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March/April 2008

Publish-A-Kid

We want to thank all the talented young writers who submitted book reviews this year. There were so many good and thoughtful submissions that it was incredibly hard for us to pick the winners—which is why we invite you to read reviews from this year's finalists. We encourage all budding writers to enter the 2008 contest.

Milkweed is an intriguing story set in Warsaw, Poland, during the Holocaust of World War II. It tells the story of Misha, an 8-year-old orphan who lives with a group of Jewish boys, stealing food to survive. Misha, a gypsy, knows nothing of his past. Misha understands very little, and Uri, one of the Jewish street boys, teaches him about life. Misha and his friends happen upon a stone angel, and Misha is captivated by it. But the angel, representing peace and love, is frozen into cold stone and helpless.

One day in a tomato garden, he meets Janina, a Jewish girl, and befriends her. When all the Jews get rounded up in the ghetto, Misha moves in with Janina’s family. Misha and Janina find a plant with white, fluffy petals blowing away. They sail to the sky like angels with their fragile hopes. The name comes upon Misha’s tongue, “milkweed.”

Then trains come. Misha and Janina escape, but then they hear that the trains are going to a “candy mountain” (in reality, a concentration camp) and Janina’s father is on board. Despite Misha’s pleas, Janina jumps on a train. Misha never sees her again.

At the end of the war, Misha travels to America and gets married. Years later, Misha gives his granddaughter Wendy a middle name, “Janina.” They live together and plant milkweed, the angel flower, in their backyard.

It’s different to see the story through an orphan child’s point of view, especially a “thief’s.” Everything is fresh to Misha’s eyes. In fact, he even likes “Jackboots” (Nazis) at the beginning. As the story develops, Misha gradually changes, and my heart sinks down, down, down with him. But he can always find light in a dark situation. That’s one of his unforgettable qualities.

This book is both sad and sweet. The care-freeness of Misha and the innocence of Janina show how cruel the war is and make us nervous for the fate they don’t even realize. This book is sometimes funny, too, such as the time when Misha “rescues” Janina’s birthday cake from being “burnt down” by candles.

I think Jerry Spinelli’s idea for Misha and Janina is very unique. Instead of preaching, he actually painted pictures in my head. I think that how he expresses his writing by “show, not tell” is superb and can be an excellent example for future young writers. I will never forget this book.
Liana Wang
Age: 9
Houston, Texas

Unlike most adults, Judy Blume didn’t forget what it’s like to be a kid. The main character in her Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret worries about the same things that all girls around the age of 12 worry about: the way they look and feel, how they are changing, and if they will fit in with other kids, especially boys.

Although this book was written over 30 years ago, the girls’ doubts today are still the same. None of the characters are text-messaging their friends or going on-line, but our questions still are: Am I normal? Will other kids like me? The characters in this book seem real. We’ve all met “know it all” girls like Nancy and cute but dopey boys like Leroy! I can relate to Margaret’s world and believe that other girls my age will, too.

Margaret has a question in her life that I have not had: What religion should she follow? Margaret has a very personal relationship with God. She confides in him like a best friend, but her God does not have a label. Margaret is not Jewish or Christian or any other religion and that makes her very different from her new friends. Conflicts over religion tear Margaret’s family apart. Margaret looks for God in the synagogue and in churches, but does not find him. I think what she learns will surprise you.
Olivia Balog
Age: 13
Middle Village, NY

Incantation by Alice Hoffman is about a Jewish girl named Estrella de Magdrigal who lived in Spain in the 1500s, the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Estrella had to face many dangers because she and her family had been pretending to be Christian. Estrella does not know about the lie she and her family had been living.

Parts of the book made me feel grief stricken, and even though I found it difficult to read about the horrors Estrella experienced, I could not put the book down. She watched the Spanish soldiers torture her grandfather by forcing him to eat Estrella’s pet pig. His beliefs did not allow him to give in to the soldiers and she watched as he was killed. Her mother Abra and her brother Luis were both burned to death. I was impressed by Estrella’s strength and saddened that she had to grow up so quickly.

There were other parts of the book that I could really relate to: I could imagine what she felt like when she played with her pet. I could relate to the great times that she and her best friend Catalina had before everything around them changed. I could also imagine the pain she felt when she was betrayed by Catalina.

This book taught me that the Jewish people have been persecuted long before the Holocaust. I only knew about their difficulty during World War II. But now, I realize that the Jews’ faith must be so strong to continue even though so many people have tried to convert them. I was shocked to find out that my church could have been responsible for this kind of prejudice. I could not understand how anyone could be so cruel and filled with so much hatred.

I learned more about my own church and realized that we have made mistakes but who we are today is different. I know we have learned to be more accepting and understanding.
Lauren Rosales
Age 12
San Antonio, Texas

The Adventures of Rabbi Harvey by Steve Shenkin is a wonderful and funny book. My favorite chapter is Chapter 2, “The Bearded Chicken.” It is about a boy named Asher who thinks he is a chicken and lives under the kitchen table naked. His parents were very embarrassed when visitors came to their house. The parents called the rabbi for help; he listened to the problem and started taking off all his clothes.

The parents got mad at Rabbi Harvey because they thought they had two chickens now. The rabbi and Asher lived under the table naked for about a week. Then the rabbi said to Asher, “Can we still be chickens and have shirts on?” Asher said that they could try it. Asher and Rabbi Harvey put on their shirts and they still felt like chickens. Then the rabbi asked Asher if they could still be chickens with their pants on. Asher said that they could try it. They didn’t feel any different. Then Rabbi Harvey asked if they could go outside and still be chickens. Rabbi Harvey and Asher tried going outside. They didn’t feel any different, so they strolled around the town and found a group of boys playing baseball, who asked them if they wanted to join them. Asher said that chickens weren’t good at baseball, but he and Rabbi Harvey still played with the boys. Asher had many good hits and amazing catches, but Rabbi Harvey only hit the ball as far as the pitcher’s mound and didn’t catch the ball. I think this was the best part because Asher wanted to be a human again.

I loved this book; it was my favorite book ever.
William Biediger
Age 9
San Antonio, Texas