Vocabulary
What’s the name of the Jewish ceremony where a boy becomes a man?
Bar Mitzvah
Where is Isabel’s family’s goal destination? Where do they want to end up (as specific as you can be)?
Miami, Florida
Where is Mahmoud from and in what year does his story take place?
Syria, 2015
What’s the name of the ship that Josef and his family are on for most of the book?
The MS St. Louis
“We’re refugees, we need help!”
Mahmoud
When someone is in a state of doubt.
Dubious
What happens to Iván when he is hanging off the side of the boat?
He is attacked by sharks
What is the first country that Mahmoud and his family travel to? Hint: It’s where they get on their boat.
Turkey
What visual symbol of his religion is Josef forced to wear on the train?
An armband with the Star of David
“Aspirin? Does anyone have aspirin? For my mother?”
Isabel
This word describes staring at someone in a rude or stunned manner.
Gawking
What was the name of Isabel’s newborn brother, and who was he named after?
Mariano, named after Grandpa Lito
Why does Mahmoud’s family have to give his baby sister, Hana, away?
Their life jackets aren't working, and they are at risk of drowning.
How did Josef get his father to calm down before the medical examination?
Josef slapped him
“I’m not staying in that place and waiting for them to send me back to Serbia. Come on, we’re walking to Austria.”
Mahmoud
This word refers to a noisy or disordered situation.
Pandemonium
What is the name of the dictator (or leader) in charge of Isabel’s home country of Cuba? Hint: A sign with his face on it is on the bottom of their boat.
Fidel Castro
How does Mahmoud’s father cope with difficult situations?
He makes jokes
What country was Josef sent to after they weren’t allowed in Cuba?
France
“I traded my trumpet…for the gasoline.”
Isabel
A word that describes someone as less than a regular person.
Subhuman
What is the name of the Cuban rhythm pattern which Isabel is trying to hear throughout the book? She refers to it as the heartbeat of her homeland.
Clave
What was the name of the organization that inspected the refugees at the refugee camp in Hungary?
The United Nations (UN)
Where did Josef’s mother hide her valuable diamond earrings?
Sewed into Ruthie's coat
“We’ll hold you here as hostages! They’ll have to do as we say!”
Josef