Milkweed (novel)
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| Author(s) | Jerry Spinelli |
| Original title | Milkweed |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Young adult, Historical novel |
| Publisher | HarperTrophy |
| Publication date | 2003 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & [[Paperback[[File:--129.71.117.210 (talk) 23:53, 30 January 2012 (UTC)Example.jpg]]]]) |
| Pages | 230 pp + Question and answer by the author (only in the special edition) |
Milkweed is a 2003 historical fiction novel by American author Jerry Spinelli. The book is about a boy in Warsaw, Poland in the years of World War II during the Holocaust. Over time, he learns that he is a Gypsy but he is taken in by a Jewish group of orphans, so he must avoid the German troops (or "Jackboots") while living off the streets with other orphans. The story narrator is the boy in the future living in America recalling his past experiences.[1][2] Despite being a historical fiction novel, Doctor Korczak, a minor character in the story is based on a real person named Janusz Korczak.
The boy eventually receives an identity that his friend Uri bestows upon him. Unsure whether he is a Jew, a Gypsy, or simply a boy named "Stopthief," he suddenly becomes Misha Pilsudski. While stealing goods and foods from people in town, he comes to meet a girl named Janina.
Janina and Misha Pilsudski develop a deep friendship, as he gives food to her and her poor Jewish family. They become inseparable - not as lovers but as true friends. They are siblings at heart. Janina is shown to have an aggressive side. She kicks, screams, and whines to get almost everything she wants in the household. Misha has a tougher side with Janina - but only because he loves her like a sister.
Milkweed is the tale of a boy with no identity at a time when one's identity meant the difference between life and death. Published in 2003, the novel became a popular young adult works used by English teachers to facilitate a discussion of the Holocaust. Readers are immersed in the experiences of a child who does not fully comprehend what is happening around him in the Warsaw ghetto.
