Summer of My German Soldier

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-4

Reading Check

1. Why does Patty visit the Jenkinsville depot?

2. Who planted Patty’s family’s victory garden?

3. Which store does Patty’s family own?

4. How does Patty’s grandmother measure Patty’s maturity level?

5. What does Edna Louise tell Patty about God?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Who are the members of Patty’s family? What is her relationship with each of these members?

2. How do the Bergen parents show their children different treatment during their drive to Memphis? How does this difference in treatment make Patty feel?

3. How does Patty’s experience at her grandparents’ house differ from her life at home? Describe what she recognizes about her parents while at her grandparents’ house.

4. Who is Anton? How does Patty meet Anton, and what is her impression of him?

Paired Resources

“America’s Patriotic Victory Gardens”

• History.com’s resource discusses the importance of victory gardens during WWII.
• Based on the text as well as the above resource, what was the role of victory gardens for Patty and her family? How does this link to the development of the characters?

“Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities - Arkansas”

• The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life shares a brief history of the Jewish community in Arkansas.
• Based on the text as well as the above resource, what is the experience of Jewish communities living in Arkansas during the 20th century? Has this changed over time?

Chapters 5-8

Reading Check

1. Why does Patty’s mother not let her go to the training camp in the Ozarks?

2. Which type of hairstyle is Patty forced to get at Mrs. Reeves’s beauty parlor?

3. Why does Anton think it is “extraordinary” that Patty is helping Anton with his escape?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What game does Patty play with Freddy? Describe the outcome of their game and how Patty is treated for her mistake.

2. Summarize the information that Patty reads in the Commercial Appeal newspaper. How does this article make Patty feel?

3. What are the “three layers of truth” that Anton learned from Hitler? How does this philosophy allow him to escape from the POW camp?

Paired Resource

“World War II Prisoner of War Camps”

• This entry from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas explains the establishment of POW camps within the state.
• Based on the text and the above resource, what were some of the challenges and risks of opening POW camps on US soil?

Chapters 9-13

Reading Check

1. Why does the FBI come to Jenkinsville?

2. Why were the dogs unable to get Anton’s scent?

3. What nickname does Anton give Patty?

4. Why wasn’t Ruth able to attend the teachers’ college as planned?

5. Who are Patty’s two favorite people?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Who is Charlene Madlee? Describe Patty’s outing with her. What does she learn from Charlene?

2. Which item of clothing does Patty give Anton to wear? Summarize her memory of this specific item.

3. Summarize Patty and Anton’s conversation about cruelty. What important information does Anton reveal to Patty about her father?

4. What does Patty tell Anton she has decided to do? How does he respond?  

Paired Resource

“Female Journalists of World War II”

• PBS Newshour Classroom’s “Journalism in Action” is a teacher-facing resource about female correspondents during wartime.
• Patty’s interest in journalism is a part of her Transformation From Alienation To Independence.
• Compare and contrast the character of Charlene Madlee with the women in the above resource. How did these women pave the way for future generations?

Chapters 14-18

Reading Check

1. According to Patty’s story, why did the old man give her the ring?

2. How does Patty’s father respond to Ruth’s defense of his daughter?

3. What words do the townspeople shout at Patty as the FBI agents lead her past her parents’ store?

4. Which of Patty’s friends visits her in Memphis?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Describe how Patty momentarily loses her ring. What story does she tell about its origin? How does her father react?

2. Summarize the conversation that Patty has with the two men from the FBI. What does she learn at the end of the conversation?

3. Where are the FBI agents taking Patty? What are her next steps?

Paired Resource

“Bette Greene, Novelist Whose ‘Summer of My German Soldier’ Became a Young-Adult Hit, Dies at 86”

• This Washington Post article from 2020 discusses the impact of Greene’s novel on American audiences. (Note: this resource links with the first Long Answer question).
• This article connects with the same themes of the novel: The Desire For Parental Love, Transformation From Alienation To Independence, and Physical Versus Emotional Deprivation.
• How did the audience’s reception of Greene’s novel change over time? What were some of the concerns and criticisms regarding the content of the book?

Chapters 19-21

Reading Check

1. Where does Mr. Grimes drive Patty?

2. What fantasy does Patty imagine when she wakes up?

3. What nickname does Patty have at her new school?

4. Which gift does Charlene give Patty?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Explain the concerns Patty’s father has about choosing an appropriate lawyer. Which lawyer takes Patty’s case, and what does this person say about Patty’s actions?

2. Summarize Ruth’s visit to Patty. What news does Ruth share with Patty, and how does Patty respond?

3. Summarize the final scene of the novel. What comparison does Patty make about herself in the last lines?

Recommended Next Reads 

The Drowning of Stephan Jones by Bette Greene

• Greene’s 2012 novel centers on protagonist Carla as she is forced to choose between standing up for LGBTQ+ rights and conforming to the homophobic opinions of her community.
• Carla’s journey fits within the theme of Transformation From Alienation To Independence.
• Shared topics include growing up in Arkansas and semi-autobiographical content.

The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis

• Ellis’s 2000 novel follows protagonist Parvana as she is forced to provide for her family in war-torn Afghanistan.
• As Parvana navigates challenges, she experiences a Transformation From Alienation To Independence and wrestles with Physical Versus Emotional Deprivation.
• Shared topics include bildungsroman during wartime, young female protagonists, and difficult family dynamics.
• The Breadwinner on SuperSummary