Milkweed
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $18.13
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Ron Rifkin
-
By:
-
Jerry Spinelli
About this listen
He's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy son of Abraham.
He's a boy who lives in the streets of Warsaw. He's a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He's a boy who believes in bread and mothers and angels. He's a boy who wants to be a Nazi someday, with tall, shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he's a boy who realizes it's safest of all to be nobody.
Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli takes us to one of the most devastating settings imaginable - Nazi-occupied Warsaw of World War II - and tells a tale of heartbreak, hope, and survival through the bright eyes of a young orphan.
©2003 Jerry Spinelli (P)2015 Listening LibraryListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Outsiders
- By: S. E. Hinton
- Narrated by: Jim Fyfe
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect, until the night someone takes things too far.
-
-
The Outsiders
- By Carol on 01-25-06
By: S. E. Hinton
-
Prisoner B-3087
- By: Alan Gratz, Ruth Gruener, Jack Gruener
- Narrated by: Steven Kaplan
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten concentration camps. Ten different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly. It's something no one could imagine surviving. But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face. As a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis, who have taken over. Everything he has and everyone he loves have been snatched brutally from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner - his arm tattooed with the words Prisoner B-3087.
-
-
Disturbing Good Story
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-08-17
By: Alan Gratz, and others
-
Loser
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Steve Buscemi
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip".
-
-
outstanding
- By M. Bauer on 09-05-12
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Maniac Magee
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: S. Epatha Merkerson
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; about how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.
-
-
Maniac Magee is a great book
- By No name on 09-15-11
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Stargirl Movie Tie-In Edition
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: John Ritter
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal.
-
-
So wonderful...
- By laurie on 03-30-11
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
The Giver
- By: Lois Lowry
- Narrated by: Ron Rifkin
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each twelve-year-old receives a life assignment determined by the Elders. Jonas watches his friend Fiona named Caretaker of the Old and his cheerful pal Asher labeled the Assistant Director of Recreation. But Jonas has been chosen for something special. When his selection leads him to an unnamed man, the man called only the Giver, he begins to sense the dark secrets that underlie the fragile perfection of his world.
-
-
This guy's mouth makes some serious noises...
- By Nikki Cole on 07-09-12
By: Lois Lowry
-
The Outsiders
- By: S. E. Hinton
- Narrated by: Jim Fyfe
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect, until the night someone takes things too far.
-
-
The Outsiders
- By Carol on 01-25-06
By: S. E. Hinton
-
Prisoner B-3087
- By: Alan Gratz, Ruth Gruener, Jack Gruener
- Narrated by: Steven Kaplan
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten concentration camps. Ten different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly. It's something no one could imagine surviving. But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face. As a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis, who have taken over. Everything he has and everyone he loves have been snatched brutally from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner - his arm tattooed with the words Prisoner B-3087.
-
-
Disturbing Good Story
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-08-17
By: Alan Gratz, and others
-
Loser
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Steve Buscemi
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip".
-
-
outstanding
- By M. Bauer on 09-05-12
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Maniac Magee
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: S. Epatha Merkerson
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; about how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.
-
-
Maniac Magee is a great book
- By No name on 09-15-11
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Stargirl Movie Tie-In Edition
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: John Ritter
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal.
-
-
So wonderful...
- By laurie on 03-30-11
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
The Giver
- By: Lois Lowry
- Narrated by: Ron Rifkin
- Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each twelve-year-old receives a life assignment determined by the Elders. Jonas watches his friend Fiona named Caretaker of the Old and his cheerful pal Asher labeled the Assistant Director of Recreation. But Jonas has been chosen for something special. When his selection leads him to an unnamed man, the man called only the Giver, he begins to sense the dark secrets that underlie the fragile perfection of his world.
-
-
This guy's mouth makes some serious noises...
- By Nikki Cole on 07-09-12
By: Lois Lowry
-
The Devil's Arithmetic
- By: Jane Yolen
- Narrated by: Barbara Rosenblat
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Winner of the National Jewish Book Award and an American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists", The Devil's Arithmetic plunges the listener into the terrible realities of the Nazi concentration camps. Chaya's tale is a celebration of the strength of the human spirit and a dramatic introduction to the darkest period of modern history.
