Name: _____________________________________________

Period: ____________

Suzy and Leah by Jane Yolen

PLEASE DO NOW
Think of a time you met someone who was very different from you. Describe
how you felt about this person the first time you met. Did your relationship
change over time? What did you learn from this person?

Vocabulary Builder
Word List: cupboard
porridge
refugee

falsely

penned

permanent

A. DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence. If the italicized word is used correctly,

write Correct on the line. If it is not used correctly, rewrite the sentence
to correct it.
1. The refugee fled across the border.
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2. The porridge made a wonderful dessert.

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3. The permanent frown on Leahs face disappeared when Suzy offered

candy.
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4. The teacher was correct when she falsely accused Sam of cheating.
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5. It is common to keep items like ice cream in the kitchen cupboard.

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6. It is easy to feel penned in when there are a lot of people in a small

space.
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READ LIKE A READER

MARK UP THE TEXT AS YOU ASK QUESTIONS, FIND CONNECTIONS,
DEVELOP INFERENCES, MAKE PREDICTIONS, SHARE YOUR FEELINGS,
EVALUATE THE TEXT.
Answer the following questions in complete sentences. Remember to
restate the question as part of your response. Proofread your answers,
and be prepared to share.

1. What is the historical context of this story? Use text evidence to tell how
you know.

2. In what format is this story written? Why do you suppose Yolen chose this
format?

3. How do the girls initially feel about each other? Do you believe each girl is
justified in her feelings?

4. To whom is Leahs journal addressed? Why is it addressed in this way?

5. Why is Leah against wearing a nametag at her new school? How do you
know?

6. What does Suzy think about having Leah as her kid? Share details from
the story that support your answer.

7. What seems to be important to Suzy? To Leah? How do you know?

8. Why does Leah not tell anyone she is sick? What does this tell you about
her character?

9. How does Leahs hospital stay change the relationship between the two
girls? What do you infer will happen in the future between them?

AFTER YOU READ

Answer the following questions. Follow directions carefully.
1. What is the central conflict of this story? Is it external or internal? Explain
and justify all responses. Use text support in your response.

2. Write and DEFEND (with text support) a possible and logical theme
statement for the story. Think: What do you believe Yolen is trying to say
about cultural differences through this story?

Literary Analysis: Setting

The setting of a story is the time and place of the action. In this example
from Suzy
and Leah, the underlined details help establish the storys setting:
August 5, 1944
Dear Diary,
Today I walked past that place. . . . Gosh, is it ugly! A line of rickety wooden
buildings just like in the army. And a fence lots higher than my head. With barbed
wire on top.

In some stories, setting is just a backdrop. The same story events might
take place in a completely different setting.
In other stories, setting is very important. It develops a specific
atmosphere or mood in the story, as in the example above. Here, the
reader is introduced to the refugee camp through the eyes of Suzy, who
has lived a privileged life. The setting may even relate directly to the
storys central conflict or problem.

DIRECTIONS: Read the name of the character from Suzy and Leah
and the passage that follows. Then, on the lines, identify the setting
described in the passage and the way the character feels about it.
Write your response in a short sentence.
1. Suzy: With barbed wire on top. How can anyoneeven a
refugeelive there?
Setting and characters feeling about it:
____________________________________________________________________________________
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2. Leah: But I say no place is safe for us. Did not the Germans say
that we were safe in their camps?
Setting and characters feeling about it:
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3. Leah: Zipporah braided my hair, but I had no mirror until we

got to the school and
they showed us the toilets. They call it a bathroom, but there is
no bath in it at all, which is strange.
Setting and characters feeling about it:
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Suzy: [Mom] said the Nazis killed people, mothers and children
as well as men. In
places called concentration camps. . . . It was so awful I could
hardly believe it, but
Mom said it was true.
Setting and characters feeling about it:
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