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The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II
A personal, powerful and resonant account of the Holocaust by one of this country's best-loved children’s authors. By turns charming, shocking and heart-breaking, this is the true story of Michael Rosen’s search for his relatives who 'went missing' during the Second World War - told through prose and poetry.
When Michael was growing up, stories often hung in the air about his great-uncles: one was a clock-mender and the other a dentist. They were there before the war, his dad would say, and weren’t after.
Over many years, Michael tried to find out exactly what happened: he interviewed family members, scoured the internet, pored over books and travelled to America and France. The story he uncovered was one of terrible persecution - and it has inspired his poetry for years since.
Here, poems old and new are balanced against an immensely listenable narrative; both an extraordinary account and a powerful tool for talking to children about the Holocaust.
Supported and checked by the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education.
When Michael was growing up, stories often hung in the air about his great-uncles: one was a clock-mender and the other a dentist. They were there before the war, his dad would say, and weren’t after.
Over many years, Michael tried to find out exactly what happened: he interviewed family members, scoured the internet, pored over books and travelled to America and France. The story he uncovered was one of terrible persecution - and it has inspired his poetry for years since.
Here, poems old and new are balanced against an immensely listenable narrative; both an extraordinary account and a powerful tool for talking to children about the Holocaust.
Supported and checked by the UCL Centre for Holocaust Education.
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Published January 28, 2021
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About the author
Michael Rosen
589 books528 followersMichael Rosen, a recent British Children’s Laureate, has written many acclaimed books for children, including WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and I’M NUMBER ONE and THIS IS OUR HOUSE, both illustrated by Bob Graham. Michael Rosen lives in London.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
December 31, 2020
"Why did [the Nazis] put my great-aunts and great-uncles in these camps? And why did they kill them? And now they were gone. They had just disappeared - we didn't even have any pictures of them." -- pages 13-14
I was initially unaware that Rosen's The Missing was intended more for a juvenile audience - besides being unfamiliar with the author, my local library had it displayed on the new release shelves with various other recent adult-oriented non-fiction titles - so when I finished reading it I thought it was much too simplified and sanitized for such serious subject matter. (Also, I was not fond of some of his sincere but mediocre poetry breaks included between some of the chapters.) That said, when the author concentrates on his investigation into several of his family members that were lost to the concentration camps during the Holocaust - and finally finds and/or receives information long thought lost - it was a powerful and tragic narrative. As he notes in one of the final chapters " . . . they won't be forgotten. The Nazis may have succeeded in killing them, but they can't kill their memory."
I was initially unaware that Rosen's The Missing was intended more for a juvenile audience - besides being unfamiliar with the author, my local library had it displayed on the new release shelves with various other recent adult-oriented non-fiction titles - so when I finished reading it I thought it was much too simplified and sanitized for such serious subject matter. (Also, I was not fond of some of his sincere but mediocre poetry breaks included between some of the chapters.) That said, when the author concentrates on his investigation into several of his family members that were lost to the concentration camps during the Holocaust - and finally finds and/or receives information long thought lost - it was a powerful and tragic narrative. As he notes in one of the final chapters " . . . they won't be forgotten. The Nazis may have succeeded in killing them, but they can't kill their memory."
February 26, 2020
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
Children’s author and poet Michael Rosen has written a book about his missing family who disappeared during WWII. The book feels very much like he has written it for himself, like he wanted to write down what he had been told by his family, what he wanted to discover, how he was going to find out the information and then, of course, the search and reveal of that info.
The book is written for children and so uses very simplistic writing and wording as well as explaining what certain words meant and the use of photographs to explain things too.
As well as the chapters that are sections in between where he has written his thoughts in poet form. Not being much of a poem lover I confess to skipping past quite a few of them. Some were only a couple of verses whilst others were over a few pages. At the back of the book, there are pages on further reading split into sections. I will certainly be looking some of them up.
For children learning about WWII and wanting to understand the horrific things that the Nazis did, including what happened at Auschwitz, this book explains everything in easy to understand language without traumatising them.
For me, as an adult, this book taught me things about the war that I didn’t know including how thousands of Jewish men, women, and children were taken from the Nice area of France, captured by the Nazis. They were in Nice as they had gone there to be saved by a man called Angelo Donati who had sorted out documents for them and had four ships ready to carry them to safety. So close.
I just adored this book. The writing was engaging, the subject kept me interested and I was eager to find out whether Michael would find out what happened to his missing family. This would be a wonderful book for having at school to use during lessons on WWII. I also think that it shouldn’t just be children reading it as it speaks to adults too. It is poignant, touching and beautiful, in a sad way.
Children’s author and poet Michael Rosen has written a book about his missing family who disappeared during WWII. The book feels very much like he has written it for himself, like he wanted to write down what he had been told by his family, what he wanted to discover, how he was going to find out the information and then, of course, the search and reveal of that info.
The book is written for children and so uses very simplistic writing and wording as well as explaining what certain words meant and the use of photographs to explain things too.
As well as the chapters that are sections in between where he has written his thoughts in poet form. Not being much of a poem lover I confess to skipping past quite a few of them. Some were only a couple of verses whilst others were over a few pages. At the back of the book, there are pages on further reading split into sections. I will certainly be looking some of them up.
For children learning about WWII and wanting to understand the horrific things that the Nazis did, including what happened at Auschwitz, this book explains everything in easy to understand language without traumatising them.