-
-
One of my favorite books
- By Savannah Cassen &Maisie on 02-20-16
By: Jane Yolen
-
Wringer
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as he can remember, he's dreaded the day he turns ten - the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer's town being a wringer is an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son.
-
-
Slow Reading
- By Erin on 12-13-10
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
The Book Thief
- By: Markus Zusak
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's just a small story really, about, among other things, a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist: books.
-
-
Glad I took a chance.
- By Robert on 08-20-11
By: Markus Zusak
-
Refugee
- By: Alan Gratz
- Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom, Kyla Garcia, Assaf Cohen
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This timely and powerful novel tells the story of three different children seeking refuge. Josef is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world. Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe.
-
-
Intended for 5-8th graders, but it is good for adults too
- By LJK on 12-21-17
By: Alan Gratz
-
The Boy on the Wooden Box
- By: Leon Leyson, Marilyn J. Harran - contributor
- Narrated by: Danny Burstein
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This, the only memoir published by a former Schindler's List child, perfectly captures the innocence of a small boy who goes through the unthinkable. Most notable is the lack of rancour, the lack of venom, and the abundance of dignity in Mr Leyson's telling. The Boy on the Wooden Box is a legacy of hope, a memoir unlike anything you've ever read.
-
-
Schindler's List though a child's eyes
- By Jan on 10-16-13
By: Leon Leyson, and others
-
Night
- By: Elie Wiesel
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and the Congressional Gold Medal, Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel offers an unforgettable account of Hitler's horrific reign of terror in Night. This definitive edition features a new translation from the original French by Wiesel's wife and frequent translator, Marion Wiesel.
-
-
This book consumed me
- By Ella on 01-24-06
By: Elie Wiesel
-
To Kill a Mockingbird
- By: Harper Lee
- Narrated by: Sissy Spacek
- Length: 12 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Harper Lee’s Pulitzer prize-winning masterwork of honor and injustice in the deep south - and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred, available now for the first time as a digital audiobook. One of the best-loved stories of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has been translated into more than 40 languages, sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, served as the basis for an enormously popular motion picture, and was voted one of the best novels of the 20th century by librarians across the country.
-
-
A gift to be treasured
- By David Shear on 07-09-14
By: Harper Lee
-
Number the Stars
- By: Lois Lowry
- Narrated by: Blair Brown
- Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated," Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.
-
-
People of all ages will enjoy this book.
- By Angela Rhodes on 10-16-12
By: Lois Lowry
-
Song of the Trees
- By: Mildred D. Taylor
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
With the depression bearing down on her family, there isn't much that Cassie Logan can count on anymore. But there is one thing that hasn't changed - the whispering trees outside her window. Cassie's trees, which have stood for centuries, are a great source of comfort to her. But they are also worth a lot of money. With Cassie's daddy gone to lay tracks for the railroad, it seems like no one can stop Mr. Andersen from forcing Big Ma to sell their valuable trees. How can Cassie sit by and watch them disappear?
-
-
Beautiful show of brooking no refusal!
- By Missy on 06-14-23
-
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl
- The Definitive Edition
- By: Anne Frank
- Narrated by: Selma Blair
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank’s remarkable diary has since become a world classic - a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a 13-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the “Secret Annex” of an old office building.
-
-
First review I've written - Had to write it
- By Cynthianna on 12-21-10
By: Anne Frank
-
Freak the Mighty
- By: Rodman Philbrick
- Narrated by: Elden Henson
- Length: 3 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Meet Maxwell Kane, narrator of Freak the Mighty. He's a timid soul stuck in the body of a teenage giant with size 14 shoes. Haunted by a dark secret in his past, he hides out in his basement room, avoiding the world. But when a new kid moves in next door, Max's life changes forever. The two outcasts form the "normal" world team up to become "Freak the Mighty".
