<![CDATA[Milkweed (Black Apples)]]>

false <![CDATA[Milkweed (Black Apples)]]> 69392 17 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 thempeople 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 survivalreaders 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 2915313 2003 Milkweed (Readers Circle) total:1753|5:619|4:628|3:378|2:102|1:26| 1753 6971 2532 357 4 4 false false Fri Feb 22 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 22 13:59:45 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 22 14:19:11 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 1 false false Thu Mar 26 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 25 20:30:30 -0700 2009 Fri Mar 27 23:02:25 -0700 2009 1
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This is a young adult book - maybe even for middle schoolers.

It takes place during WWII in Warsaw, Poland. A young boy is stealing food and is caught by another boy who lives with a group of children who steal food and live on the streets. This boy kn...more...]]> 5 2 false false Sun Sep 25 00:00:00 -0700 2005 Thu Mar 20 11:50:28 -0700 2008 Fri Mar 21 10:44:00 -0700 2008 Title: Milkweed
Genre: historical fiction
Publication Info: Random House, New York, 2003
Recommended Age: 11 and older
Plot Summary: A pocket-picking orphan who thinks his name is “stopthief” tells of his experiences during the Holocaust. The story...more...]]> 1 1 false false Wed Jan 02 18:04:05 -0800 2008 Fri Jan 18 14:51:30 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 31 11:32:13 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 31 11:32:39 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Mar 29 07:16:42 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 29 07:30:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 24 12:06:33 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 24 12:24:00 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Feb 23 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 12:42:00 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 13:03:43 -0800 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Feb 18 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Wed Jan 21 11:28:19 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 11:29:05 -0800 2009
Misha Pilsudski doesn't really have a name--his friend and "guardian" Uri gave him a name and story so he would have something to tell people when asked. He ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jun 11 20:14:59 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 20:40:13 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 0 false false Thu Jun 11 08:56:14 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 09:09:01 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun May 17 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 10:06:40 -0700 2009 Thu May 21 10:25:31 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Apr 07 15:08:28 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 07 15:09:35 -0700 2009 Milkweed
Jerry Spinelli
Laurel-Leaf
2003
$6.99
208 pgs
Holocaust
0-440-42005-9

In Jerry Spinelli’s touching novel, readers see life during World War II through the eyes of an innocent young boy. Uncertain of his family, his religion, and even his own n...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Sep 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 06:33:29 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 20 13:28:46 -0700 2009 more...]]> 2 1 false false Fri Apr 04 17:29:32 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 18 18:57:37 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 24 15:41:35 -0700 2008 ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Mar 24 16:55:10 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 24 17:22:16 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Feb 12 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 18 10:09:03 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 02 10:23:44 -0800 2009 He knows nothing about his past. He doesn't know how old he is or even know ...more...]]> 3 0 false false Sat Nov 14 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 01 11:45:29 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 08:17:46 -0800 2009 more...]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=978316