114 pages 3 hours read

Jerry Spinelli

Milkweed

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2003

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Reading Questions & Paired Texts

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-9

Reading Check

1. What is the first thing Stopthief remembers?

2. According to the “unlaugher,” what is a Jew?

3. What advice does Uri give Stopthief?

4. Why is Stopthief “fascinated” when the Jackboots give bread to the people?

5. Who does Uri give part of the stolen bread to?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Uri say that Stopthief is lucky?

2. Describe how the passengers react to Uri and Stopthief on the streetcar. What does Uri do in the end?

3. Summarize the two events that Stopthief witnesses after the Jackboots arrive in his town. What is Stopthief’s reaction?

4. Why does Uri invent a story about Stopthief’s past? How does Stopthief respond?

5. Who does Misha meet in Chapter 8? How do they become friends?

Paired Resource

Janusz Korczak

  • The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum shares information about Doctor Korczak’s work with orphaned and displaced children.
  • This resource connects with the theme The Physical, Emotional, and Moral Costs of Survival.
  • How did Doctor Korczak provide children with a support network during WWII?

Related Titles

By Jerry Spinelli