-
-
A Mighty book for fifth graders
- By the teach on 01-16-13
By: Rodman Philbrick
-
The Boy Who Dared
- By: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
- Narrated by: David Ackroyd
- Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When 16-year-old Helmuth Hubner listens to the BBC news on an illegal short-wave radio, he quickly discovers Germany is lying to the people. But when he tries to expose the truth with leaflets, he's tried for treason. Sentenced to death and waiting in a jail cell, Helmuth's story emerges in a series of flashbacks that show his growth from a naive child caught up in the patriotism of the times, to a sensitive and mature young man who thinks for himself.
-
-
Great Book
- By Michelle on 11-19-13
Related to this topic
-
Stepping on the Cracks
- By: Mary Downing Hahn
- Narrated by: Rachel Dulude
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret and her best friend Elizabeth both have brothers fighting the war against Hitler and, like everyone else they know, they are filled with feelings of patriotism. But the girls are also involved in their own personal war at home. Gordy Smith, the worst bully in the sixth grade, teases and torments them, and Margaret is scared to death of him. But when Gordy and his pals Toad and Doug grow bolder than ever, Margaret and Elizabeth come up with a daring plan to get even. That’s when the girls discover a shocking secret about Gordy.
-
-
awesome
- By Brad on 10-15-19
-
Wringer
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as he can remember, he's dreaded the day he turns ten - the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer's town being a wringer is an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son.
-
-
Slow Reading
- By Erin on 12-13-10
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
The Good Thief
- By: Hannah Tinti
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twelve-year-old Ren doesn't know who his parents were. He doesn't know who left him at St. Anthony's orphanage, or how he lost his left hand when still an infant. He is resigned to life without a family to call his own and terrified of the future. But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren's long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents is enough to persuade the monks at the orphanage to release the boy. But is Benjamin really who he says he is?
-
-
Close But No Cigar?
- By Andrew Moore on 10-03-09
By: Hannah Tinti
-
Quake!
- Disaster in San Francisco, 1906
- By: Gail Langer Karwoski
- Narrated by: Terry Bregy
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Buildings were weaving in and out, the street pitched like a stormy sea and bricks were raining down all around him.... Experience first hand through young Jacob what it was like living through this country’s most destructive earthquake!
-
-
I love this book
- By MikeI on 02-09-16
-
Liesl & Po
- By: Kei Acedera, Lauren Oliver
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice - until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone. That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable. Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po....
-
-
Great story made better by a great narrator
- By Marie on 09-16-12
By: Kei Acedera, and others
-
Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms
- By: Katherine Rundell
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Even a life on the untamed plains of Africa can't prepare Wilhelmina for the wilds of an English boarding school in this lovely and lyrical novel from the author of Rooftoppers, which Booklist called "a glorious adventure". Wilhelmina Silver's world is golden. Living half-wild on an African farm with her horse, her monkey, and her best friend, every day is beautiful. But when her home is sold and Will is sent away to boarding school in England, the world becomes impossibly difficult.
-
-
Wonderful!
- By Clayton on 10-11-24
-
Stepping on the Cracks
- By: Mary Downing Hahn
- Narrated by: Rachel Dulude
- Length: 5 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Margaret and her best friend Elizabeth both have brothers fighting the war against Hitler and, like everyone else they know, they are filled with feelings of patriotism. But the girls are also involved in their own personal war at home. Gordy Smith, the worst bully in the sixth grade, teases and torments them, and Margaret is scared to death of him. But when Gordy and his pals Toad and Doug grow bolder than ever, Margaret and Elizabeth come up with a daring plan to get even. That’s when the girls discover a shocking secret about Gordy.
-
-
awesome
- By Brad on 10-15-19
-
Wringer
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as he can remember, he's dreaded the day he turns ten - the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer's town being a wringer is an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son.
-
-
Slow Reading
- By Erin on 12-13-10
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
The Good Thief
- By: Hannah Tinti
- Narrated by: William Dufris
- Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twelve-year-old Ren doesn't know who his parents were. He doesn't know who left him at St. Anthony's orphanage, or how he lost his left hand when still an infant. He is resigned to life without a family to call his own and terrified of the future. But then a young man named Benjamin Nab appears, claiming to be Ren's long-lost brother, and his convincing tale of how Ren lost his hand and his parents is enough to persuade the monks at the orphanage to release the boy. But is Benjamin really who he says he is?
