milkweed

Page numbers are approximate and may vary between book editions.

Section 1: Chapters 1-11

1. How do Misha (Stopthief) and Uri first meet?
   pg. 2-3
2. Why does Uri tell Misha he is lucky?
   pg. 2
3. Where does Uri take Misha to?
   pg. 4
4. According to one of the boys, what is the difference between Gypsies and Jews?
   pg. 8
5. Where does Uri live?
   pg. 9
6. Why are all the people outside carrying shovels?
   pg. 12
7. What lesson does Uri teach Misha by observing Kuba?
   pg. 13
8. Why does Misha think everyone is running?
   pg. 17-18
9. Why isn’t Misha allowed to snatch anything on the pickle run with Uri?
   pg. 25-26
10. What does Uri do that makes Misha feel like he was born in a way?
    pg. 29-30
11. How does Misha try and make up for stealing Janina’s birthday cake?
    pg. 41-42
12. What does Misha begin to do after he sees Uri taking bread to the orphans?
    pg. 41-42
13. What happens to Misha when he goes to Janina’s at night?
    pg. 44
14. Why are all the trees being chopped down?
    pg. 52-53

Section 2: Chapters 12-22

1. Why does Misha knock on Janina’s door?
   pg. 56
2. What strict instructions does Uri give Misha about walking out on the streets?
   pg. 58
3. What catches Misha’s attention when he and Uri are walking to the orphan’s home?
   pg. 60
4. How is the blue-and-white parade different from the grand parade of the Jackboots?
   pg. 69
5. Why won’t anyone in the blue-and white parade speak to Misha?
   pg. 72
6. Why does Misha think the ghetto must be a wonderful place?
   pg. 74
7. Why are there suddenly many more boys living in the stable with Uri and Misha?
   pg. 79
8. Why doesn’t Janina wear her blue-and-white armband when she goes out to play?
   pg. 82
9. How does Misha think the newspapers get placed on the dead bodies?
   pg. 86
10. Why don’t the food vendors ever run out of squirrel meat to sell?
    pg. 90
11. When everyone in the ghetto is marched outside, what does Misha decide to accept as a challenge?
    pg. 96
12. What does Uri force Big Henryk to do?
    pg. 100-101
13. Why does Misha keep the yellow stone his father had given him?
    pg. 104-105
14. After Mr. Milgrom tells Janina and Misha that they are both good children, what does Janina want him to tell her?
    pg. 107-109

Section 3: Chapters 23-33

1. Why does Misha run alongside the parade of cars driving through the ghetto?
   pg. 110
2. How does Misha think he will be able to recognize Himmler?
   pg. 111
3. Why is everyone afraid of Buffo the Flop?
   pg. 112
4. How does Misha escape from Buffo?
   pg. 114
5. Why does Misha think Buffo must have hated him most of all?
   pg. 114
6. Why does Uncle Shepsel want to become a Lutheran?
   pg. 116
7. Why does Misha decide to believe that there is a cow in the ghetto?
   pg. 116
8. When does Misha begin to lose respect for Jackboots?
   pg. 117
9. What moment does Misha look forward to every night?
   pg. 121
10. What does Misha do with the food he smuggles in every night?
    pg. 126
11. According to Misha, what makes him the perfect smuggler?
    pg. 132
12. Why does it get harder for Misha to sneak out at night?
    pg. 139-140
13. Why are Misha and Janina thrilled to find the milkweed plant?
    pg. 142-143
14. What does Enos think is so funny?
    pg. 152-153

Section 4: Chapters 34-45

1. Why is Misha allowed to participate in the Hanukkah celebration this year?
   pg. 157
2. What gifts do Misha and Janina receive from Mr. Milgrom?
   pg. 159
3. Why does Misha have to be the menorah on the second day of Hanukkah?
   pg. 160
4. When Misha goes to find a pickled egg for Janina, what does he forget to do while on the other side?
   pg. 162-163
5. What warning does Uri give Misha?
   pg. 168
6. After the trains start to come, what does Mr. Milgrom ask Misha to do?
   pg. 176
7. Why doesn’t Mr. Milgrom forbid Janina to go out to the other side?
   pg. 179-180
8. Why aren’t Misha and Janina able to get back to the ghetto one night?
   pg. 182
9. After being caught by the Jackboots and shot by Uri, what does Misha find in the dirt when he awakes?
   pg. 187
10. What happens to the mouse Misha befriends in the farmer’s barn?
    pg. 193
11. How does Misha escape from the farm he has lived on for three years?
    pg. 194
12. Why does Misha have a difficult time finding a good sales job in America?
    pg. 200
13. Why does Misha’s wife, Vivian, leave him?
    pg. 202
14. Why does Misha sometimes hope that Wendy Janina will cry when she hurts herself?
    pg. 207