Reader’s/Teacher’s Guide
Guide created by Robin Millay, Reading Specialist and Secondary Language Arts Teacher, Bethesda Maryland. Contact info:RSMillay@aol.com
Read The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah for the sheer joy of a well-told, compelling story. Reread to admire the writer’s craft, talk about the ideas and issues this book raises, and celebrate Caroline’s connections to family, friends and the past that will make you think of and appreciate your own. This book would be a wonderful selection for any and all book clubs and could be used effectively in the classroom for literature circles. It would be a very thought-provoking selection for mother-daughter book clubs.
The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah is a story about a 12-year-old girl’s search for who she is, who her friends are, and the desire to understand and be comfortable with herself. Nora Raleigh Baskin has written about the universal quest for identity that in Caroline’s case is centered on her religious heritage. This book is a celebration of Jewish traditions and within that context Nora takes an honest, informative, very humorous, and touching look at all things that are important: teenagers, parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, school, relationships, respect, acceptance, and love. The book opens with the funeral for Caroline’s grandmother, but even after Nana is gone, she continues to teach Caroline through the countless links to the past symbolized in the Star of David necklace that she leaves for her. It is this gift that leads Caroline to question, to learn, and come to treasure her connection to the past and where it will lead her in the future.
Websites for more information about Jewish traditions and holidays, New York Egg Creams, and Amy Irving.
www.parentspress.com/ffbarmitzvah.html
www.washingtonfamilymagazine.com/mitzvah.htm
http://whatscookingamerica.net/History?NYeggcream/History.htm
http://www.lowcarbluxury.com/eggcream.html
www.imdb.com (Amy Irving and a wonderful movie, Crossing Delancey)
Have you read any other books written by Nora Raleigh Baskin? If so, what kinds of themes does she write about? Have you liked her other books? Why or why not?
Based on the title—what do you expect the story will be about? Pay particular attention to the design of the title on the cover. Why would the word truth be underlined, presented in all uppercase letters and in a different color? Why pink? Why is Bat Mitzvah in a different script from the rest of the title?
What kind of necklace is the girl on the cover wearing? What is the significance of the Star of David necklace? Do you have any special traditional jewelry that you wear?
Look at Nora’s photo on the back flap of the book jacket. Does seeing her and reading her short biography make you more likely to buy and read this book? Why?
List some of the ways you use to pick a book that you might read.
What do you know about Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs? What are the differences?
Who does Nora dedicate the novel to and what does that dedication lead you to believe might be important in the novel?
Read the acknowledgements. What do they tell you about what is important to this author?
What kinds of predictions can you make about the story based on the opening quotation?
AZ IKH VEL ZAYN VI ER VER VET ZAYN VI IKH?
(If I try to be like him, who will be like me?)
Have you ever been afraid to be yourself because you thought you might be excluded or bullied? Do you think it takes courage to stand up for yourself? Have you ever been in a situation where you have tried to conform to fit into a group and regretted not being true to yourself?
What does friendship mean to you? Do you have any friends that you knew when you were little who you have stayed friends with in middle school or high school? What qualities did you appreciate in a friend when you were younger? What qualities do you think are important in friendships now that you are older? Do you have different friends in different situations? Do you compartmentalize (keep them separate from each other)? Why? Does that ever feel strange?
Nora includes a glossary at the back of the book (not usually included in a novel). Read the glossary first. If you are not Jewish, have you heard of these entries before? What do you know already? If you are Jewish and have a lot of background knowledge what could you add to Nora’s descriptions?
Various activities can be used to focus on some of these strong words that Nora uses in the book. Create a K-A-U chart as a prereading activity so that readers can rate whether they Know the word, are Aware of the word but not sure they can explain what it means, or the word is Unknown.
Example:
KnowAwareofUnknown
1.insincere
2.oncoming
Be sure to use the glossary at the back of the book (pages 135-138) to read more about words that tell about Jewish traditions.
The page number is provided and sentence strips could be used to show how Nora uses the words in context.
p. 3 insincere
p. 8 oncoming hammock
p. 9 interlocked elongated vanity (watch how this one is used)
p. 11 kaleidoscope
p. 15 hypocritical technically Americanized commercialized
p. 20 Hanukkah
p. 21 Hadassah latkes
p. 24 respectively birthright hooky
p. 25 promotional advertising
p. 33 ironically
p. 36 blackjack roulette miniature
p. 40 enigma status popularity
p. 42 afterthought
p. 45ritual
p. 47 massive
p. 48 mournful
p. 49 foundation
p. 49 arches
p. 50 fragile
p. 52temporarily
p. 53 delicate
p. 54 A-list
p. 62 circulation
p. 64 elaborate
p. 65 mechanical
p. 68 hassled
p. 69 glint
p. 74 massive cavernous
p. 75 lacquered modules banister
p. 76 chandelier
p. 77 personalized
p. 77 stationery
p. 80 pedestrian orthodox
p. 83 compliment reputation
p. 85 poser
p. 90 mechanism
p. 91 bribe
p. 94 oxymoron
p. 99 sanctuary
p. 102 procrastination
p. 104 full-fledged bickering
p. 105 appendicitis
p. 109 intricate exaggeration tremendous
p. 111embroidered emblem
p. 121 controversy
p. 122 kosher
p. 128 sarcastic
There are many more wonderful words that Nora uses in this book. Be a wordsmith and add more words that you like to the list.