-
-
Close But No Cigar?
- By Andrew Moore on 10-03-09
By: Hannah Tinti
-
Quake!
- Disaster in San Francisco, 1906
- By: Gail Langer Karwoski
- Narrated by: Terry Bregy
- Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Buildings were weaving in and out, the street pitched like a stormy sea and bricks were raining down all around him.... Experience first hand through young Jacob what it was like living through this country’s most destructive earthquake!
-
-
I love this book
- By MikeI on 02-09-16
-
Liesl & Po
- By: Kei Acedera, Lauren Oliver
- Narrated by: Jim Dale
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice - until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone. That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable. Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po....
-
-
Great story made better by a great narrator
- By Marie on 09-16-12
By: Kei Acedera, and others
-
Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms
- By: Katherine Rundell
- Narrated by: Bianca Amato
- Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Even a life on the untamed plains of Africa can't prepare Wilhelmina for the wilds of an English boarding school in this lovely and lyrical novel from the author of Rooftoppers, which Booklist called "a glorious adventure". Wilhelmina Silver's world is golden. Living half-wild on an African farm with her horse, her monkey, and her best friend, every day is beautiful. But when her home is sold and Will is sent away to boarding school in England, the world becomes impossibly difficult.
-
-
Wonderful!
- By Clayton on 10-11-24
-
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
- By: Nancy Farmer
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 9 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Zimbabwe, 2194. General Matsika's three children sneak out of the house on a forbidden adventure and disappear. Immediately,the general calls Africa's most unusual detectives: the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. Together these three detectives combine their superhuman powers to find the missing children. It's a dangerous mission that leads them from the seedy streets of the Cow's Guts to the swaying top of the Mile-High MacIlwaine Hotel.
-
-
Amazing premise, decent execution
- By David Hoffman on 01-23-16
By: Nancy Farmer
-
Sold
- By: Patricia McCormick
- Narrated by: Justine Eyre
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Lakshmi is a thirteen-year-old girl who lives with her family in a small hut on a mountain in Nepal. Though she is desperately poor, her life is full of simple pleasures, like playing hopscotch with her best friend from school and having her mother brush her hair by the light of an oil lamp. But when the harsh Himalayan monsoons wash away all that remains of the family's crops, Lakshmi's stepfather says she must leave home and take a job to support her family.
-
-
Perfectly Haunting....
- By Theodore on 01-13-13
-
Nowhere is a Place
- By: Bernice McFadden
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nothing can mend a broken heart quite like family. Sherry has struggled all her life to understand who she is, where she comes from, and, most important, why her mother slapped her cheek one summer afternoon. The incident has haunted Sherry, and it causes her to dig into her family's past. Like many family histories, it is fractured and stubbornly reluctant to reveal its secrets. But Sherry is determined to know the full story. In a few days' time, her extended family will gather for a reunion, and Sherry sets off across the country with her mother, Dumpling, to join them.
-
-
A Mother and Daughter Tear. It. Up.
- By Susie on 01-15-14
By: Bernice McFadden
-
Midnight Robber
- By: Nalo Hopkinson
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's Carnival time and the Caribbean-colonized planet of Toussaint is celebrating with music, dance, and pageantry. Masked "Midnight Robbers" waylay revelers with brandished weapons and spellbinding words. To young Tan-Tan, the Robber Queen is simply a favorite costume to wear at the festival - until her power-corrupted father commits an unforgiveable crime. Suddenly, both father and daughter are thrust into the brutal world of New Half-Way Tree....
-
-
Even Through the Dimensions, Girls Are Not Safe
- By mary on 12-11-12
By: Nalo Hopkinson
-
Church of Marvels
- A Novel
- By: Leslie Parry
- Narrated by: Denice Stradling
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York, 1895. Sylvan Threadgill, a night soiler cleaning out the privies behind the tenement houses, finds an abandoned newborn baby in the muck. An orphan himself, Sylvan rescues the child, determined to find where she belongs.
-
-
If Dickens needed a NY location for a story..
