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Danger is never far from Audra's family farm in Lithuania. She always avoids the occupying Russian Cossack soldiers, who insist that everyone must become Russian - they have banned Lithuanian books, religion, culture, and even the language. But Audra knows her parents are involved in something secret and perilous.
When Cossacks arrive abruptly at their door, Audra's parents insist that she flee, taking with her an important package and instructions for where to deliver it. But escape means abandoning her parents to a terrible fate. As Audra embarks on a journey to deliver the mysterious package, she faces unimaginable risks, and soon she becomes caught up in a growing resistance movement. Can joining the underground network of book smugglers give Audra a chance to rescue her parents? BL 5.6/11 |
COMMUNITY CHALLENGE:
“How do you destroy a people? You take away their culture. And how is that done? You must take their language, their history, their very identity.” This was the premise behind Audra's plight to be a book smuggler, even though she knew she was putting herself in grave danger. The Russians as well as the Nazis took away Lithuania's culture by making their language and books printed in their language illegal. Audra fought this idea by getting books to her fellow countrymen, women and children. Do you think you could be as brave as Audra was? Do you think she would have been as brave as she was if she was still with her parents? How would you have felt if you found out your parents were smugglers and had kept it from you? In today's world, we think about the illegal immigrants who are coming to the United States. Some people think these individuals should be sent back to wherever they came from.
After reading Words on Fire, what are your thoughts on the situation? Do you think they are just fighting for their identity like Audra was? Use this sheet to compare/contrast Audra's world with our world today.
“How do you destroy a people? You take away their culture. And how is that done? You must take their language, their history, their very identity.” This was the premise behind Audra's plight to be a book smuggler, even though she knew she was putting herself in grave danger. The Russians as well as the Nazis took away Lithuania's culture by making their language and books printed in their language illegal. Audra fought this idea by getting books to her fellow countrymen, women and children. Do you think you could be as brave as Audra was? Do you think she would have been as brave as she was if she was still with her parents? How would you have felt if you found out your parents were smugglers and had kept it from you? In today's world, we think about the illegal immigrants who are coming to the United States. Some people think these individuals should be sent back to wherever they came from.
After reading Words on Fire, what are your thoughts on the situation? Do you think they are just fighting for their identity like Audra was? Use this sheet to compare/contrast Audra's world with our world today.
CHANCE:
Summarize Words on Fire in ten words or less. You may use poetic form or a list when writing the summary. Make sure each word you choose is important to the summary.
Summarize Words on Fire in ten words or less. You may use poetic form or a list when writing the summary. Make sure each word you choose is important to the summary.
ACTIVITY 3:
The Lithuanian language is a beautiful one. Using Google Translate, translate these English sentences into Lithuanian words. You can either copy them down, or you can copy and paste them onto another document.
The Lithuanian language is a beautiful one. Using Google Translate, translate these English sentences into Lithuanian words. You can either copy them down, or you can copy and paste them onto another document.
- How are you today?
- Audra fought hard for her country.
- The Russian Czar was not respected by the Lithuanian people.
- Lukas loved Audra and brought her parents back to her.
- Audra finally realized why Ben didn't want her to be a book carrier, he was her grandfather.
- The Lithuanian revolution started with these book carriers, not with the wars.
- Words on Fire tells a very realistic story of fighting for freedom.