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Gr 5-Up In Warsaw in 1939, a boy wanders the streets and survives by stealing what food he can. He knows nothing of his background: Is he a Jew? A Gypsy? Was he ever called something other than Stopthief? Befriended by a band of orphaned Jewish boys, he begins to share their sleeping quarters. He understands very little of what is happening. When the Nazi "Jackboots" march into the town, he greets them happily, admires their shiny boots and tanks, and hopes he can join their ranks someday. He eventually adopts a name, Misha, and a family, that of his f...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

A homeless young boy roams the streets of Warsaw, stealing food to stay alive. Asked what his name is, the undersized youth replies, "Stopthief." After he joins a gang of homeless Jewish boys, their ringleader Uri gives him a name and a fabricated history: he will be Misha Pilsudski, a Russian gypsy who was stolen from his parents. Though the Nazi invasion of Poland has begun, Misha's early days with Uri are almost carefree. They live in the cellar of an abandoned barbershop, gorge on caviar, candy, and other stolen treats, and even borrow—and crash—a streetcar...Log In or Sign Up to Read More