- By Sandi from Oregon on 05-13-15
By: Leslie Parry
-
Oz Reimagined
- New Tales from the Emerald City and Beyond
- By: Douglas Cohen - editor, John Joseph Adams - editor
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl, Tanya Eby
- Length: 10 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When L. Frank Baum introduced Dorothy and friends to the American public in 1900, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz became an instant, best-selling hit. Today the whimsical tale remains a cultural phenomenon that continues to spawn wildly popular books, movies, and musicals. Now, editors John Joseph Adams and Douglas Cohen have brought together leading fantasy writers such as Orson Scott Card and Jane Yolen to create the ultimate anthology for Oz fans.
-
-
The Many Faces of Dorothy or Dot
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 07-19-14
By: Douglas Cohen - editor, and others
-
Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head
- By: Lauren Oliver, H. C. Chester
- Narrated by: Greg Steinbruner
- Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam, and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. But when a fourth child, Max, a knife thrower, joins the group, it sets off an unforgettable chain of events.
-
-
Mix the Circus and a Murder Mystery
- By Crystal on 06-23-16
By: Lauren Oliver, and others
-
Prisoner B-3087
- By: Alan Gratz, Ruth Gruener, Jack Gruener
- Narrated by: Steven Kaplan
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten concentration camps. Ten different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly. It's something no one could imagine surviving. But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face. As a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis, who have taken over. Everything he has and everyone he loves have been snatched brutally from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner - his arm tattooed with the words Prisoner B-3087.
-
-
Disturbing Good Story
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-08-17
By: Alan Gratz, and others
-
Velva Jean Learns to Drive
- A Novel
- By: Jennifer Niven
- Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
- Length: 14 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Set in Appalachia in the years before World War II, Velva Jean Learns to Drive is a poignant story of a spirited young girl growing up in the gold-mining and moonshining South. Before she dies, Velva Jean's mother urges her to "live out there in the great wide world." Velva Jean dreams of becoming a big-time singer in Nashville until she falls in love with Harley Bright, a handsome juvenile delinquent turned revival preacher.
-
-
If Jenna Lamia reads it, I'll listen to it!
- By Susan on 12-17-09
By: Jennifer Niven
-
The Canal Bridge
- A Novel of Ireland, Love, and the First World War
- By: Tom Phelan
- Narrated by: Paul Nugent
- Length: 8 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1913, before there is a rumor of war in Europe, Matthias Wrenn and Con Hatchel, lifelong friends from Ballyrannel in the Irish midlands, decide to see the world at the expense of the king of England and join the British army. A year later, while en route to India, their troop ship is recalled and they soon find themselves in the European slaughterhouse that was World War I.
-
-
Beautiful, disturbing and unforgettable
- By Kathy on 05-25-16
By: Tom Phelan
-
Promise
- A Novel
- By: Minrose Gwin
- Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
- Length: 12 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the aftermath of a devastating tornado that rips through the town of Tupelo, Mississippi, at the height of the Great Depression, two women worlds apart - one Black, one White; one a great-grandmother, the other a teenager - fight for their families' survival in this lyrical and powerful novel.
-
-
Mostly Disappointing
- By Anjoli on 06-15-19
By: Minrose Gwin
-
This Side of the Sky
- By: Elyse Singleton
- Narrated by: Myra Taylor, Sharon Washington, Richard Ferrone
- Length: 11 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Award-winning journalist Elyse Singleton delivers what Essence calls “a gem - the perfect book to curl up with.”
Best friends Lilian and Myraleen, two African American women from rural Mississippi, travel to Europe during World War II to act as members of the Women’s Army Corps. During this time of segregation and destruction, both women discover love and heartbreak, triumph and defeat.
-
-
A Breath of Fresh Air
- By Adina Andreu on 07-19-12
By: Elyse Singleton
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Wringer
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as he can remember, he's dreaded the day he turns ten - the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer's town being a wringer is an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son.
-
-
Slow Reading
- By Erin on 12-13-10
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Maniac Magee
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: S. Epatha Merkerson
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; about how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.
-
-
Maniac Magee is a great book
- By No name on 09-15-11
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Loser
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Steve Buscemi
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip".