For me, as an adult, this book taught me things about the war that I didn’t know including how thousands of Jewish men, women, and children were taken from the Nice area of France, captured by the Nazis. They were in Nice as they had gone there to be saved by a man called Angelo Donati who had sorted out documents for them and had four ships ready to carry them to safety. So close.
I just adored this book. The writing was engaging, the subject kept me interested and I was eager to find out whether Michael would find out what happened to his missing family. This would be a wonderful book for having at school to use during lessons on WWII. I also think that it shouldn’t just be children reading it as it speaks to adults too. It is poignant, touching and beautiful, in a sad way.
February 1, 2020
It always feels distasteful to give a low rating for a book of this nature, but I have to acknowledge when a book doesn't work for me and there were a couple of reasons for why that was the case here despite the fact I really believe books like this one need to be shared with young readers wherever possible.
The Missing is a necessary story, and real life situations actually draw my attention to this all the time. Just the other day I overheard two young people discussing, "The War". It wasn't until an elderly gentleman interjected that I realised that at least one of the speakers was referring to WWI as "The War" because they hadn't realised there had been two, least of all had any concept of when either of them took place. So whilst thankfully this situation likely represents the minority because most people are well informed, and want to learn more about WWI and WWII, there are still cases where this isn't the case. How to educate young people is really the challenge, I think. And books like, "The Missing" actually go a really long way to tackling that.
Michael Rosen eloquently tells the story, as far as he knows it, of his family in WWII. He recounts a number of key events which led to their various outcomes and points out the tragedy and pain of not only what happened to so many people, but also of not knowing what happened to those that simply seemed to vanish. His story focuses on the searches he conducted to discover what happened to his extended family.
The trouble with this book is that the audience is evidently young children but Rosen's narrative actually very simple and almost childlike in its delivery and descriptive and distant at other times, so it fails to really impress the wider message. The simplistic nature of the conversation between author and reader is quite matter of fact and simplistic, relying on children grasping the importance of a statement or making a link between another when they may not understand the wider concepts enough to do that. There are however excellent explanations for a number of key terms or actions (such as explaining the Jewish Ghetto or yellow star) and Rosen does go to great lengths to use extracts of photographs, maps and letters to try to adjust for this disconnect, but it didn't feel like the balance was quite right.
I also struggled with the poetry; this was undeniably poor and felt completely out of place. I think these were intended to break up the relative monotony young readers might perceive from tackling large sections of text. But they really didn't work and weren't nearly impactful enough, regardless of age or intended audience.
Books of this nature need to be shared, and the index within this book actually illustrates how many excellent and informative books there are for young readers. I think it must be really difficult to balance talking about such a serious topic to children without being too frightening or abstract for them. I'm just not sure Rosen completely managed that in The Missing, but I do commend him for educating young readers and for sharing the story of his family to try to encourage children to think outside of their own experiences.
ARC provided free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
The Missing is a necessary story, and real life situations actually draw my attention to this all the time. Just the other day I overheard two young people discussing, "The War". It wasn't until an elderly gentleman interjected that I realised that at least one of the speakers was referring to WWI as "The War" because they hadn't realised there had been two, least of all had any concept of when either of them took place. So whilst thankfully this situation likely represents the minority because most people are well informed, and want to learn more about WWI and WWII, there are still cases where this isn't the case. How to educate young people is really the challenge, I think. And books like, "The Missing" actually go a really long way to tackling that.
Michael Rosen eloquently tells the story, as far as he knows it, of his family in WWII. He recounts a number of key events which led to their various outcomes and points out the tragedy and pain of not only what happened to so many people, but also of not knowing what happened to those that simply seemed to vanish. His story focuses on the searches he conducted to discover what happened to his extended family.
The trouble with this book is that the audience is evidently young children but Rosen's narrative actually very simple and almost childlike in its delivery and descriptive and distant at other times, so it fails to really impress the wider message. The simplistic nature of the conversation between author and reader is quite matter of fact and simplistic, relying on children grasping the importance of a statement or making a link between another when they may not understand the wider concepts enough to do that. There are however excellent explanations for a number of key terms or actions (such as explaining the Jewish Ghetto or yellow star) and Rosen does go to great lengths to use extracts of photographs, maps and letters to try to adjust for this disconnect, but it didn't feel like the balance was quite right.
I also struggled with the poetry; this was undeniably poor and felt completely out of place. I think these were intended to break up the relative monotony young readers might perceive from tackling large sections of text. But they really didn't work and weren't nearly impactful enough, regardless of age or intended audience.
Books of this nature need to be shared, and the index within this book actually illustrates how many excellent and informative books there are for young readers. I think it must be really difficult to balance talking about such a serious topic to children without being too frightening or abstract for them. I'm just not sure Rosen completely managed that in The Missing, but I do commend him for educating young readers and for sharing the story of his family to try to encourage children to think outside of their own experiences.
ARC provided free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
August 27, 2022
4.5⭐
Ugh, my heart aches.
The Missing details the author's relentless attempts to trace some of his family members, who 'vanished' during the Holocaust. Not known is what happened to them after WWII and they are never heard from again — which Michael Rosen painstakingly tries to resolve. This is a heartwrenching read interspersed with photos, poems and letters that gives the reader a sense of what a harrowing time it was.
But would you still want answers if they aren't going to pleasant? I think sometimes the pain of not knowing is even greater...
Ugh, my heart aches.
