For such a short novel, Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli packs quite an emotional punch. Each time I read the small, worn, golden book, my response to it is as strong as the first time I read it.
Milkweed is the story of a young boy who is a food thief on the streets of Warsaw, Poland during the start of World War Two. He is soon taken in by a group of street boys and adopted as a younger brother by their leader, Uri. Along with a bath, haircut, and clothes, Uri gives him a name – Misha. Misha is a sweet, if sometimes annoyingly clueless character. He seems to face tragedy with an insulation of ignorance. And tragedy arrives with the Nazi invasion of Poland.
Food quickly becomes scarce – soon almost a mere dream to join the ranks of angels, mothers, and oranges. But Misha also makes his most poignant friendship with a sassy and stubborn little Jewish girl called Janina.
Milkweed has tenaciously kept a place on my ever – changing favorite books list, and I highly recommend it to any reader.