I love both Maniac Magee and Stargirl, but this book left me cold. I found it unbelievable. I didn't really care about the characters. Spinelli is usually good to pull me into the story, but this story just made me feel yucky. I didn't get the whole "Candy man" in the Ghetto. Where did he come from. In every story I've ever read about the Holocaust the children (and adults) are always afraid of the soldiers. I found the idea of the Misha and Janina taunting the Mint man annoying. It wouldn't have happened that way.

I found the story annoying and trite. I expect better from Spinelli.

Edited to Add:

I think I figured out why this story bothers me so much. Spinelli tells of a boy who is fast, smart, and lucky enough to escape the Nazis. This story feeds into the fact that victims need to be better, stronger, faster, more clever, etc - and if they are, they can outsmart their abusers. I feel that stories like this perpetuate the myth that the victim is responsible for their own escape from abuse. This story is why so many who have not been abused or in horrible situations say things like, "Well, why didn't they just walk away. Why didn't they tell someone." Torture and abuse go so far beyond what normal people realize that normal reactions don't happen when a person is in the thick of horror. This story asks the questions: "Misha was able to walk away from the Ghetto - why didn't all those other Jews just walk away from the Ghetto?" It isn't realistic - I feel this story downplays the suffering of those who lived through the death camps and all of those who didn't. Why didn't all those other Jews steal food so they didn't starve to death? They should have been as smart as Misha (who is fictional).

Now that I've identified why I don't like this book, I feel better. (not about the book).