The Missing details the author's relentless attempts to trace some of his family members, who 'vanished' during the Holocaust. Not known is what happened to them after WWII and they are never heard from again — which Michael Rosen painstakingly tries to resolve. This is a heartwrenching read interspersed with photos, poems and letters that gives the reader a sense of what a harrowing time it was.
But would you still want answers if they aren't going to pleasant? I think sometimes the pain of not knowing is even greater...
October 5, 2020
Very interesting book about a man trying to find out what happened to his relatives who "went missing" during WWII. Sad that the older generation didn't want to talk about their lost brothers and sisters, probably feeling both survivor's guilt and deep sorrow over their loss.
Sad also that the Holocaust even happened, but it is VITAL that these stories are taught to children now, so there will hopefully be learning from the past, instead of a repetition of it.
This book was geared towards children and it kind of showed. I am not much for poetry, so the bits where the poetry broke up each section did nothing for me. Not sure how it would be received by the intended audience, but I am sure it will speak to some. Everyone absorbs information differently, so having it presented in different ways is important, especially in a book for children.
The detective process was very interesting and the pictures included were powerful. They were just ordinary people, just like you and me, and yet this horrible thing swallowed them up. Impactful and sobering.
An important addition to the WWII Holocaust canon. Definitely recommended. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
My thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
Sad also that the Holocaust even happened, but it is VITAL that these stories are taught to children now, so there will hopefully be learning from the past, instead of a repetition of it.
This book was geared towards children and it kind of showed. I am not much for poetry, so the bits where the poetry broke up each section did nothing for me. Not sure how it would be received by the intended audience, but I am sure it will speak to some. Everyone absorbs information differently, so having it presented in different ways is important, especially in a book for children.
The detective process was very interesting and the pictures included were powerful. They were just ordinary people, just like you and me, and yet this horrible thing swallowed them up. Impactful and sobering.
An important addition to the WWII Holocaust canon. Definitely recommended. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
My thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
December 8, 2019
A frank and heartfelt story about uncovering the history of Rosen’s family during WW2. Interspersed with poetry about his reactions to finding out the untold horror that the Holocaust has upon his lost family members, this would be a great text to use in schools. It also includes an extensive list of other books for children about the war and the holocaust.
January 2, 2021
A lot of heart and empathy will be the result of reading this personal account of loss of family from the holocaust. Many books for children tell of survival this is about who was lost. Great suggested reading list at the end.
July 2, 2024
This book is so easy to pick up and read. It could be finished in one sitting.
It could be read from an early age yet is also suitable for adults.
So profound is the information presented in this book that I feel it should be compulsory reading for all school age children to provide information and provoke discussion so that everyone is aware of the atrocities that happened in WW2 at the hands of the Nazis. ( That isn’t to say that the Nazis were the only army to commit atrocities in this conflict ).
I have read so many books about the Holocaust yet I am still flabbergasted by the facts presented in this little book. Less than 100 survivors from over 1,000 people transported in a cattle truck to Auschwitz seems incredulous especially as the conditions experienced in the transport were worse than an animal would endure.
Reading about the persecution of the Jews in particular, I find it so hard to understand how human beings can be so cruel to their own kind. As Michael Rosen says in his book, one would expect such cruelty wouldn’t ever be repeated, but unfortunately it is, over and over again in the world.
If we all read books like this and discussed the issues, would we all become a little more tolerant?
It could be read from an early age yet is also suitable for adults.
So profound is the information presented in this book that I feel it should be compulsory reading for all school age children to provide information and provoke discussion so that everyone is aware of the atrocities that happened in WW2 at the hands of the Nazis. ( That isn’t to say that the Nazis were the only army to commit atrocities in this conflict ).
I have read so many books about the Holocaust yet I am still flabbergasted by the facts presented in this little book. Less than 100 survivors from over 1,000 people transported in a cattle truck to Auschwitz seems incredulous especially as the conditions experienced in the transport were worse than an animal would endure.
Reading about the persecution of the Jews in particular, I find it so hard to understand how human beings can be so cruel to their own kind. As Michael Rosen says in his book, one would expect such cruelty wouldn’t ever be repeated, but unfortunately it is, over and over again in the world.
If we all read books like this and discussed the issues, would we all become a little more tolerant?
March 10, 2020
The missing is the result of Michael Rosen it’s the true story of the missing Rosens.
This little hardback book is aimed at children, but I found it most interesting and educational.
This is Michael Rosen’s own story about the things that happened to his family a long time ago, when photos and films were in black and white. His relatives were refugees , because during the Second World War, they were forced to run and to flee and hide.
Michael Rosen, was born in 1946 the year after the Second World War. He points out that you may know lots of people died during the war and not just on the battlefields. And throughout his childhood he didn’t know whether his relatives were among them.
This little hardback book is aimed at children, but I found it most interesting and educational.
This is Michael Rosen’s own story about the things that happened to his family a long time ago, when photos and films were in black and white. His relatives were refugees , because during the Second World War, they were forced to run and to flee and hide.
Michael Rosen, was born in 1946 the year after the Second World War. He points out that you may know lots of people died during the war and not just on the battlefields. And throughout his childhood he didn’t know whether his relatives were among them.
March 18, 2020
Michael Rosen is a beloved British children's book author, perhaps most well-known for the picture book We're Going on a Bear Hunt (1989). Now, he has written a book about a personal journey he took to discover what happened to his Jewish relatives that had been living in Europe and who disappeared during World War II and the Holocaust.