-
-
outstanding
- By M. Bauer on 09-05-12
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Touching Spirit Bear
- By: Ben Mikaelsen
- Narrated by: Lee Tergesen
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Within Cole Matthews lies anger, rage, and hate. Cole has been stealing and fighting for years. This time he caught Peter Driscal in the parking lot and smashed his head against the sidewalk. Now, Peter may have permanent brain damage - and Cole is in the biggest trouble of his life. He receives a one-year banishment to a remote Alaskan island. There, Cole is mauled by a mysterious white bear of Native American legend. But it is the attack of the Spirit Bear that may save his soul.
-
-
My 6th grader is reading this with her class...
- By monica serrato-aguirre on 11-30-18
By: Ben Mikaelsen
-
Crash
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Robbie Daymond
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cocky seventh-grade super-jock Crash Coogan got his nickname the day he used his first football helmet to knock his cousin Bridget flat on her backside. And he has been running over people ever since, especially Penn Webb, the dweeby, vegetarian Quaker kid who lives down the block. Through the eyes of Crash, listeners get a rare glimpse into the life of a bully in this unforgettable and beloved story about stereotypes and the surprises life can bring.
-
-
Amazing Book
- By Casey on 09-04-20
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Stargirl Movie Tie-In Edition
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: John Ritter
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal.
-
-
So wonderful...
- By laurie on 03-30-11
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Wringer
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 4 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Palmer LaRue is running out of birthdays. For as long as he can remember, he's dreaded the day he turns ten - the day he'll take his place beside all the other ten-year-old boys in town, the day he'll be a wringer. But Palmer doesn't want to be a wringer. It's one of the first things he learned about himself and it's one of the biggest things he has to hide. In Palmer's town being a wringer is an honor, a tradition passed down from father to son.
-
-
Slow Reading
- By Erin on 12-13-10
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Maniac Magee
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: S. Epatha Merkerson
- Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He wasn't born with the name Maniac Magee. He came into this world named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, but when his parents died and his life changed, so did his name. And Maniac Magee became a legend. Even today kids talk about how fast he could run; about how he hit an inside-the-park "frog" homer; about how no knot, no matter how snarled, would stay that way once he began to untie it. But the thing Maniac Magee is best known for is what he did for the kids from the East Side and those from the West Side.
-
-
Maniac Magee is a great book
- By No name on 09-15-11
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Loser
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Steve Buscemi
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just like other kids, Zinkoff rides his bike, hopes for snow days, and wants to be like his dad when he grows up. But Zinkoff also raises his hand with all the wrong answers, trips over his own feet, and falls down with laughter over a word like "Jabip".
-
-
outstanding
- By M. Bauer on 09-05-12
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Touching Spirit Bear
- By: Ben Mikaelsen
- Narrated by: Lee Tergesen
- Length: 5 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Within Cole Matthews lies anger, rage, and hate. Cole has been stealing and fighting for years. This time he caught Peter Driscal in the parking lot and smashed his head against the sidewalk. Now, Peter may have permanent brain damage - and Cole is in the biggest trouble of his life. He receives a one-year banishment to a remote Alaskan island. There, Cole is mauled by a mysterious white bear of Native American legend. But it is the attack of the Spirit Bear that may save his soul.
-
-
My 6th grader is reading this with her class...
- By monica serrato-aguirre on 11-30-18
By: Ben Mikaelsen
-
Crash
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: Robbie Daymond
- Length: 4 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cocky seventh-grade super-jock Crash Coogan got his nickname the day he used his first football helmet to knock his cousin Bridget flat on her backside. And he has been running over people ever since, especially Penn Webb, the dweeby, vegetarian Quaker kid who lives down the block. Through the eyes of Crash, listeners get a rare glimpse into the life of a bully in this unforgettable and beloved story about stereotypes and the surprises life can bring.