Look for clues that help you with the basic story elements—Characters (who), Setting (when and where), Problem and conflict (what/why), and Resolution (how).
Time—There are pop culture references in the story to Dancing with the Stars, Simon Cowell, Steven Spielberg, and Amy Irving that help us understand the setting in time. References to Egg Cream, Gold’s Deli, and Bloomies help us to recognize New York City.
Characters—Nora artfully crafts characters. She “writes small to write big” by offering telling details about the characters. Use post-it flags to highlight information about one or two characters that you would like to talk about later.
The most important characters are …
Caroline Weeks, Nana, Poppy, Aunt Gert, Randall and Amy Weeks, Sam Weeks,
Rachel Miller, Rachel’s mom, Lauren Chase, Ryan Berk, Matthew Zeikowitz
Nora uses chapter titles that succinctly capture the most important aspect of each chapter.
Before you read each chapter think about the significance of the chapter title and predict what the chapter might be about.
What kind of tone does Nora set with these titles? Why do you think she chose to include chapter titles? Notice the graphic design element with the Star of David necklace for the chapter number. What kind of impact does that choice have on you as a reader?
(Some chapter references and page numbers are included. Questions or items for discussion are presented in sequence from the story, but they don’t need to be discussed in consecutive order. Use some of these items and add some of your own.)
Chapter 1
Have you ever been to a funeral? What were you thinking about during the service? Did the people who spoke know the person well?
How is Caroline’s mom different at the funeral than she usually is? Look for subtle clues throughout the text about what Caroline’s mother does for a living. Put post-its next to those clues. Caroline’s mother and father are rarely referred to by name. They are Caroline’s mother or father or my mom or dad. Why do you think they are not named more often in the book?
Have you ever regretted not being kind enough or attentive to an older relative? Explain.
Chapter 2
Have you ever acted inappropriately at a solemn occasion? What were you feeling?
The family is sitting shiva for Nana. Describe anything you notice about what that means.
Why are Aunt Gertrude and Poppy estranged? Have you or your family ever been involved in a family feud? Were you able to forgive each other and come back together?
What is your initial impression of Caroline? Do you like her? She is very honest about what she thinks. Do you think she is a rebel or a cautious person who tries to stay out of trouble?
Chapter 3
Why does Mrs. Weeks have to call to apologize to Mrs. Miller? Why are they friends?
Have you ever had an egg cream? Using Nora’s description of an egg cream as a model, describe a drink that you like in detail. (refer to p. 17)
Do you celebrate holidays and follow traditions from more than one religion at home? Do you think it is appropriate for people to say “Merry Christmas” to everyone? Explain.
Do you think Mrs. Weeks is conflicted about religion? Look for clues in the story that might explain how she feels about religion.
Make a short list of all the things that we learn about Caroline’s dad in Chapter 6, especially on p. 36.
Chapter 6 is titled: “It’s My Birthright to Play Hooky.” What does birthright mean? Why do you think Caroline used the word hooky instead of “to stay home from school”? Do you think Caroline is glad that she stayed home from school? Describe her day. (refer to p. 28)
In Chapter 8, Caroline has a dream. Describe how the author’s use of sentence fragments and italics help to mirror Caroline’s disorientation from the nap and the dream.
What senses does the author use in this dream sequence? What triggers Caroline’s strong memory of Nana here?
Describe Matthew Zelkowitz’s bar mitvah. Reread pages 34-36 and try to visualize the room. Write a description of or retell what you see. Pretend you are a guest. Did you have a good time? Why or why not?
Why are Caroline and her family so honored to light the candle at Matthew’s bat mitzvah?
Why is Lauren Chase a popularity enigma? (refer to p. 42) Have you ever had different friends in different situations? Why do you think teenagers might compartmentalize friends? Why is Caroline worried about telling Rachel she has been invited to Lauren’s sleepover? What kind of a friend is Caroline? Do you like Caroline?
Describe how you like to sleep. What was your favorite bed time ritual when you were little? Do you ever miss being tucked in? (refer to p. 45) What is a knish (see the glossary)? Draw a picture.
Describe the differences when Caroline is at her grandparents house and when she is at home (e.g., Chinese food, taking a bath). Does she like staying there? (Also refer back to Chapter 3.) Do you like staying with your grandparents? If they live far away, do you wish you could see them more often?
