The Missing by Michael Rosen - ADVISABLE

 

The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II by Michael Rosen, 94 pages. NON-FICTION Candlewick Press, 2020. $17.  

Content: Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG  

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – ADVISABLE  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

When Michael was young, he never knew what happened to all of his aunts and uncles during World War II.  He knew that they were Jewish and had lived in Poland, but he wanted to know where they went and what happened to them.  This is an explanation of Michael’s search for his family’s story.  He doesn’t have all the details that he would like, but he has a better understanding of what happened and a determination to remember them which he writes about.  

Michael Rosen mixes facts with poetry as he writes the chapter recounting his search for his family and then writes a poem that expresses his emotions and feelings about them and the war.  The poetry is beautiful and moving.  The facts and search for his family isn’t overly compelling, but it does emphasize how so many people lost their families and loved ones during the Holocaust. There is nothing in this book that an elementary age child couldn’t read, but they might need some background on the Holocaust to truly appreciate the story.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson