Milkweed
by Jerry Spinelli
2003, Scholastic
2003, Scholastic
Milkweed is about an orphan Misha who is searching for his identity at a time when a persons identity is so important. Milkweed takes place in Warsaw, Poland during the Holocaust. Read as he finds his way by being taken in my a group of Jewish orphans and is then by a family. And finds his way to America.
"As Misha runs with the other orphans, he learns to survive against all odds. He tells his story in a matter-of-fact tone, which makes the tragedy of his world all the more poignant."
Killat Review- Sally Tibbetts
Killat Review- Sally Tibbetts
Awards & Honors:
- 2004 Golden Kite Award for Fiction
- 2003 Carolyn W. Field Award for Fiction
Helpful Information:
Grade Level- 5-9
Age Range- 11+
Reading Level-Fountas and Pinnell- Y
Lexile- 510
Suggested Delivery- Indpendant or small group read
Genre- Historical Fiction
Age Range- 11+
Reading Level-Fountas and Pinnell- Y
Lexile- 510
Suggested Delivery- Indpendant or small group read
Genre- Historical Fiction
Vocabulary:
Converge- to meet or come together to form a crowd or group
Goad- to urge or force someone to do something.
Heed- to pay attention to advice or a warning.
Rant- to talk loudly and in a way that shows anger.
Agitate- to disturb, excite, or anger.
Repentance- to feel or show that you are sorry for something bad or wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right.
Judaism- the religion of the Jewish people.
Warsaw- capitol of Poland, where the ghetto was in the novel.
Gypsy- a groups of people who move from place to place.
Goad- to urge or force someone to do something.
Heed- to pay attention to advice or a warning.
Rant- to talk loudly and in a way that shows anger.
Agitate- to disturb, excite, or anger.
Repentance- to feel or show that you are sorry for something bad or wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right.
Judaism- the religion of the Jewish people.
Warsaw- capitol of Poland, where the ghetto was in the novel.
Gypsy- a groups of people who move from place to place.
Comprehension Strategies:
Before Reading Activity:
Have students create a KWL chart for what the know about WWII and the Holocaust. You will then be able to see what the children already know and then give them more information, if necessary, to fill in the gaps they may be missing. After the reading the story the students can fill in any information they already know.
During Reading Activity:
Have students answer the discussion questions from Random House, students can use this as a reading journal while reading the book. Almost like directed note taking, they will have the question before reading so while reading they can closely read the book looking for information to support their answers for the questions.
Discussion found here.
Discussion found here.
After Reading Activity:
After reading the book students can do a Readers' Theatre together. Have groups of the students pick an event in the book or part of the book to create a Readers' Theatre for. Students can pick what characters they want to be, what the dialogue will be, and then they can create a script for it. Students can then perform it for the class (or the other groups of students who read the book incase not everyone did.)
Writing Activity:
Have students look at the title of the novel, Milkweed, and see how it is used in the novel. Where is it used in the novel? What does it mean when it appears in the ghetto? What does the Milkweed mean to Misha at the end? What does it preserve for him?