Milkweed

Author: Jerry Spinelli
Main Characters: Misha, Janina, her parents, Dr. Korczak, the other street kids

The story is about an orphan, Misha, who knew nothing about himself. He stole food to stay alive. Right before Hitler's takeover of Warsaw, he ran the streets and came across some other boys: Uri, Kuba, and others. On some of his runs, he came across a little Jewish girl named Janina. She invited him to her birthday party, something that had never happened to him before. He began leaving her presents on her front step. Through time, all Jews were rounded up and sent to a walled compound they called the ghetto. It wasn't long before Misha was taken into the family of Janina. He could sneak out of the compound to gather food to help his "family" and the poor home of orphans run by Dr. Korczak. He had a very big heart and always wanted to help others. Learn about angels and courage in this wonderful book.