Milkweed: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Milkweed
Review: My teacher assigned us 2 books relating to the Holocaust to read, and I couldn't be happier that I got Milkweed.Milkweed is a wonderfully dramatic novel that's unique writing style makes it an astounding addition to realm of Holocaust literature. Through the eyes of a young naive boy we see a child's perspective of reality in this horrific time. Jerry Spinelli creates a sense of realism within the book with a bold cast of characters that really get you hooked. The beginning is strong; superbly enthralling, as is the entire book. I HIGHLY reccomend this book to anyone interested in a different view of the Holocaust. ;)

Rating:
Summary: Compelling
Review: This is a story from the Holocaust. Spinelli has been able to do something quite remarkable in this novel. We read the book with our own knowledge of the events of the Nazi invasion yet we see the events through the eyes of a young boy.

The only name he knows to call himself is Stopthief because he survives by stealing. He is a child utterly and totally alone. He is given the name Misha by another boy who befriends and protects him. Misha's family becomes a group of homeless orphan boys scratching out a life on the streets of Warsaw.

Misha is totally innocent, ignorant and naïve so he only lives in the present. As we read of the Nazi invasion we know the horrors ahead. Misha, however, sees the "Jackboots" as something wonderful; he perceives their mocking salutes as a mark of respect. Their parade entering the city is a marvel to him. Events he witnesses lead him to slowly understand that being a Jew is dangerous. Behind the walls of the Warsaw ghetto, his kind heart and small size allow him to sneak out and smuggle food back in for his friends. The reader fears for Misha though he feels no fear for himself.

We ache for the child and adult searching for home and kinship.
Spinelli allows the reader to hear, see and smell the insanity of the Holocaust. This is a book everyone should read. This story is timely, important and compelling.