Milkweed By: Jerry Spinelli

Annotation:

Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli is the incredible story of an orphaned boy experiencing the horrors of Warsaw during World War II. In a time where your heritage decided whether you lived or died, the young orphan doesn't know if he is a gypsy or jew, and the only names he has are those given to him on the street, mainly Stopthief (after "Stop! Thief!" called after him on the streets). He befriends a fellow orphan, Uri, who forces him to become Misha Pilsudski. Misha soon befriends Janina Milgrom and becomes inseparable from her. When the Milgrom family is forced to move to the ghetto, innocent Misha tags along. While in the ghetto, he is small enough to sneak out and smuggle back food. However, when the trains come to relocate the ghetto’s residents Misha realizes the ‘relocation’ claims are false and must make important decisions about life and death.

Review:

Jerry Spinelli’s Milkweed is a touching take on a familiar and tragic tale. The horrors of the Holocaust are brought to new and terrifying life through the eyes of a child who sees people running and thinks it’s a race, and sees Nazi’s marching and envies their shiny boots. Throughout the story reader understands the horrors unfolding around him as young Misha does not, at least not till the end when the ghettos are cleared. At the end both the reader and Misha know the horribly tragic reality of the holocaust and the fate of those in the ghetto. Milkweed is a powerful and moving story about survival, innocence, heartbreak and hope, a must read.

Awards:

ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2004
Carolyn W. Field Award, 2004
Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List Winner, 2004
Golden Kite Award for Fiction, 2004

Spinelli, Jerry. Milkweed. New York: Knopf, 2003
Book Cover Credit: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/s/jerry-spinelli/milkweed.htm

The Outsiders By: S. E. Hinton

Annotation:

Ponyboy and his brtohers Sodapop and Darry live in a world where you are either a Greaser or a Soc. If you are a Greaser, with long greasy hair, you're like family to the orphaned Ponyboy. If you are a Soc, or Scoial you’re well off and from a different world from the Greasers living on the outside. Getting along is not an option. When a Soc is killed by Ponyboy's friend in an effort to save Ponyboy during a fight the two boys find themselves running from the law, but unable to escape the war between the Greasers and Soc's for long.

Review:

S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders is a classic tale which readers have enjoyed for over forty years. While parts of the story may appear dated, especially to today’s modern teens, there is no denying the classic themes the book portrays. No matter what decade you grow up in you will inevitably struggle with some of the same issues: there will be clashes between social groups, the strong ties of friendship, the consequences for spur of the moment actions, the pain of loss, and what it means to be a hero. The Outsiders is a book which should be included in any High School students reading list.

Awards:

New York Herald Tribune Best Teenage Books List, 1967
Chicago Tribune Book World Spring Book Festival Honor Book, 1967
Media and Methods Maxi Award, 1975
ALA Best Young Adult Books, 1975
Massachusetts Children’s Book Award, 1979


Hinton, S. E. The Outsiders.
New York: Puffin Books (USA), 1967.
Book cover credit: http://www.sehinton.com/books/outsiders.html.