The Night Crossing by Karen Ackerman

Night Crossing by Karen Ackerman

Book Discussion

November 2007

Grades 2-3

Snack idea: bread and butter, matzah cracker

1. General thoughts about the book (thumbs up/down)
2. Favorite part of the book/scariest part of the book.
3. What would you do if you had to wear a bear paw print every day because you lived in Upper Arlington? (UA is cool, wouldn’t care, proud of paw, everyone wore paw it wouldn’t be so bad…?)
4. What would you do if kids with bear paw prints weren’t allowed to go to school any more? (stop wearing the paw, study at home, move, etc)
5. Are there kids at school who have to sit by themselves at lunch or who other kids make fun of because they look, smell or talk different from most kids? What if they weren’t allowed to come to school anymore? How would you feel?
6. If your family had to move in the middle of the night and could only take what fit in your pockets, what would you bring?
7. Why do you think the soldier in the woods stopped looking for Clara’s family? Were you surprised?
8. Do you think the farmer and his wife were bad people? Why or why not?
9. Why do you think some people like Clara’s grandmother stayed in Austria? (thought it wouldn’t last, too old or sick, not enough money, stayed to help others leave, etc)
10. What did you think would happen when the soldiers stopped Clara at the end?

Other books to bring:

Butterfly (Polacco)

Number the Stars (Lowry)