Jerry
Spinelli has written many books such as Stargirl, Wringer, and Crash. He won
the Newberry award for the book, Maniac Magee and is a renowned writer. He also
wrote and published his first poem in high school at the age of sixteen. Then,
studying in college, he pursued his dream of becoming a writer. Later on, he
not only became a famous American writer but a husband and then a father of six
children. In 2003, his book Milkweed was published. This 206 page historical
fiction story is all about survival.
It
is 1939 in Warsaw, Poland, a boy with no identity and no origins is found
stealing for what was more than likely not the first time in his life. Upon
running from the very person he stole he encounters someone. The boy he meets
is older than him (though he never specifies how much older). The boy
introduces himself as Uri and takes him in. Not long after that Uri teaches him
how to survive in the streets of Warsaw by using theft and trickery. Uri also
gives the boy an identity, Misha Pilsudski an orphaned gypsy living on the
streets of Warsaw. In this book he experiences the hardships of living under
the control of the Nazis after their takeover of Poland at the beginning of
WW2. As he goes about his daily routine he encounters a 7 year old girl named
Janina. Over time he and Janina develop a brother and sister bond. When the
Jackboots (German soldiers) move them and all the other Jews and none
Christians into the Ghetto their lives become much worse than they imagined
possible.
I
absolutely loved the book! It was very interesting and once I started to read
more I couldn’t put the book down. It was full of surprises and was relatively
easy read. The story of a boy who did his best to survive really made me want
to read more and the things he does and see are completely unexpected. It a
great ending (but I’m not going to spoil it your just going to have to read it
yourself). I would really recommend it especially to those who read historical
fiction or books on WW2 and the Holocaust.
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