Battle of the Books
Title: Hana’s Suitcase Author: Karen Levine
Question / Answer1. Is this book a work of fiction or a true story? / A true story; a biography.
(Intro)
2. When does the story take place? / Two timeframes: Hana’s experiences in the 1930s and 1940s; and the current times of people in Japan.
3. What was happening between 1939 and 1945? / The world was at war; World War II
4. What was the German Nazi dictator’s name? / Adolf Hitler
5. What is the term used to describe the mass murder of people during WWII? / Holocaust or genocide
6. Was Japan an ally with or an enemy of Germany during WWII / Ally
7. How many donors endowed the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center? / One
8. What is the purpose of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center? / To contribute to global tolerance and understanding by helping young Japanese learn more about WWII
9. Name of the Holocaust survivor who attended a children’s forum held in Tokyo in 1999. / Yaffa Eliach
10. What transpired as a result of her telling them how almost every Jew in her village, young and old, was murdered by the Nazis? / A dozen young Japanese people formed a group called “Small Wings”
11. Who is the Tokyo Holocaust Center director? / Fumiko Ishioka (End of intro)
12. When does the book begin? / Winter, 2000 (p. 2, first chapter)
13. What is written on the suitcase in the picture? / “Hanna Brady 625
Gob 12/v 1931
Waisenkind” (p. 3)
14. Why was Hana spelled with 2 “n”s on the suitcase? / It’s the German spelling of Hana
15. What was Hana Brady’s birthdate? / May 16, 1931 (it was on the suitcase)
16. What does the word Waisenkind mean? / It is the German word for orphan
17. Where did the suitcase come from? / Auschwitz
18. What was Auschwitz? / A concentration camp where millions of people suffered and died suring WWII
19. Why are the children full of questions about this suitcase? / It is a mystery who Hana Brady was and what her story with the suitcase was.
20. Who promises to try to find out about Hana? / Fumiko Ishioka
21. What country is “Nove Mesto” in? / Czechoslovakia (p 5)
22. Why is the first chapter set in 2000 and the second chapter set in 1930? / The author is juxtaposing what Fumiko and the children in Japan are doing to learn what happened to Hana in 2000 to what her life was like in 1930.
23. What was Nove Mesto famous for? / For recreational activities, like cross-country skiing, swimming, etc., and also for making glass.
24. What did the Brady family live above? / The town’s general store
25. What did the Brady family have in the basement of their two-story white building where they lived? / A secret passageway which led to a church on the town’s main square. (p 5)
26. What was the passageway used for? / To store soldiers food and supplies when the town was under siege by enemies
27. Who were the Brady family members? / Father Karel, mother Marketa, Hana and her big brother, George
28. Who was well known for being an athlete, volunteer firefighter and a big booming voice? / Hana’s father, Karel
29. The Brady family opened their home to whom? / Artists of all kinds
30. Who was the family housekeeper and cook? / Boshka
31. What was Hana’s favorite song? / “I Have Nine Canaries”
32. In one picture Hana is in a costume. Why? / For a school play
33. How many days a week did Hana’s mother and father work? / Six days a week
34. What did Hana deliver to needy neighbors? / Food and clothing
35. Who in the family worked in the store? / Everyone, father, mother, Hana and George
36. What pets did the Brady family have? / Cats, once they had white angora kittens they got through the mail named Micki and Mourek
And a Wolfhound named Sylva
37. What was the one major thing that was different about the Brady’s? / They were Jewish.
38. How many Jewish children were there in town? / None other than George and Hana
39. In the early years of the war, was it important that they were the only Jewish children in town? / No
40. Where are Czechoslovakia and Germany located on the globe? / Opposite sides of the world
41.What did Fumiko was to teach the young people in Japan? / To understand what happened to millions of Jewish children over 50 years ago
42. What did Fumiko think would be the best way to teach the children about the Holocaust? / With physical objects that the children could see and touch: a loan of artifacts that had belonged to children.