Rosen begins with some informative history about his family. His mother's family had lived in London, and as a young boy, Michael loved visiting them and going out for bagels with his Zeyde (grandad in Yiddish) or shopping with his Bubbe (granny in Yiddish). His great grandparents on this side came from Poland and his grandmother Rose had been born in England. When she married, she and her husband Morris moved to the United States, which is why Michael's dad is American. But when the marriage ended, she returned to London. During the war, his dad was an American soldier, and growing up, Michael loved to hear his stories about his time as a soldier.
Grandad Morris had one brother Max who also emigrated to the United States, and six other siblings, four of whom remained in Poland and two who emigrated to France. Whenever young Michael would ask what happened to the six siblings, his dad would answer "I don't know...They were there at the beginning of the war, but they had gone by the end. I suppose they died in the camps."
A brief recounting of Hitler, the Nazis and their treatment of the Jews followed this brief family history. Because of an early interest in France and French, Michael decided he first wanted to learn more about the fate of his two uncles, Oscar and Martin, who had lived there before the war. At first, he didn't find much, but then his cousin Teddy in the United States sent him two letters that had been written by his great Uncle Oscar. This was the opening Michael hoped for.
He spent the next several years trying to find out just what happened, and while Michael didn't find all the answers to his questions, he did find enough so that his relatives would no longer be simply "missing" but will be remembered and memorialized not just in this book, and in his poetry, but the names Martin and Oscar are now on the commemorative wall at the Museum of the Shoah in Paris. Michael Rosen's journey is poignant, heartbreaking and personal, and in the end, his young readers will be able to look at and understanding history through one family's experience. And it is all told in simple, clear and accessible language.
Interspersed in this family history are poems that Michael Rosen has written over the years about his relatives while he was searching for the missing members and which are strategically placed throughout. There is a humorous poem called "Bagel" is about going out for bagels with his Zeyde, while a poem called "Dear Oscar" affectively imagines what his ride in a cattle car to Auschwitz might have been like.
The book ends on a hopeful note that today's children will develop empathy and understanding towards other people, especially those who are different from themselves, and not fall for the racist, xenophobic rhetoric that is once again on the rise throughout the world.
There is really extensive back matter that includes a Bibliography of first hand accounts and other nonfiction books about WWII and the Holocaust, recommended fiction for young readers, fiction and nonfiction recommendations about today's refugees.
The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II is the perfect accompaniment for anyone interested in the war, the Holocaust, and it is especially recommended for anyone studying these units in the classroom or being home schooled. I can't recommend it highly enough.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was purchased for my personal library from Book Depository, however, I understand Candlewick Press will be publishing it in the United States on September 8, 2020.
Rosen begins with some informative history about his family. His mother's family had lived in London, and as a young boy, Michael loved visiting them and going out for bagels with his Zeyde (grandad in Yiddish) or shopping with his Bubbe (granny in Yiddish). His great grandparents on this side came from Poland and his grandmother Rose had been born in England. When she married, she and her husband Morris moved to the United States, which is why Michael's dad is American. But when the marriage ended, she returned to London. During the war, his dad was an American soldier, and growing up, Michael loved to hear his stories about his time as a soldier.
Grandad Morris had one brother Max who also emigrated to the United States, and six other siblings, four of whom remained in Poland and two who emigrated to France. Whenever young Michael would ask what happened to the six siblings, his dad would answer "I don't know...They were there at the beginning of the war, but they had gone by the end. I suppose they died in the camps."
A brief recounting of Hitler, the Nazis and their treatment of the Jews followed this brief family history. Because of an early interest in France and French, Michael decided he first wanted to learn more about the fate of his two uncles, Oscar and Martin, who had lived there before the war. At first, he didn't find much, but then his cousin Teddy in the United States sent him two letters that had been written by his great Uncle Oscar. This was the opening Michael hoped for.
He spent the next several years trying to find out just what happened, and while Michael didn't find all the answers to his questions, he did find enough so that his relatives would no longer be simply "missing" but will be remembered and memorialized not just in this book, and in his poetry, but the names Martin and Oscar are now on the commemorative wall at the Museum of the Shoah in Paris. Michael Rosen's journey is poignant, heartbreaking and personal, and in the end, his young readers will be able to look at and understanding history through one family's experience. And it is all told in simple, clear and accessible language.
Interspersed in this family history are poems that Michael Rosen has written over the years about his relatives while he was searching for the missing members and which are strategically placed throughout. There is a humorous poem called "Bagel" is about going out for bagels with his Zeyde, while a poem called "Dear Oscar" affectively imagines what his ride in a cattle car to Auschwitz might have been like.
The book ends on a hopeful note that today's children will develop empathy and understanding towards other people, especially those who are different from themselves, and not fall for the racist, xenophobic rhetoric that is once again on the rise throughout the world.
There is really extensive back matter that includes a Bibliography of first hand accounts and other nonfiction books about WWII and the Holocaust, recommended fiction for young readers, fiction and nonfiction recommendations about today's refugees.
The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II is the perfect accompaniment for anyone interested in the war, the Holocaust, and it is especially recommended for anyone studying these units in the classroom or being home schooled. I can't recommend it highly enough.
This book is recommended for readers age 10+
This book was purchased for my personal library from Book Depository, however, I understand Candlewick Press will be publishing it in the United States on September 8, 2020.
March 22, 2020
While the world may know him as a talented children's author and poet, Michael Rosen is also a capable and plain-speaking social historian. There are mysteries in his family tree that he is keen to solve, family members who disappeared during the Second World War. Being Jewish, there is a definite urgency for any kind of explanation of what happened to them.
