Book Review Contest - Milkweed
By Daniel Claridge
Milkweed, by Jerry Spinelli, is a book about angels, oranges, and merry-go-rounds. It is a story about hate, courage, and the determination to go on. Yet most of all, it is the story of how perseverance and a strong, positive attitude can carry you through an impossible time.
“Your angel never dies.” (page 136)
Although Misha Pilsudski has many different identities, his angel reveals who he really is. His angel lurks inside of him, yet he shares it with everyone around him in the form of happiness, hope…or food. His angel is the one that puts food on the table for both orphans and the Milgroms and who dances around the Menorah smiling and singing at the same time. His angel is invisible, it can never die. Nothing the jackboots can do, whether it be violence or words, can cripple his angel’s wings. Misha is an angel, because nothing can dampen his spirits.
“What do they (oranges) look like?”
“Like little suns before they set.” (page 88)
Almost everybody in the Warsaw ghetto likes oranges. Although the outside skin tastes bitter, and may be dented and bruised, every time you peel it away, you are always left with the same sweet tasting fruit. This is like Misha Pilsudski. To most people, he is an orphaned boy who roams the streets of Warsaw, stealing bread and sneaking around. Yet the people who take the time to peel away his outside find that he is a sweet and compassionate person, who takes care of and feeds everyone he can. Jackboots don’t realize his influence in people, because to them, he is just another orphan, just another dirty Jew roaming the streets. Misha is an orange, because he’s a sweet person and he literally fills everyone’s stomach.
“So proud and high were their heads I saw for the first time how miserable were the real horses plodding the streets.” (page 60)
When Misha first sees the amazing merry-go-round, prancing to the music in the park, he is awestruck. He is in awe of the fact that the horses keep moving with the music, like nothing in the world is wrong. To Misha, nothing in the world is wrong. He is happy to be alive, and nothing bothers him. Although the jackboots threaten and destroy everything around him, he holds his head high and stays proud. Misha is a merry-go-round because nothing can stop him from prancing to the music of life.
In order to overcome hate and destruction, a person must stay hopeful and caring, like an angel, sweet and innocent, like an orange, and proud and firm, like a merry-go-round. Misha, the dirty Jew, the disgusting gypsy, the thief or the orphan, uses these amazing qualities to overcome one of the most tragic events that ever occurred. Misha is a milkweed plant, because he grows in the most uncommon of places, and spreads his seeds to the world around him.