-
-
Amazing Book
- By Casey on 09-04-20
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Stargirl Movie Tie-In Edition
- By: Jerry Spinelli
- Narrated by: John Ritter
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stargirl. From the day she arrives at quiet Mica High in a burst of color and sound, the hallways hum with the murmur of “Stargirl, Stargirl.” She captures Leo Borlock’s heart with just one smile. She sparks a school-spirit revolution with just one cheer. The students of Mica High are enchanted. At first. Then they turn on her. Stargirl is suddenly shunned for everything that makes her different, and Leo, panicked and desperate with love, urges her to become the very thing that can destroy her: normal.
-
-
So wonderful...
- By laurie on 03-30-11
By: Jerry Spinelli
-
Prisoner B-3087
- By: Alan Gratz, Ruth Gruener, Jack Gruener
- Narrated by: Steven Kaplan
- Length: 4 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ten concentration camps. Ten different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly. It's something no one could imagine surviving. But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face. As a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis, who have taken over. Everything he has and everyone he loves have been snatched brutally from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner - his arm tattooed with the words Prisoner B-3087.
-
-
Disturbing Good Story
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 01-08-17
By: Alan Gratz, and others
-
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
- By: Elizabeth George Speare
- Narrated by: Mary Beth Hurt
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kit Tyler must leave behind shimmering Caribbean islands to join the stern Puritan community of her relatives. She soon feels caged, until she meets the old woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond. But when their friendship is discovered, Kit herself is accused of witchcraft!
-
-
Great characters - a delightful listen!
- By Susan on 02-28-04
-
Holes
- By: Louis Sachar
- Narrated by: Kerry Beyer, Louis Sachar
- Length: 4 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys' detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes.
-
-
A Wonderful and Enduring Story
- By David L. Wroughton on 04-28-04
By: Louis Sachar
-
The Westing Game
- By: Ellen Raskin
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 6 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A bizarre chain of events begins when 16 unlikely people gather for the reading of Samuel W. Westing's will. And though no one knows why the eccentric, game-loving millionaire has chosen a virtual stranger - and a possible murderer - to inherit his vast fortune, one thing's for sure: Sam Westing may be dead...but that won't stop him from playing one last game!
-
-
I love this story
- By Alex on 12-17-18
By: Ellen Raskin
-
The Book Thief
- By: Markus Zusak
- Narrated by: Allan Corduner
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's just a small story really, about, among other things, a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist: books.
-
-
Glad I took a chance.
- By Robert on 08-20-11
By: Markus Zusak
-
Refugee
- By: Alan Gratz
- Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom, Kyla Garcia, Assaf Cohen
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This timely and powerful novel tells the story of three different children seeking refuge. Josef is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world. Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe.
-
-
Intended for 5-8th graders, but it is good for adults too
- By LJK on 12-21-17
By: Alan Gratz
What listeners say about Milkweed
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Madagan11
- 08-03-20
Holocaust Must Read
At first, I struggled with listening to this book. I was really thrown off by the fact that it was written through the eyes of a child. Once I got through that, I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for characters to meet their end. In teaching about the Holocaust, I believe Jerry Spinelli captures the child that lived through the Holocaust along with the aftermath of such events for many. I think it is a must have for those that learn and teach about the Holocaust.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 03-01-22
thank you
almost made me cry it was buitful book wich really put you in the spot of those whom had to experience this horrible time
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rocio
- 08-28-15
Love this story, great narrator
best book I've ever read. the ending always has me in tears. really great narrator
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Carson
- 02-13-24
A great one to come back to
I remember the first time I read Milkweed was in 6th grade. Such a interesting way to show the holocaust through the eyes of an innocent child and how he perceives everything throughout it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- James A. Straut
- 03-06-17
A overall good book
I somewhat enjoyed the book but it was not the best book I ever read
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- JULIO N JACKSON
- 02-04-22
Unbelievable story. It will tug at your heart
This book is recommended to me. I was not dissatisfied at all.I recommend this to anyone that’s looking for a different view of the holocaust.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chaffin
- 06-21-18
greatest book of all time, but very sad a a a a a
a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a glorifying awesome the best book of all time
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Natasha Jackson
- 06-01-18
Holocaust experience-
This is an incredible book! My students loved it because it of the intense use of imagery. Each chapter was loaded with figurative language and it opened the door for discussion, interpretation, and discovery. The narrator captured our attention with a narrative articulation from the 1940’s style radio shows.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ta'nigh Clark
- 11-14-19
This is one of my favorite books
I read this when I was a little girl and now I'm revisiting it. I've noticed even more things that I missed the first time around, like the piper. it's a good book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dee
- 01-01-17
Profound and very important work
Where does Milkweed rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I was deeply affected by hearing the unabridged audiobook "Milkweed" (authored by Jerry Spinelli and narrated by Ron Rifkin) which got me to re-examine fundamentals of my life and indeed of the whole human experience. As is usually the case after I ingest a profound work such as this, I have to write about it in order to help me process it.