I have read memoir writing from Rosen before in So They Call You Pisher, and he retains the same passion and consideration here in The Missing. However, this being a book targeted at children and young adults, he tells the detestable story of Nazi occupation and subjugation of the Jews with much simpler language. Not only this, he punctuates each short chapter with a relevant poem he wrote as he discovered more about his family's fate.
While I miss being fully immersed in Jewish culture and Yiddish sayings like I was in So They Call You Pisher, I did find this a very fitting way to commemorate Rosen's lost relatives whilst also being a great educational tool about the impact of the Final Solution and Holocaust. I am glad his style remained suitably solemn throughout.
I recommend The Missing to those who enjoy Rosen's nonfiction and those who are seeking to learn more about WW2 from a very personal level.
I have read memoir writing from Rosen before in So They Call You Pisher, and he retains the same passion and consideration here in The Missing. However, this being a book targeted at children and young adults, he tells the detestable story of Nazi occupation and subjugation of the Jews with much simpler language. Not only this, he punctuates each short chapter with a relevant poem he wrote as he discovered more about his family's fate.
While I miss being fully immersed in Jewish culture and Yiddish sayings like I was in So They Call You Pisher, I did find this a very fitting way to commemorate Rosen's lost relatives whilst also being a great educational tool about the impact of the Final Solution and Holocaust. I am glad his style remained suitably solemn throughout.
I recommend The Missing to those who enjoy Rosen's nonfiction and those who are seeking to learn more about WW2 from a very personal level.
February 10, 2024
This was shelved in 'Adult Nonfiction' in our library, but it's clearly meant as a children's book. It tells of Michael Rosen's attempts to research his family history, and in particular, his great uncles and aunts who were 'missing' after the war. For some of his relatives, he is unable to find answers. For others, their lives ended in the concentration camps.
The book is clearly written and Rosen provides explanations within the text for words which may be unfamiliar (e.g. 'genocide' and 'Holocaust'). He writes briefly and simply, without giving graphic details of the suffering that would have been endured by his family. Each chapter ends with a poem, which I didn't feel added anything to the text, but then I am not the intended readership - perhaps the poems will resonate more with child readers. He also includes photographs of his missing relatives. There is an extensive list of resources at the end which includes the age of child for which each resource is suitable.
This is such an important topic and one which it is important to introduce to children as soon as they are able to cope with it. I'm just not sure this book has hit the right level for conveying the message. I think that by the time many children are old enough to cope with the emotional impact of the story, they will be old enough to be bored by the very simple sentences. A good resource for children who are reluctant or slow readers, but keen readers are probably going to need something a bit more challenging.
The book is clearly written and Rosen provides explanations within the text for words which may be unfamiliar (e.g. 'genocide' and 'Holocaust'). He writes briefly and simply, without giving graphic details of the suffering that would have been endured by his family. Each chapter ends with a poem, which I didn't feel added anything to the text, but then I am not the intended readership - perhaps the poems will resonate more with child readers. He also includes photographs of his missing relatives. There is an extensive list of resources at the end which includes the age of child for which each resource is suitable.
This is such an important topic and one which it is important to introduce to children as soon as they are able to cope with it. I'm just not sure this book has hit the right level for conveying the message. I think that by the time many children are old enough to cope with the emotional impact of the story, they will be old enough to be bored by the very simple sentences. A good resource for children who are reluctant or slow readers, but keen readers are probably going to need something a bit more challenging.
February 18, 2020
Michael has written a book about his missing family members who died in Auschwitz death camp. It’s written for school children to read. It is not graphic but factual. It is an important book as it teaches children about the Holocaust without traumatising them.
Would recommend to all. It’s imperative that this book and similar books are read so that generations to come know what happens when races/cultures/peoples are demonised.
Would recommend to all. It’s imperative that this book and similar books are read so that generations to come know what happens when races/cultures/peoples are demonised.
July 6, 2021
Strong middle-grade non-fiction read documenting Michael Rosen’s physical and emotional search for his Jewish ancestors. His perseverance, honesty, and connections to current events around the globe make this a book students could read without teacher guidance but there are many class discussion opportunities woven into the text, too. The mix of story-telling and poetry makes this an ideal piece for small group reading encounters. Excellent set of well-categorized resources at the back.
May 30, 2022
Michael Rosen’s gift is to say a lot in a few not grand words.this book reflects on those in his family he lost in World War Two and the difficulties in finding out what happened .It is interjected with a few poems and letters and it leaves you as it should ,sad and wondering why .
September 19, 2020
I was impressed with Michael Rosen's determination to learn more about six of his great-aunts and great-uncles who disappeared during WWII while living in Poland and France. While the way he tells the story was a bit disjointed, tied together with powerful poetry, I might have told it in a little more straightforward fashion. But perhaps he handled it this way to avoid the temptation to embellish the meager details he was able to glean from his various attempts to learn the truth. Nevertheless, this short book reminds readers that there are so many Holocaust stories--of survivors and those who didn't survived--that remain to be told. Through all his efforts, it was very clear that Rosen never wants to forget these lost relatives and what happened to them. Nor will his readers. It could well be that others will embark on a similar journey in learning about their own past and ancestors. This was an interesting blend of memoir, poetry, and history, and it certainly was worth reading.
January 19, 2020
This is a wonderful, painful book about the search for missing family members in the Holocaust. Michael Rosen explains in quite simple terms, for younger readers, what the 3rd Reich was all about, and how the Holocaust tore a hole into his family. He chronicles his search for the missing family members. In between each chapter he's put a poem that captures the mood and the idea of the chapter beautifully.
