Four Perfect Pebbles - Chapter 9

By the time I got to chapter 9 I was happy to read that the family finally made it to America. Yes, it was still not going to be an easy road, because they still had to make a living and support one another, however, I knew they could do it.

I must admit though, I was a little disappointed in chapter 9, because it just quickly talked about the life in America very quickly over the next several years. I think the author definitely could have gone in to a little more detail, and perhaps spread it out over a couple chapters, instead of cramming it all into one. I personally would have like to know a little bit more about some of their experiences when arriving to America, and some of the troubles that they were faced with.

Some teaching aspects of chapter 9 would be vocabulary words such as, immaculate, Passover, Chiclets, corridor, indulgent, wage, and Peoria. Some of these words, students would be able to figure out just be the content of the sentence, but some they would have to look up in a dictionary. Another thing that I would have my students do, would be to research, and find out what types of jobs would be available for people who were just arriving in America during this time period.

I did enjoy reading this book very much, but I would not feel comfortable having elementary students reading it. I think this book is appropriate for students in grades 7 or 8, when they are actually learning about the Holocaust. Over all though I liked this book.

Four Perfect Pebbles - Chapter 7 & 8

Finally there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the Blumenthal family. The prisoners on the death train were finally liberated about a mile from the small village of Trobitz, in eastern Germany. The prisoners were so weak and ill, they didn't want to walk all the way to the village, but the Russian soldiers assured them that there was comfortable housing and food and clothing for them to have. So the prisoners mad the trek to the village, and sure enough the village had been evacuated by the people who were living there and they had left the houses open and lots of food, clothing, and animals behind. However, even many people were so hungry that they had forgotten their stomachs could not take so much food and ended up getting sick. Also, the lice came with them so those who hadn't shaved their heads yet had to, but the worst struggle was the rapid spreading of typhus, still. At this point the war was officially over, Germany had surrendered, but the former prisoners could not leave because of the severe cases of typhus. Even Walter, Marion's father, fell victim to typhus, and it ended up taking his life. This had to have been one of the saddest parts of the book for me, because Albert had to bury is own father. No child should ever have to go through that. Then finally the family was their way to Holland.

Chapter 8, along with all the other chapters, was perfectly titled "Holland Again," because that was exactly where the family was headed. Now being refugees the family really had no place to go, because they had no place to call home, and no belongings. All the family could do for the time being was live with family. Ruth went to beautician school, this way she could try to support herself and the kids some way. Ruth's uncle Ernest took her and paid to have her eyes fixed, which at first she was very frightened but then he stayed with her through the surgery which made her feel more comfortable. By the end of chapter 8, things started looking up. The family finally was getting the chance to go to the America's, what Walter had always hoped for them.

Some teaching aspects of this chapter could be to have the children research what happened to many of the families after they were released as prisoners. How hard it was for them to find job's and what many of these families did just to survive, since they had no belongings or places to go. Perhaps we could find some diaries of the refugees of this time period and read about what they did.

Four Perfect Pebbles - Chapter 5 & 6

By the time the reader get to chapter 5, the Blumenthals have been shifted from one refugee camp to another. Marion was very uncomfortable being separated from her parents and sleeping with strange children. She would often cry herself to sleep at night. Ruth stayed busy doing work, such as cooking, cleaning, and caring for the children. This was the only way she knew she could take care of Marion to ease her worries. The author goes into discuss more about the living conditions. At first it wasn't bad the family had a decent 3 room apartment like area, but when more Jews were brought to the camp site, the family had to move into just one room. Marion talked about what she would do to help pass time, and talked about being greedy when it came to sweet foods. It was pretty much like survival of the fittest. You had to hoard as much food as possible. The war continued on and everyone hoped for a end soon.

In chapter 6, the family and many other Jews were placed in cattle cars to be shipped out. When they first were loaded in the cars, they waited 6 days before the train ever moved from Bergen. Luckily they did not have to stay in the cars the entire time, they were allowed to get off during the day and walk around, and look for food. Then the journey began many people died of diseases and were thrown off the cars. The other Jews who were still living were made to throw off the dead bodies and dig shallow graves along side the train tracks to bury them. The author went on to further explain the conditions that her family was put through. By the end of chapter 6 the family had been on the death train for exactly two weeks.

Some teaching aspects I would use with my students for these chapters would be to map out the route the train took. Also, I would have them make a journal entry about how they think they would feel if they were in Marion shoes aboard this death train. Then if students wanted to they could share what they had written.

Four Perfect Pebbles - Chapter 3 & 4

Just by reading the title of chapter 3, "Get Dressed and Come With Us," it is immediately apparent what is going to happen. However, when I first started reading I thought that the whole family was going to get taken away. I was very shocked that only Walter was taken at first, and I was even more shocked when he arrived back home some time later. Truly I did not think this would happen. I love how the authors explained in great detail exactly what was happening; how the family was preparing to leave because they knew their time was coming. I was surprised when they got their papers to go to America. Marion's family had waited so long, this was a great relief to them, because this meant that they would be safe in the Americas. In chapter 4 when they were not able to board the ship it was very disappointing for the family but also the reader.Ruth tried her very best to keep everything normal for the children. When they were aloud to live together again as a family this brought me joy, even though the circumstances were not favorable.

Some teaching aspects that could go along with these to chapters, would be to continue following on a map were the family was going. Of course there are always vocabulary words, such as latrine, mainstay, transit, and Kristallnacht. I think I would also have my students do a little research on the camps, such as Westerbork. I know the author explains in great details her families experiences, but I would like my students to try and find other families experiences in these camps and try to find connections. Possibly the students would even be able to find some stories of what it was like to ride in the cattle cars, since at this point Marion's family did not have to so this. I would be a great opportunity for the children to find out what it was like.

Four Perfect Pebbles - Chapter 2

Chapter two took the readers back to a time way before the holocaust. To a time before Ruth and Walter were married. I thought that it was interesting how the author started the book off in chapter one with the family in one of the interment camps, and then went onto go back to before Hitler took over. I really enjoyed learning about how Ruth and Walter met, and how their lives were before they had the children and after. Never in their wildest dreams would they have thought they would ever have to live through something like the Holocaust. However, this family was very smart, because when Hitler first started showing prejudice against the Jews, Walter thought they should leave. The only thing they were worried about was the grandparents. They had always lived in Germany, were up in age, so it just didn't seem right to uproot them.

In this chapter some things that I might teach or do with the class would be to get out a map and show the kids where the places are on the map of where the Blumenthal's lived. Really I think this could be done through out the book. The kids could track where the Blumenthal's have been and where they are going. There are always vocabulary words the students can learn along with teaching them some of the German words.

Four Perfect Pebbles - Chapter 1

While starting to read this book, I find it quite interesting. Although I feel that it would not be appropriate for children under possibly 6th grade or maybe even 8th when students really start to learn about the holocaust.

Just by reading the first chapter I really got a sense of hope and strength that Marion has, in fact that her whole family has. I loved the part when she told her brother she was collecting the pebbles again, and he kind of brushed it off like he didn't believe in it. However, Marion felt that if she was able to find four perfect pebbles, she and her family would make it out of the camp alive and safe, which is what every family hoped for.

As far as things that could be taught within chapter one, I would start out talking about Nazi, Germany, and the setting of the book. Then I would use some vocabulary words in the chapter that the students might not know, for example barrack, or camp (not a camp for children). I can not wait to continue reading this book and see what Marion and her family had to go through.