The Silver Sword Summary Chart Author-Ian Serraillier Type of Literature-Novel/Historical Fiction Fiction/Non-Fiction-Fiction Setting-World War II, Europe Major Characters-Ruth, Edek, Bronia, Joseph, Margrit Balicki, Jan Minor Characters-Jimpy, Bistro, Joe, etc.... Plot-This is the story of four children’s struggle to stay alive during World War II. Theme-Never Give Up Your Dream -War is very damaging to people, places, and things -Families have to stick together and support and be loyal to one another Conflict-The Balicki children were separated from their parents for many years during the Nazi occupation. Conflict Resolution-The children finally made their way to Switzerland to be re-united with their parents. Year that the novel was first published-1956 This novel is about the triumph of hope over despair. Terms Author-The writer of a composition Setting-Where and when a story takes place
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The Silver Sword
Summary Chart
Author-Ian SerraillierType of Literature-Novel/Historical FictionFiction/Non-Fiction-FictionSetting-World War II, EuropeMajor Characters-Ruth, Edek, Bronia, Joseph, Margrit Balicki, JanMinor Characters-Jimpy, Bistro, Joe, etc....
Plot-This is the story of four children’s struggle to stay alive during World War II.Theme-Never Give Up Your Dream
-War is very damaging to people, places, and things-Families have to stick together and support and be loyal to one another
Conflict-The Balicki children were separated from their parents for many years during the Nazi occupation.
Conflict Resolution-The children finally made their way to Switzerland to be re-united with their parents.
Year that the novel was first published-1956
This novel is about the triumph of hope over despair.
TermsAuthor-The writer of a compositionSetting-Where and when a story takes placeHistorical Fiction-A story that is made up (fiction) but is centered around historical eventsConflict-a problem in a storyConflict Resolution-how the problem is resolvedTheme-What lesson or moral that the story is teachingPlot-An outline of a storyNon-Fiction-A composition based upon facts and the author’s opinions.
The Silver Sword
This novel is set during the time of World War 2. World War II began on September 1st, 1939, when Germany attacked Poland. By 1942, all the major countries of the world were involved in the most destructive war in history.
The war killed more persons, cost more money, damaged more property, affected more people, and probably caused more far-reaching changes than any other war in history. It ended in 1945.
The three major causes of World War II were:
1. The problems left unsolved by World War I.2. The rise of dictatorship.3. The desire of Germany, Italy, and Japan for more territory.
This novel, The Silver Sword, is about four children trekked across Europe, from Poland to Switzerland, to find their parents after World War II.
This type of novel is called Historical Fiction because it is based upon historical fact (the War), but the characters, incidences, etc. are fictional. (Untrue).
Chapter 1 1. Where and when does the story begin?
2. Identify the members of the family in the novel.
3. What was Joseph’s occupation?
4. Who had come for Joseph and when?
5. What did the Nazis order Joseph to do?
6. What would you have dome if you were Joseph?
7. In an atlas, locate Warsaw, Poland.
8. Describe Zakyna prison under the following headings.
a. Location
b. Prisoners
c. Size
d. Food
9. Why was Joseph Balicki put in solitary confinement?
10. How did Joseph escape from prison?
Chapter 2
1. Describe the appearance of the Village of Zakyana.
2. When Joseph escaped into Zakyna a German soldier demanded cigarettes. Joseph did not respond to the soldier. Why?
3. Why did the German call Joseph, Karl? Did he know him?
4. “The cart without wheels”, Joseph’s hiding place, turned out to be what?
5. List three possible dangers that Joseph was facing in Chapter Two.
6. Vocabulary: A) Copy the sentence, from the novel, in which the word is found.
B) Choose the appropriate dictionary meaning.
i. tarpaulin-page 10
ii. aerial-page 10
iii. giddy-page 10
iv. revolver-page 10
v. holster-page 10
vi. descending-page 11
7. Give an example of comic relief (something humorous) from this chapter. (Comic relief is used by authors to relieve tension experienced by the reader during stressful scenes.)
Chapter 3
1. Who discovers Joseph?
2. What mark does Joseph bear?
3. How does he escape the soldiers?
4. Why didn’t they search up in the fireplace?
5. How long did Joseph spend with the couple?
Chapter 4
1. How many days did it take Joseph to walk to Warsaw?
2. Describe Warsaw when he returned.
3. What simile is used here to describe the City of Warsaw?
4. What information did Mrs. Krause give Joseph?
5. What did she encourage Joseph to do?
6. What does Joseph find in the rubble? Describe it.
7. Describe the boy that Joseph meets.
Chapter 5 & Chapter 61. Vocabulary
a. Nazi-Pg. #36
b. Barracks-Pg. #38
c. distraught-Pg. #42
d. swine-Pg. #43
e. billeted-Pg. #43
2. What is the reason(s) Jan won’t give Joseph his last name?
3. Why is Jan so protective of the kitten?
4. What promise did Jan make to Joseph?
5. Describe what had happened to Joseph’s family the night the Storm Troopers
arrived.