The annotated appendix is excellent, with lots of recommendations for further reading, fictional, non-fictional, online, offline. It also includes a family tree of the Rosens.
The annotated appendix is excellent, with lots of recommendations for further reading, fictional, non-fictional, online, offline. It also includes a family tree of the Rosens.
October 3, 2021
This is a children's book that I read with my daughter. Michael Rosen tries to find out what happened to his Jewish relatives during ww2. Much of it is a very personal story but it also covers a lot of ww2 history (in Europe). It's just so so well done - really interesting, well written, with good clear explanations. Also includes some of his poems too 😊.
November 13, 2021
Reflections and lessons learned:
“They come, they kill, they kill, they go…”
15 million… a number that seems almost impossible to ever imagine in a tangible way… many will still never know what happened to the ‘missing’, but this story makes it feel relative (save me the hole bagel humour!) but then so far away and wounding due to the circumstances. In the audio version it wasn’t always obvious when the poems started, but these were used more as story buffers as it is the history and recounting that’s more the crux of the book. A treacherous time from which we already understood the dangers of control of language and difference - so detrimental. Also the control of personal data, with the handing over of the list being sadly impactful. Another lesson in why the erasure of history and recent suffering should not be whitewashed away - leave us to digest, understand, learn and act in the hope of it not being repeated
“They come, they kill, they kill, they go…”
15 million… a number that seems almost impossible to ever imagine in a tangible way… many will still never know what happened to the ‘missing’, but this story makes it feel relative (save me the hole bagel humour!) but then so far away and wounding due to the circumstances. In the audio version it wasn’t always obvious when the poems started, but these were used more as story buffers as it is the history and recounting that’s more the crux of the book. A treacherous time from which we already understood the dangers of control of language and difference - so detrimental. Also the control of personal data, with the handing over of the list being sadly impactful. Another lesson in why the erasure of history and recent suffering should not be whitewashed away - leave us to digest, understand, learn and act in the hope of it not being repeated
October 21, 2020
The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II by Michael Rosen is such a vital book, particularly given the ongoing refugee crisis that we continue to face. This is a very personal story of a young boy, born at the end of World War II, who continues to question the fate of his relatives during some of the darkest days of our history. As an adult, Mr Rosen finds some answers to the questions that have haunted him for much of his life, and he vows to never forget those who went before. Told using maps and poems, and with patient description, the author provides a very readable narrative that will lay the groundwork for further discussion among a new generation.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.
July 17, 2020
Michael Rosen’s fairly short book describes his frustrating and largely unsuccessful search for the many in his family who went missing during WWII. Interspersed in the narrative are poems further emphasizing the tragedy of so many who were persecuted, imprisoned and/or murdered by the Nazi war machine. Designed for the middle grade reader, Rosen’s account is heartfelt and accurate but does not dwell on the many atrocities endured by millions at the hands of the Nazi party. An extensive list of other books on the topic, both historical fiction and non-fiction, is provided. Thanks for the dARC, Edelweiss.
November 7, 2020
One of the master writer and meme's greatest books. Rosen's horrific and compelling tale about what happened to his family in the Holocaust is a must read for any Rosen fans. The book was a bit sort and only took me about two days to read which was a bit disappointing. Shout out to Michael for having the Coronavirus virus. I am very great full that he survived and I hope he can recover to the best of his abilities. All in all, I would recommenced this book to anyone wanting to read more Rosen, or wanting to read more about the Holocaust. Michael you succeed in your goal, I will always remember what happened to your family. In the end the Nazis failed, they will never be forgotten.
September 23, 2022
Read in ninety minutes but will stay with me forever
February 23, 2020
This is a great book which introduces the truth about the Holocaust to children but in a way that isn’t too horrifying. ‘The Missing’ begins with Michael Rosen giving an introduction about his great-aunts and great-uncles who were mentioned being there before the war and not after, and the question of what happened to them. In each chapter afterwards there is a little about his own life growing up and his subsequent search for his relatives, and some information about what was happening during the war, along with a simple, but interesting poem at the end of every chapter.
I really like the way this book is written. The language Rosen uses to explain what happened in the war and the Holocaust is simple but effective. He tells his tale from his own point of view of first being a child and not quite understanding the war, which had only finished a few years earlier. There are some interesting and fun descriptions of his grandparents, I can’t help but love the poem of the bagel! This and the simple but effective writing style makes you click with the author right away, you feel like a friend is telling you a story, and I know that many children would enjoy reading this book as a result of this.
As the chapters progress you begin to learn more about his relatives and what subsequently happened to them. Along the way Rosen explains what was happening during the war, how the rights of Jews were taken away and how the mass genocide began. Terms like ‘genocide’ are explained to kids making it easy for them to grasp what was really happening. They are told that people were killed and gassed, but this doesn’t go into gruesome details making it a good book to explain the whole Holocaust and what happened during the Second World War to children without scaring or shocking them too much.
At the end of each chapter is a poem, these are quite short and relate to the chapter that preceeds it. I like the poems, they are easy to understand and a couple of them felt quite powerful. Whether children will enjoy the poems I don’t know, but they are simple to read and help to break up the sad story of what happened to Rosen’s relatives. The book is mainly text, but does show a few images including some letters, photos and maps to show which parts of certain countries were being invaded/occupied. This really helped even me as I confess I didn’t know about the divided occupation of France. The end of the book also has Rosen’s family tree along with a bibliographe of several pages featuring lots of different books about war, Holocaust which can be good extra reading to explore the topics further.
