Search - Milkweed

A moving story told from the perspective of a child who survives the Warsaw ghetto. We meet Misha -- a name given to him by another orphan who finds him -- wandering the streets shortly before the German invasion with no memory of his name, his parents, or where he comes from. He seems to know he is a Gypsy. He's taken in by a band of Jewish orphans. He finds friendship and affection, as well as confusion, fear and a harsh struggle to survive and help others to live. This well-written tale doesn't sugarcoat the historical events, but it does offer hope and compassion.

He's a boy who has lived on the streets of Warsaw as long as he can remember. He remembers no name, other than Stopthief, no parents, no home. But he's small and quick, so he manages to find enough to eat, and places to sleep -- until the Nazis come.

By then he has a name, Misha, given to him by another street boy. He has also befriended a girl, Janina, who has a family. So when Janina's family is herded into the newly created Jewish ghetto, Misha goes with them. He is able to slip in and out of the ghetto at will, so he brings food for Janina's family, as well as for Dr. Korczak's orphanage. But even for a survivor like Misha, conditions soon become unbearable -- and Misha must decide where he belongs.

This is a short book, can be read easily in a few days. It is the story of a young Jewish boy in Poland during World War II. He is a small boy who is for some reason, alone, feeding himself by stealing. Because he is quick and small, he is good at this and manages to stay alive and also help others stay alive by bringing them food. He is wise in some ways, and ignorant in other ways. The book is troubling because it stirs up memories of the evil that was the Nazi regime during WWII. There are no "good" Germans in this book, except for perhaps one Nazi soldier's girlfriend who does not laugh when her boyfriend and other soldiers entertain their girlfriends by throwing food at the starving Jews in the ghetto in order to see them scramble for the food. Some might find the book depressing but for the perserverence of the boy, his loyalty to others who have been kind to him, and his ability to survive. This book is similar to many other books written about the Holocaust but seen from the eyes of a young boy. Only at the very end do you meet the older man he becomes.

Powerful, heartbreaking story about a homeless boy who finds and loses a family in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII.