The ABC’s of Milkweed

Nicole BenjouMidterm Project

Literature Circles ExtensionFall 2006

MilkweedBy Jerry Spinelli

A is for Armband

I was about to open the door when Mr. Milgrom

said, “No, wait.” Slumped against one

wall was a large, stuffed cloth bag embroidered in black and green designs.

Mr. Milgrom reached into the bag and pulled out a blue-and-white

armband. He slipped it over my coat sleeve onto my right arm. “I got this

for you,” he said.(page 94-95)

B is for Buttercream

We ate candy all day long. My favorite was

buttercream with a hazelnut inside. There was usually only one to a candy box and often

not even that, and I was not good at telling

them on sight. So I broke open chocolates

by the hundreds, searching for my prize.

(page 25)

C is for Cow

The cow had become something to believe

in or not to believe in. Like angels. Mothers. Oranges. How could

something as large as a cow live in the

ghetto and not be seen? How could it

survive? What would it eat? Rubble dust?

(page 115)

D is for Dr. Korczak

I loved his goatee even more than his mustache. It was so

soft and white. I wanted to rub my

face in it. I wanted to climb inside it and live there and peek

out. I think he wanted me to be an orphan very badly. I hated to disappoint

him.(page 54)

E is for Enemy

I thought: This is what the enemy does. He flies overhead in his

airplane. If he sees you in the street

below, he reaches out and drops a bomb on

your head.(page 16)

F is for Family

And Uncle Shepsel, propped on his elbow, was pointing at me and saying, “Why is he sleeping here?

He smells.”“I regret to inform you,”

said Mr. Milgrom, “that you are not a rose garden yourself these days.”

Uncle Shepsel pounded the floor. “He’s not family.”

Mr. Milgrom looked straight at him. “He is now.”

(page 99)

G is for Ghetto

They marched us to the ghetto. Since

they had finished the brick wall – topped

with broken glass and coils of barbed wire – I had not been able to visit Janina. I took this as a personal

insult and challenge.(page 79)

H is for Horses

The horses went round and round. As each

wonderful horse went by, its large black eye

seemed to look straight at me. So proud and

high were their heads, I saw for the first time

how miserable were the real horses plodding the

streets.(page 60)

I is for Interchangeable

They found the Jew. Or should I say, they

found a Jew. Jews were

interchangeable. One was as good as

another. I was to learn this many

times.(page 66)

J is for Janina

Her elbows were on her knees and her

face leaned into her cupped hands. Her hair was curly and the color of bread

crust. Her eyes were brown as chestnuts. They were very big.

(page 29)

K is for Katherine

When I said one day to my daughter,

Katherine, “Drive around, out of town,” and I brought along a trowel and a bucket, she did not ask why.

Why I said, “Stop here,” and dug it up, she said only, “Milkweed, right?”

(page 207)

L is for Lice

Using all my strength, I was finally able to pull the comb through my hair. I could feel the lice and their eggs

peppering the back of my neck. I heard them ticking onto the floor.

(page 159)

M is for Milgrom

When you own nothing, it’s easy to

let things go. I supposed my last

name was Milgrom now, so Pilsudski went too. I kept Misha. I liked it.

(page 104)

N is for Nazis

Jackboots and Flops came through the

lines, screaming into the people’s faces, poking them with clubs and rifles, spitting in their

faces.(page 96)

O is for Orphans

“Unlucky orphans,” I said. I told her that

was what Enos called them – orphans who did

not live in Doctor Korczak’s home, or any other, and who roamed the streets hungry and

begging and sick.(page 84)

P is for Pickled Egg

Although Janina did not like her comb, I knew of

something she would like very much. Almost

every time she ate I heard her mutter, “I wish I had a pickled egg.” I knew about

pickled herring but not pickled eggs. I thought:

I’ll find an egg and a pickle.

(page 161)

Q is for Quick

“He’s stupid,” said the unlaughing boy. “He’ll

get us in trouble.”“He’s quick,” said Uri.

“And he’s little.”“He’s a runt.”

“Runt is good,” said Uri.

(page 5)

R is for Running

I am running.That’s the first

thing I remember. Running.

(page 1)

S is for Stone Angel

I thought of the stone angel. I pictured the

snow falling over it, two crests of snow rising on the tops of its wings. So silent, the both of

them, the angel and the snow. I pretended I was the stone angel.

(page 98)

T is for Trains

We said nothing of the trains the next day. We didn’t have to. Everyone in the ghetto knew. The

words were in the air, buzzing with the flies:

“Trains…”“Deportations…”

“Stawki Station…”(page 174)

U is for Uri

I had never seen him so mad. His hair looked redder than ever, only

this time it was not because he was

laughing. He punched me in the forehead. The back of my head banged against the wall. “Someday I’m

going to have to kill you to keep you alive.”

(page 59)

V is for Visible

When I finished eating the tomato, I stood and

walked off. I didn’t run. When I looked back, she was still watching me. Her

round, unblinking eyes made me feel as if I

had just become visible, as if I had never been seen

before.(page 29)

W is for Wendy Janina

“Wendy’s middle name. I left it blank. I knew someday I would find you. She’s been

waiting four years for a middle name. I want

you to give it to her.” “Janina,” I said.

(page 206)

X is for Exist

Ferdi said, “Oranges don’t

exist.”

“We don’t exist” said Ferdi under

the rug one night.(page 88)

Y is for Yellow Stone

I waggled my yellow stone in Uri’s face. “What about this?”

He stared. “Yes…it was your father’s. He gave

it to you.”I was greedy. “What

else?”“Before you were

kidnapped,” he said. “That’s all.”(page 31)

Z is for Zionists

Voices shrieked out of the

blinding lights: “Move! Move! All you filthy sons of Abraham! All you stinking Zionists!

All you dirty Jewish pigs! Line

up! Line up!”(page 95)