In Chapter 15, Nana tells Caroline a story about a doll. Why is the story important in helping us understand Nana’s character? Reread the story about Nana and the little girl with the doll. Visualize the scene as you read and retell it including as much detail as you remember. What do we learn from the story? How does this doll story tie into Caroline’s and Nana’s trip to Bloomies in Chapter 16?
In Chapter 19, how does Lauren realize that Rachel is Jewish? Do you think Lauren is being rude to Rachel? Do you dislike Lauren? How do you think she developed her ideas about what it means to be Jewish or what makes someone Jewish?
What is a peyes?
Why do you think Nora included the information about the field trip? (refer to Chapter 20) Have you ever stared at someone because that person looked so different? Did you feel guilty about making that person feel uncomfortable?
Have you ever said something that you wished had not been overheard? You know you hurt someone with your words so what did you do about it? Did the experience have an impact on your future behavior?
Why do you think the author positions the story of the field trip between Chapters 19 and 21? Is this literary device of using a flashback (a look back to the past) effective? What impact does it have on you as a reader? Does it help to build suspense? How does it compare and contrast to what is going on at the slumber party? In what other places in the novel does Nora use flashback?
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to stick up for a friend even when that was uncomfortable? Have you ever had to stick up for yourself? Describe the situation. Do you think Caroline does a good job?
Have you ever been at a slumber party and wished you could leave? Did you? Write in your journal or writer’s notebook about your experience using Caroline’s description as a model (include little details).
In Chapter 26 were you surprised when Rachel and Caroline cut Spanish class? Caroline seems very smart. Do you think she gets good grades? Is she cooperative in class?
Why does Caroline end up spending the night with Aunt Gert? Does she mind staying at first? Does her attitude change? Is she a good sister?
Describe Aunt Gert’s apartment.
Why is Caroline surprised that Aunt Gert has pictures of their family displayed in her apartment?
Why can’t Aunt Gert give Caroline a glass of milk with her turkey sandwich?
Chapter 35 is titled, “Like Links on a Chain.” How doe Nana’s necklace work as a symbol in The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah?
Quotable Quotes and Other Text for More Discussion
Feel free to look back at the text to refresh your memory. Think about what is going on at that point in the story, who is talking, what might they mean, and why.
p. 3
I looked over at my mom, who despised any kind of organized anything, religion in particular.
You know I can’t go anywhere, my nana would always say, until I put my face on.
p. 12
They kept mixing up our names and calling Rachel Caroline and me Rachel. One kid got it all wrong and called us Racholine.
p. 14
“Amy, do you ever think of having one for Caroline?”
p. 18
“Why are you back there, Caroline?”
p. 22
It’s okay, Mom. There’s seven more nights. As long as you don’t forget Christmas.
p. 40
But Lauren Chase had somehow skipped all those steps.
p. 52
“I swear, we’ll walk seven paces behind you at all times.”
p. 69
Mom, I want to be Jewish too. Like you. I want to know funny little Yiddish words. Like Nana and Poppy. I want to know what you do on Yom Kippur. Like Rachel.
p. 77
“You didn’t think she was serious,’ Mandy whispered to me while Lauren was trying on her new earrings.
p. 97
I estimated I might begin to like myself again when I was around the age of eighty, but I was so grateful that I wouldn’t be alone.
p. 100
It was mine if I wanted, like a gift that someone gave me a long time ago that I forgot to open.
p. 102
We took a cab because she was too tired to walk and I didn’t even notice it.
p. 104
I think it was the “Mommy” that did it.
p. 116
“Who needs to put on a face?” she said. “When I have my two grandchildren.”
p. 126
“You can have a bat mitzvah if you want to.”
p. 133
“You’re kidding. Is that true? I did all this work and studying and I didn’t have to?”
Plan a Bat or Bar Mitzvah. Include all the things that you think are important. Establish a budget, the number of guests, create a theme if you wish. Write a one page summary of what you did. This event could be for you or for another person. Make sure the theme and level (simpler to very elaborate) fit the person.
Write a letter to Nora begging her to write a sequel. What happens to Caroline? Does she become involved in religious studies and have a Bat Mitzvah?
Have a debate: At the end of the book, we do not know whether or not Caroline will actually have a bat mitzvah, but she is confident at the end that she is a bat mitzvah. Do you think that religious education is imperative to be a bat mitzvah or do you agree with Caroline at the end of the book that she will be a bat mitzvah no matter what she chooses because of her heritage?
Imagine Caroline’s future relationship with her mother. Why do you think Caroline’s mother reacts the way she does about religion? How did the family history contribute to how she feels about religion?
When Sam Weeks is older, how do you think he will react to questions about his religious identity?
Write a “How to Be” poem including details that reveal the following …
How to be Nora Raleigh Baskin
How to be Jewish
How to be Caroline Weeks
How to be Lauren Chase
How to be Nana