6. What happened to their home?
Chapter 7
1. Describe the children’s new home.
2. What simile is used to describe Edek?
3. How did the children manage to get their food?
4. What would happen if Edek let his age be known?
5. What does Ruth do to keep Bronia occupied?
6. Edek was one of the chief smugglers. Describe his activities.
7. What happens to Edek at the end of this chapter?
8. What will happen to Ruth and Bronia?
9. Compare the children’s city dwelling to their summer dwelling.
VocabularyA) Copy the sentence, from the novel, in which the word is found.B) Choose the appropriate dictionary meaning for each.
1. sorely (pg. 35)
2. disclosing (pg.35)
3. scrounged (pg. 35)
4. queuing (pg. 36)
5. urchins (pg. 36)
6. wary (pg. 39)
7. cinders (pg. 40)
Chapter 8
1. What happened to Warsaw in January 1945?
2. How did the children meet Jan?
3. What was Jan’s cock’s name?
4. What do you think is in Jan’s wooden box?
Vocabulary
1. defensive (page 42)
2. flogging (page 44)
Chapter 9
1. What do we learn about Ruth as a person when she goes to the Russian control
post?
2. What request does she make at the control post?
3. What kind of welcome did Ivan receive when he went to the bombed cellar?
4. What news did Ivan bring?
5. What do they call a truck?
6. Define-ragamuffin-page 67.
Chapter 101. What does Ruth now decide to do?
2. How far away is Posen?
3. What is Ivan like?
4. How does Ruth teach Jan a lesson?
5. What is a synonym for the word “sentry”?
Chapter 111. What season of the year was it when the Baliciki children left Warsaw?
2. Why do you suppose the author chose this season? What might the season
represent?
3. What did the children take with them?
4. Describe the appearance of the refugees.
5. How many days did it take them to reach Posen?
6. What news did they receive about Edek?
7. Write the sentence that contains the following words:
a. Haggard-p.60
b. Refugees-p.60
c. Derelict-p.61
8. Give dictionary meanings for the above words, as well.
9. How does chapter eleven conclude?
Chapter 121. How did Jan find himself in the middle of a “scrum”?
2. What happened to Jimpy the rooster?
3. Describe how Jan must have felt regarding the loss of his beloved Jimpy?
4. Have you ever lost a pet? If so, describe the experience.
5. Who appears at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 13 and Chapter 14
1. Give three reasons why you think that Jan is hostile towards Edek.
2. Do you think that Edek likes having Jan around? Why or Why not?
3. Where are the children living in chapter fourteen? Describe the living conditions
at the transit camp.
4. What caused an unexpected commotion at the camp?
5. Describe Bistro.
6. Why is Frozen Journey a good title for chapter thirteen?
7. Write the sentences from the chapters and find the appropriate meanings from the
dictionary.
a. Sniper-p.72
b. Monotonous-p.74
c. Encased-p.77
d. Dispersed-p.81
e. Antics-p.80
Chapter 15
1. How did Jan win over Bistro?
2. What did Bistro do as a sign of friendship towards Jan?
3. Who is the mother figure between the four children? What qualities best describe
this person?
Chapter 16
1. Why had they (the children) been held up for half a day?
2. Describe the action of the many soldiers that Ruth had seen?
3. How did Jan get a ride? What did he do?
4. Who picked up the other three children?
5. What did Jan receive as a reward for recapturing the chimp?
Chapter 17
1. Explain how you know that Edek is still sick?
2. How long id they plan to camp in the meadow by the millstream?
3. What did the two (Ruth and Jan) do to earn money?
4. What mystery was Edek trying to clean up?
5. What did Edek do to get himself into a “scary” situation?
Chapter 181. Who is Captain Greenwood?
2. What was Edek accused of doing?
3. Who appeared in the courtroom?
4. What request did Ruth make to the judge and why?
5. Why did Jan try to stop the train?
6. Explain what the line on page 114 “if you steal it, you are robbing your own
people” mean?
7. What sentence was placed on Jan? What terms did he accept?
Chapter 191. Where did Ruth, Jan, Edek and Bronia spend the night?
2. What reason did they give for not asking permission?
3. What did they offer, to the farmer, as pay for their night’s lodgings?
4. What is a BURGOMASTER?
5. How did the farmers wife learn to speak Polish?
6. Explain why the farmer decided to make them work and not have a day of rest?
7. Do you think Ruth, Jan, Edek and Bronia will get caught and sent back to Poland?
Vocabulary Exercise Chapter 18/19Instructions:
1. Copy the sentence from the novel.
2. Guess the meaning of the word.
3. Check the dictionary to see if you were correct!