This book, although a great introduction to the Holocaust, is also a great book to teach children about prejudice and racism today. Rosen touches on these briefly, and the worry about groups of people being singled out in today’s world, which I personally feel is an important message considering the way many in society seem to be treated lately. Rosen’s own findings about his family are of course sad and I felt especially sad with what happened to Oscar and Rachel. There is a good poem to end the book though, a message of hope, and the whole book doesn’t feel dark, but is still an important read.
This really is a book that every child should be given to read (and maybe many adults too!). It’s simple in the way it explains everything, the reality of the Holocaust and what happened is explained very well, but not in such a way that would be considered too dark for children and many adults can use the opportunity to talk to children about it more, or do their own research on their relatives. It really is the perfect book to introduce this difficult subject to children and one I wish I could have read when I was younger.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy for review.
I really like the way this book is written. The language Rosen uses to explain what happened in the war and the Holocaust is simple but effective. He tells his tale from his own point of view of first being a child and not quite understanding the war, which had only finished a few years earlier. There are some interesting and fun descriptions of his grandparents, I can’t help but love the poem of the bagel! This and the simple but effective writing style makes you click with the author right away, you feel like a friend is telling you a story, and I know that many children would enjoy reading this book as a result of this.
As the chapters progress you begin to learn more about his relatives and what subsequently happened to them. Along the way Rosen explains what was happening during the war, how the rights of Jews were taken away and how the mass genocide began. Terms like ‘genocide’ are explained to kids making it easy for them to grasp what was really happening. They are told that people were killed and gassed, but this doesn’t go into gruesome details making it a good book to explain the whole Holocaust and what happened during the Second World War to children without scaring or shocking them too much.
At the end of each chapter is a poem, these are quite short and relate to the chapter that preceeds it. I like the poems, they are easy to understand and a couple of them felt quite powerful. Whether children will enjoy the poems I don’t know, but they are simple to read and help to break up the sad story of what happened to Rosen’s relatives. The book is mainly text, but does show a few images including some letters, photos and maps to show which parts of certain countries were being invaded/occupied. This really helped even me as I confess I didn’t know about the divided occupation of France. The end of the book also has Rosen’s family tree along with a bibliographe of several pages featuring lots of different books about war, Holocaust which can be good extra reading to explore the topics further.
This book, although a great introduction to the Holocaust, is also a great book to teach children about prejudice and racism today. Rosen touches on these briefly, and the worry about groups of people being singled out in today’s world, which I personally feel is an important message considering the way many in society seem to be treated lately. Rosen’s own findings about his family are of course sad and I felt especially sad with what happened to Oscar and Rachel. There is a good poem to end the book though, a message of hope, and the whole book doesn’t feel dark, but is still an important read.
This really is a book that every child should be given to read (and maybe many adults too!). It’s simple in the way it explains everything, the reality of the Holocaust and what happened is explained very well, but not in such a way that would be considered too dark for children and many adults can use the opportunity to talk to children about it more, or do their own research on their relatives. It really is the perfect book to introduce this difficult subject to children and one I wish I could have read when I was younger.
-Thanks to Walker Books for a free copy for review.
January 4, 2021
Michael Rosen, well-known for his children’s books like the classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt!, takes a different turn in The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II. He writes an autobiographical account of his search for his missing relatives. In the introduction, he likens them to today’s refugees as they were forced to run and hide during World War II.
In England, he begins with names of relatives he doesn’t know, his grandfather Morris and a brother Max who migrated to America. But there were six other brothers and sisters. Three sisters and a brother had stayed in Poland – Stella, Bella, Genia, and Willi. Two more brothers, Oscar and Martin, had migrated to France. When he asked his father for information about these two, his father only knew that one was a dentist, the other a clock-mender. His father shrugged and said, “They were there at the beginning of the war, but they had gone by the end. I suppose they died in the camps.” Michael, not as willing as his father to let this go, begins a long and extensive search. The book recounts his quest through books, online, and in conversations.
Interspersed into his narrative is heart-rending pertinent poetry that he has written over the years in response to what he learned. Into his account of the French effort to list Jewish people living in France but born elsewhere, he writes “I’m Not on the List”:
I’m not on the list./ I’m not on the list./ All I have to do/ is tell them if I know someone/ who should be on the list.
If I don’t/ tell them that I know someone/ who should be on the list,/ then I’ll be on a list of people/ who don’t help them make the list.
And people in my family/ will be on a list of people/ in families of people/ who don’t help them make the list/ of people who should be on the list.
If you’re not on the list,/ or the list of the people/ who don’t help them make the list,/ or the list of people who know people who/ don’t help them make the list . . ./ you’re OK./ It’s all OK./ It’s going to be all right.
The book is an intriguing look at the intricate and unflagging research as he seems to reach a dead end only to find another clue that engenders in the reader the need to root for a satisfying conclusion to the search for those who were there at the beginning and gone at the end. Quite different from his classic bear hunt, this is an intriguing book and well worth reading at any age from 10 and up.