I am not sure why I picked this book in particular, just wanted something gritty to drown out my nearly ceaseless troublesome thoughts after a particularly difficult holiday visit that left me with lots of worries and confusion. I'd describe the book as a page-turner, for I was riveted - listening when I couldn't sleep from worry, listening upon arising, listening when my troubling thoughts circled inside me again and again...
When I got to the end (which arrived much sooner than I wished) I felt like something in me was changing. Though I'm turning 64 in less than a handful of weeks, I've never been able to endure more than a cursory acknowledgment of the Holocaust - what Wikipedia refers to as the deadliest genocide in history - until this recounting as seen thru the eyes of a foolish and naive little orphan boy.
It reminded me of another extremely racist time I experienced growing up, and led me to watch a difficult movie by Lee Daniels "The Butler", about a black man serving as a White House Butler continuously throughout the tenure of 8 presidents. As with the "Milkweed" book, watching this movie I felt I was changing. Suddenly I found myself on the internet searching for names and events mentioned in the movie. I wanted to remember, to place in the context of my own sometimes fuzzy timeline - those events that happened when I was a scared grade-schooler growing up in the frightening and deadly political climate and events of the early sixties, continuing in the riotous and reactionary bedlam of the late sixties and early seventies when I was a confused radicalized teen and young adult. And fast forwarding to now with universal discontent, unrest and uncertainties of how we will finish the second decade of the new millennium in the aftermath following the tenure of our first black US president.
And now I suddenly query myself: "Does it really take six-going-on-seven decades to process, acknowledge, accept, bring the hidden to the light, and begin to heal from the events that threatened to end my whole world when I was young and completely unequipped to deal with them?"
Well the point of this whole story is to answer that with a "yes" and to say "Thank you Jerry Spinelli, for giving the world this story, thereby allowing me, at least, to experience the world through the eyes of a small open-hearted boy who lived each day raw and uncensored through the entire horrific Holocaust. Looking at a tiny bit of that monstrosity through the boy's little window - is helping me to at last begin tentatively approaching it and other terrible periods of injustice that have laid waste the very soul of humanity - without being completely overwhelmed by its entire immensity. I'll take another bite at it later.
Meanwhile this story helps make ask a lot of questions in order to continue trying to make sense of the big and little bumps in my private life, putting them in perspective to what really matters. It seems I suddenly feel I've been extremely petty, selfishly ungrateful, narrow-mindedly intolerant - and insensitive, after endlessly wallowing in feeling ignored, hurt, unwelcome, disdained, disrespected, dismissed... over what - a few misunderstandings from a little holiday visit? On big or little scales, over the arch of my life - am I so different from my perceived persecutors? Have I not perpetrated the same wrongs without understanding, caring little for anything but my own self defense? Do I not now repeat the same, again and again in the guise of being right, the other in the wrong? Did I not (do I not still) fight for my own survival, my own life-or-death battles to exist whole and free and worthy of all it means to be a precious human being? However true for myself, is this not also true for others? Just as the little boy lived his life in "Milkweed" I vow to better learn and practice the ways of compassion, restraint, respect, and love... until the love of and hope in a young loved one's eyes
silences those voices that tried to tell me who I am...
And now I ask myself, " How long will it be before I forget this again? Return to my habitual ways...?"
I don't know, but I feel a song welling up inside my heart and my head..."A Change Gonna Come" (oh yes it will...) by Sam Cooke... and I weep...
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
5 people found this helpful