290.

261.                       How do the soldiers respond? They force the mother to choose one child to be saved and the other sent to a concentration camp, p. 291

262.                       How do they get Isabel’s mother to shore? Those who could swim got to shore and came back to pull the boat in, p. 294

263.                       What do they name the new baby? Mariano, after his grandfather, p. 297

264.                       Who holds baby Mariano? Isabel so that her father can carry her mother to shore, p. 297

265.                       Why does the coast guard ship turn away?  It cannot go in the shallow water, p. 297

266.                       What do the others in the Hungarian detention centre do when Mahmoud and Waleed leave? They join them, p. 299

267.                       Why does the group keep walking?  If they stop, they will be arrested, p. 301

268.                       What alarm beeps after the 12-hour walk to the Austrian border? A call to prayer, the last prayer of the day, p. 301

269.                       How do the Austrians receive the Syrian refugees?  With words of welcome, care and food, p. 303

270.                       How were the Austrians prepared for them?  They had seen it on the news, p. 303

271.                       How do they travel to Germany? By train, p. 304

272.                       Who had given Isabel a new trumpet? Lito’s brother, Uncle Guillermo, p. 306

273.                       What jobs did the women get? Amara works in a dress shop and Mami does home daycare, p. 307

274.                       What jobs did the men get? Papi drives a taxi, Luis works in a bodega, p. 307

275.                       What plans do the Castillos have? Señor wants to start a restaurant; Señora wants to study to be a lawyer, p. 307

276.                       Which classes are best for Isabel, not knowing much English? Math, art, music and Spanish, p. 307

277.                       What song does Isabel play to audition for the band? The American national anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner, p. 308

278.                       What surprises Mahmoud about the star of David at the house in Berlin?  His host family is Jewish, yet Muslims and Jews had been at odds in the Middle East, p. 312

279.                       What gift does Frau Rosenberg give to Waleed? A stuffed rabbit of white corduroy that she designed, p. 313

280.                       Who is Frau Rosenberg? Josef’s sister, Ruthie, p. 314

281.                       Which child had Josef’s mother chosen to be saved?  She could not choose, so Josef offered to go to the concentration came and Ruthie be saved, p. 314

282.                       How had Ruthie survived, left in the woods when the soldiers too her mother and brother away? A French woman who lived nearby took her in and said she was family, p. 315

283.                       Why had Ruthie come back to Germany? To find her family, but they had died, p. 315