Milkweed (Random House Reader's Circle)
by Jerry Spinelli
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jerry SpinelliBrand: Ember
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2010-03-23
ISBN: 0375861475
Number of pages: 240
Publisher: Ember
Book Reviews of Milkweed (Random House Reader's Circle)
Book Review: Why didn't this win a Newbery?
Summary: 5 Stars
Given the fact that Jerry Spinelli is one of the Titans of contemporary, realistic children's fiction, I immediately grabbed this book after seeing it in a local bookstore without even knowing what it was about. Once I read the back cover, I knew that it would be worth reading, indeed. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. This novel proves to be rather interesting in the sense that it's a break from his traditional storytelling avenues, as it is historical fiction set in Poland as opposed to present-day America, yet it retains that trademark "Spinelli quality" that includes his personal stylistic working of language and interesting plot bits to keep the reader intrigued, excited, and captivated.
There are quite a few children's books about the Holocaust, though few of them stand out on this particularly engaging and well-written level. The only other novel for kids that tackles such subject matter with the same amount of grace and respect infused with a strong overall message is John Boyne's "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas." To date, Spinelli has tackled racism ("Maniac Magee"), death from a child's perspective ("Eggs"), and what it means to be different ("Loser"), so it is only fitting that he should bring his literary gifts to such an unfortunate and regrettable point of history. There are certainly lessons to be learned from reading it, though I won't waste time listing them here. Any reader can figure it out for him or herself. If you haven't already, add this novel to your "Must Read" list at once.
Summary of Milkweed (Random House Reader's Circle)
A stunning novel of the Holocaust from a Newbery MedalistHe's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Filthy son of Abraham.
He's a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He's a boy who steals food for himself, and the other orphans. He's a boy who believes in bread, and mothers, and angels.
He's a boy who wants to be a Nazi, with tall, shiny jackboots of his own-until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind.
And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he's a boy who realizes it's safest of all to be nobody.
Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable-Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II-and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young Holocaust orphan.
Newbery Medal-winning author Jerry Spinelli (Maniac McGee, Stargirl) paints a vivid picture of the streets of the Nazi-occupied Warsaw during World War II, as seen through the eyes of a curious, kind, heartbreakingly naïve orphan with many names. His name is Stopthief when people shout "Stop! Thief!" as he flees with stolen bread. Or it's Jew, "filthy son of Abraham," depending on who's talking to him. Or, maybe he's a Gypsy, because his eyes are black, his skin is dark, and he wears a mysterious yellow stone around his neck. His new friend and protector Uri forces him to take the name Misha Pilsudski and to memorize a made-up story about his Gypsy background so that no one will mistake him for a Jew and kill him. Misha, a very young boy, is slow to understand what's happening around him. When he sees people running, he thinks it's a race. Nazis (Jackboots, as the children call them) marching through the streets appear to him as a delightful parade of magnificent boots. He wants to be a Jackboot! (Uri smacks him for saying this.) He compares bombs to sauerkraut kettles, machine guns to praying mantises, and tanks to "colossal gray long-snouted beetles." The story of Misha and his band of orphans trying to survive on their own would have a deliciously Dickensian quality, if it weren't for the devastation around them--people hurrying to dig trenches to stop Nazi tanks, shops exploding in flames, the wailing of sirens, buzzing airplanes, bombs, and human torture. Spinelli has written a powerfully moving story of survival--readers will love Misha the dreamer and his wonderfully poetic observations of the world around him, his instinct to befriend a Jewish girl and her family, his impulse to steal food for a local orphanage and his friends in the ghetto, and his ability to delight in small things even surrounded by the horror of the Holocaust. A remarkable achievement. (Ages 11 and older) --Karin Snelson
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