43. How did Fumiko post her request for War artifacts? / She wrote to Jewish and Holocaust museums all over the world, and she posted her request on the Internet
44. What artifacts specifically was Fumiko looking for? / A pair of shoes and a suitcase
45. At first, did anyone loan Fumiko objects? / No
46. What Nazi concentration camp did Fumiko visit in Poland? / Auschwitz
47. Who did Fumiko meet with while at Auschwitz? / The Museum’s assistant director
48. What five things did the assistant director mail to the Japanese Holocaust Center? / A child’s sock and shoe, a child’s sweater a can of Zyklon B poisonous gas, and one suitcase – Hana’s Suitcase. (p 12)
49. There is a picture of Hana playing outdoors when she was young in the book. What is she holding? / Flowers that she was picking
50. What color were Hana’s hair and eyes? / Blonde hair and blue eyes
51. How much older that Hana was George? / 3 years
52. What was Hana’s favorite winter activity? / Skating
53. Who were the aunt and uncle that also lived in Nove Mesto? / Uncle Ludvik and Aunt Hedda (p 16)
54. With all of the outdoor activities the entire family did, Hana was often the strongest, the fastest, or led. What was the author making a point to convey to the reader? / Hana was a very healthy and strong child
55. When Hitler began invading Czechoslovakia, who began appearing at the Brady’s? / Refugees—people trying to escape the Nazis
56. How did the Brady learn most of their news? / On the radio
57. What shocking idea did their neighbor, Mr. Rott, suggest to the Brady parents? / That all the Jews should leave Czechoslovakia
58. On New Year’s Eve, Hana, George and their cousins played a predicting game with a walnut shell and a candle. What happened to both George’s candle boat, and Hana’s? / George’s candle kept burning; Hana’s candle went out. (p 19)
59. Fumiko and the children in Japan figured out how old Hana would have been when she was sent to Auschwitz. How old was she?Han / 13 (p 20)
60. Fumiko found out that Hana had come to Auschwitx from where? / A place called Theresienstadt
61. Why did the Brady’s have to live by different rules after the Nazis invaded? / They were Jewish
62. Hana and George wanted to go see what movie in 1939, but were not allowed in? / “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”
63. Who was Hana’s best friend? / Maria (p 24)
64. Name 4 things the children (and adults) were not allowed to do. / They could not go to a movie, playground, park, sports fields, gym or skating pond. They were only allowed to leave their homes at certain hours of the day, and could only shop in certain stores at certain times.
65. Why did the other parents not allow their children to play with Hana and George? / Because they were Jewish and they were afraid the Nazis would punish the whole family for their child being friends with a Jewish child.
66. How did Hana and George feel by being treated like this? / Angry, sad, and frustrated.
67. What did George and Hana bury in their back yard? / A bottle, with a list of things they were angry about and things they would do and have when the war was over
68. What treasured family item had to be surrendered to the Nazis? / The family radio
69. What time did the Jews have to be insides their houses by? / 8 p.m.
70. How did their father manage to rush to the neighbors to hear the 8 o’clock news and be home before the Nazi curfew? / His friend was the keeper of the church clock and he turned the clock back 15 minutes for the Brady father
71. Other than the suitcase, what was the first clue Fumiko learnd about Hana? / That she had come to Auschwitz from Theresienstadt
72. Why did the Nazis use Theresienstadt to house Jews? / It had 2 fortresses build in the 1800s which also held prisoners
73. How many Jews were sent to Theresienstadt? / More than 140,000 Jews; 15,000 of them children.
74. Something created by the children in Theresienstadt survived the war. What were they and how many? / 4,500 drawings created by children (p 29)
75. What grade was Hana in in the autumn of 1940? / 3rd grade
76. What tragic thing happened to Hana when she was going into the 3rd grade? / The Nazis no longer allowed Jewish children to go to school
77. What did Hana want to be when she grew up? / A teacher
78. Who was first in the Brady family to be arrested by the Nazis? / Mother
79. Before her mother left, what did she do with Hana? / She sang Hana’s favorite lullaby over and over until Hana fell asleep. (p 32)
80. Fumiko wrote the Jewish Museum in Prague because she knew they had a huge collection of what? / Children’s drawing which had been hidden in the camp.
