Milkweed (Random House Reader's Circle)

Milkweed is the best book I've ever read that deals with the Nazis, Hitler, the concentration camps, the fear and the reality of torture and death to the Jews during this reign of terror. It is written so any older child can understand it, and yet it captured my attention from beginning to end. I couldn't put it down. My 12 year old, who IS NOT a history buff and doesn't even like to read, never has trouble remembering the Jackboots, the children stealing food to keep from starving, and the trains pulling away while loved ones held their arms out to each other for the last time. MILKWEED is a totally accurate portrayal of the horrors the Jewish people lived and died in under Hitler's rule, yet it is presented in a fictional way that children can understand. Don't miss this one. Thanks Amazon for putting Milkweed out there for all to read.

Excellent book by first rate writer, Jerry Spinelli. My grandson recommended the book to me, a treat in itself. The story is told through a young teen aged Jewish orphaned boy living on the streets in WWII torn Europe. The story is heart-wrenching, yet sometimes humorous and a must read!

The book was interesting. I often felt sorry for the main character, but he was hard to understand in that he did not understand a lot. He was strong in that he took care of himself the best that he could. It was a horrible time he lived through, and he was definitely a survivor!

So moving, raw, emotional! The story of a young boy growing up during a very bad time, World War II, in Warsaw. He was orphaned at such a young age, he doesn't even know his own name, nor remember his parents. This story isn't the first I've read about the Holocaust. I have read a few non-fiction stories in college, watched a handful of documentaries, a couple of movies too. But Mr. Spinelli nailed this one! You feel as if you are there, witnessing the events first hand. You feel for these characters with everything in your being. You feel their happiness, their sorrow, their fear, their hatred, their confusion. It will be forever added to my favorites list. I can't describe this book adequately and do it justice. You just have to read it!

This is a historical fiction set in [mainly] Warsaw Poland, that uses many facts and events of the time period. I highly recommend this book. With the assistance of a gorwn-up, younger readers can appreciate and learn from the subject matter and hopefully come to sympathize with anyone who is unjustly oppressed or mistreated. The main character is a young, destitute, orphan boy who has no certainty of his identity (name, ethnicity, etc) and his daily life of surviving in the city. The story begins just before the Nazi invasion/occupation of warsaw. Poland. Shortly after, he witnesses the subjugation of the Jews of the city and their forced segregation to the ghettos, then their eventual removal by freight train (to send them to the concentration or death camps). The character's child innocence and lack of common knowledge (and current events) brings a third-person point of view to the story, as the reader is taken along with him as he gains knowledge and identity.

The awful truth from the perspective of an orphaned child as he learns the way of life and survival. The brutality, lessons,and beauty of the human nature.

Middleschoolers love this book. It is never on my shelf long.

This book takes place during the times of the Holocaust. Having read Jerry Spinelli novels in the past, it didn't surprise me that the main character was a young, somewhat innocent boy and that the novel is in first person. Overall I wish I would of read this book when I was younger. Spinelli serves as a great young adult writer, and this book is best suited for someone in middle school when they are just learning about the holocaust. This novel highlights a unique perspective with a light theme of how the holocaust impacted everybody in Germany; without the gruesome details. Beyond that, this still can be a great quick pleasure read for all ages. However, out what i've read from Jerry Spinelli, I recommend Maniac Magee over Milkweed without a doubt. The character development and characteristics in this novel was on point. Each character remained consistent and the details of each person's identity gave life to the story. The main character, Misha has a unique perspective from being raised on the street with little to nothing to call his own. Once the Nazis (or Jackboots as Misha called them) gained power, Misha was able to use his skills to help others close to him and himself. Compared to other Holocaust novels, this novel has less action and a lot less war battles than the average story. However, Milkweed still remains captivating and another Young Adult hit from Jerry Spinelli.

Dies ist die Geschichte, des zunächst namen- und identitätslosen Misha in den Straßen Warschaus 1939. Spinelli beschreibt authentisch und in meisterhafter Erzählweise das Leben der Straßenkinder, die Entstehung des Ghettos und den unausweichlichen Holocaust. Gerade durch die simple und glaubhaft naive Sicht des Kindes wirkt dieses Buch spannend und ergreifend. Unbedingt empfehlenswert...

This book takes place back in world war 2 in Warsaw, Poland. The story is about a boy named Misha, and he has no memory of his past. Misha wanted to be a nazi (jackboot) until the day things got worse. The nazis got everyone to take a train to the ''ovens'' where they were brought to there death. Before the nazis shipped everyone to there death, (so they think) Misha met this girl and her name was Janina. Janina and Misha stayed with Janina's parents for as long as they could. They struggled with hunger, stealing food and together did what ever they could to stay alive. This story was well written and I highly recommend this book. Easy and enjoyable to read, even though it was a very sad story.

How I wish this had a better cover and was better publicised! Then it might get the recognition it deserves and be lauded as the best children's book on The Holocaust - which it is - instead of the cynically manipulative and highly inaccurate' Boy in Striped Pyjamas'

Beneath the relentless darkness of Milkweed's setting in the Holocaust, glints love and hope. Utterly, utterly beautiful. A story that will stay with me forever.