81. How many drawings did the Museum have with Hana Brady’s name on them? / Five
82. There are pictures of Hana’s drawings from Theresienstadt. What are the pictures of?
(continued 82.) / A park with trees, flowers, and a park bench. (p 34)
People having a picnic beside a river (p 67)
A tree with people around it (p 40)
Farmhands drying hay in a field. (p 47)
Stick people carrying suitcases, getting off a train. (p 60)
83. What was the name of the concentration camp that the Nazis took Hana’s mother to? / Ravensbruck
84. Hana’s mother mailed her a gift. What was it and what was it made of? / It was a heart charm and it was made of bread
85. What was the gift for? / Hana’s birthday
86. What did the Nazis force the Jews to wear on their clothes? / A yellow Star of David and in the middle was the word, “Jew”
87. What happened to prompt the Nazis to take away all of the Jewish men, including Hana’s father, from Nove Mesto? / One Jewish man in town didn’t obey; he didn’t cut out the star, but pinned the entire cloth to his coat. (p 39)
88. What did the kids in club “Small Wings” decide to do to teach other kids about the history of the Holocaust and the search for Hana? / They wrote a newsletter, drew pictures, wrote poems, and sent it to other schools.
89. Fumiko decided to open an exhibit called “The Holocaust Seen Through Children’s Eyes” with what items? / Hana’s drawings, a sock, the shoe, the sweater and Hana’s suitcase (p 42) also a can of Zykon B gas (p 53)
90. How old was Hana when her dad was taken away by the Nazis? / 10 years old
91. Who came to take care of George and Hana after their dad was arrested? / Their Uncle Ludvik
92. Why was Uncle Ludvik not taken away? / He was a Christian who had married Father’s sister.
93. Why was it dangerous for Uncle Ludvik to take in George and Hana? / Because the Nazis warned that terrible harm could come to anyone who helped the Jews (p 44)
94. What did George and Hana NOT take with them to Uncle Ludvik’s? / Their wolfhound, Sylva, who found her way across town to be with the children.
95. Name 2 things Hana and George did take with them. / Hana’s lifesize doll named Nana
Family photographs
A suitcase with clothes
96. There is a picture of Hana and George holding something. What are they holding? / Nana, Hana’s lifesize doll (p 44)
97. There is a picture of Hana and George with something; what is it? / Their wolfhound, Sylva (p 45)
98. Hana and George did something while living with Uncle Ludvik which led her to draw one of her pictures. What was it? / They helped out working in the fields, harvesting hay.
99. Where was father first imprisoned? / In the Iglau Gestapo prison (p 48)
100. When were Hana and George ordered to report to a deportation center? / May 14, 1942 (p 49-50) only 2 days before her 11th birthday
101. Where was Hana when she celebrated her 11th birthday? / In a warehouse with hundreds of Jewish men and women, waiting to be deported to Therensienstadt
102. Why did Fumiko decide to go to Terezin? / To see if she could find a picture of Hana or any additional information. (p 54)
Terezin is the town the Nazis’ called Theresienstadt, where Hana and George were deported to.
103. How did the Nazis transport all the Jewish people from the warehouse to the Theresienstadt concentration camp? / By train, as Hana drew in her picture
104. How did Fumiko manage to visit Terezin? / She had been invited to attend a Holocaust Conference in England, so she flew from there to Terezin.
105. How long did Fumiko stay in Terezin? / One day
106. Why wasn’t anyone at the Museum the one day Fumiko went there? / It was a holiday and the Museum was closed (p 58)
107. What was the name of the barrack for girls at Theresienstadt where Hana lived for 2 years? / Kinderheim (children’s home) L410
108. What happened to Hana and George when they got to Theresienstadt? / They were separated for the first time.
109. Who was the woman at the Museum in Terezin who tried to help Fumiko? / Ludmila (p 63)
110. The town of Theresienstadt grew from 5,000 people to what under the Nazi regime? / 50,000 or 10 times as many prisoners (p 64)
111. Who did Hana become friends with at Theresienstadt? / Ella (p 65)
112. Where did Hana work while in the concentration camp? / In the garden, cleaning the bunks, and doing dishes
113. What secret classes could Hana attend? / Music, sewing and art class
114. What was Hana’s favorite song of? / Stonozka, the centipede song (p 66)
115. A man invented a board game, similar to what game that we know, while Hana lived in the concentration camp? / Based on Monopoly, it was called Smelina