In England, he begins with names of relatives he doesn’t know, his grandfather Morris and a brother Max who migrated to America. But there were six other brothers and sisters. Three sisters and a brother had stayed in Poland – Stella, Bella, Genia, and Willi. Two more brothers, Oscar and Martin, had migrated to France. When he asked his father for information about these two, his father only knew that one was a dentist, the other a clock-mender. His father shrugged and said, “They were there at the beginning of the war, but they had gone by the end. I suppose they died in the camps.” Michael, not as willing as his father to let this go, begins a long and extensive search. The book recounts his quest through books, online, and in conversations.
Interspersed into his narrative is heart-rending pertinent poetry that he has written over the years in response to what he learned. Into his account of the French effort to list Jewish people living in France but born elsewhere, he writes “I’m Not on the List”:
I’m not on the list./ I’m not on the list./ All I have to do/ is tell them if I know someone/ who should be on the list.
If I don’t/ tell them that I know someone/ who should be on the list,/ then I’ll be on a list of people/ who don’t help them make the list.
And people in my family/ will be on a list of people/ in families of people/ who don’t help them make the list/ of people who should be on the list.
If you’re not on the list,/ or the list of the people/ who don’t help them make the list,/ or the list of people who know people who/ don’t help them make the list . . ./ you’re OK./ It’s all OK./ It’s going to be all right.
The book is an intriguing look at the intricate and unflagging research as he seems to reach a dead end only to find another clue that engenders in the reader the need to root for a satisfying conclusion to the search for those who were there at the beginning and gone at the end. Quite different from his classic bear hunt, this is an intriguing book and well worth reading at any age from 10 and up.
April 27, 2021
‘The Missing: The True Story of My Family in WWII’ by Michael Rosen shares the story of a family who disappeared during WWII and the Holocaust. The narrative, written more for a juvenile audience than an adult one, does a nice job of connecting with both children and adults. At times, it reveals itself to be much more intense than children can fully grasp, revealing the Nazi plot to do their best to make the world forget not just the Rosen family, but the rest of Europe's Jews as well. The moral impressed upon readers by the end of the memoir is simply to remember, because if forgotten, history is much more likely to repeat itself.
There are poems interspersed throughout the pages of the book that add metaphorical value, drawing readers into the world of WWII and what was happening during that time period.
Despite a bit of confusion here and there with similar names, which cannot really be helped since the author is using real names, the story does a nice job of engaging readers in the struggle that too many feel when they are forced to run and don't know where to go or what to do once there. The section with further reading in the back of the book provides a lot of great material for firsthand accounts, fiction, and nonfiction to allow readers, whether younger or older, to further ensure their understanding of what this time period involved and how we must never forget its impact.
Beth Rodgers, Author of ‘Welcome to Chanu-Con!,’ a Children's Picture Book, and ‘Freshman Fourteen’ and ‘Sweet Fifteen,’ Young Adult Novels
There are poems interspersed throughout the pages of the book that add metaphorical value, drawing readers into the world of WWII and what was happening during that time period.
Despite a bit of confusion here and there with similar names, which cannot really be helped since the author is using real names, the story does a nice job of engaging readers in the struggle that too many feel when they are forced to run and don't know where to go or what to do once there. The section with further reading in the back of the book provides a lot of great material for firsthand accounts, fiction, and nonfiction to allow readers, whether younger or older, to further ensure their understanding of what this time period involved and how we must never forget its impact.
Beth Rodgers, Author of ‘Welcome to Chanu-Con!,’ a Children's Picture Book, and ‘Freshman Fourteen’ and ‘Sweet Fifteen,’ Young Adult Novels
June 18, 2024
THE MISSING by @MichaelRosenYes
‘One of my great-uncles was a clock-mender and another was a jeweller. That’s all they did wrong, which is to say, they did nothing wrong. And yet, they died for being who they were.’
In a world in which people still die simply for being who they are, Michael Rosen’s moving, potent book about his search for his grandfather’s lost brothers - Oscar and Martin, victims of the Nazi Holocaust - remains tragically necessary.
The straightforward concision with which Michael describes his search - the challenges and the progress - belies the book’s common-sense power. In a sane, compassionate world the appalling evil of the Holocaust should not have been possible then, should not be possible now.
And yet, It happened. As Michael searches for evidence of his great uncles he reminds us of the many millions murdered in the service of the toxic Nazi ideology.
As I read this book, whilst my thoughts were obviously with the author and his family, they were as much with those current victims of oppression, war and genocide. Michael’s book quietly asks us difficult questions, about our own complicity in the U.K., as far too often dehumanising language is used to describe those who seek our help in fleeing from such evils. As far too often we derive comfort from viewing issues of migration in abstract terms.
Undoubtedly, then, we still need ‘The Missing’, a call to action to see our world from the perspective of others, to treat people as we would wish to be treated ourselves.
A necessary book.
‘One of my great-uncles was a clock-mender and another was a jeweller. That’s all they did wrong, which is to say, they did nothing wrong. And yet, they died for being who they were.’
In a world in which people still die simply for being who they are, Michael Rosen’s moving, potent book about his search for his grandfather’s lost brothers - Oscar and Martin, victims of the Nazi Holocaust - remains tragically necessary.
The straightforward concision with which Michael describes his search - the challenges and the progress - belies the book’s common-sense power. In a sane, compassionate world the appalling evil of the Holocaust should not have been possible then, should not be possible now.
And yet, It happened. As Michael searches for evidence of his great uncles he reminds us of the many millions murdered in the service of the toxic Nazi ideology.
As I read this book, whilst my thoughts were obviously with the author and his family, they were as much with those current victims of oppression, war and genocide. Michael’s book quietly asks us difficult questions, about our own complicity in the U.K., as far too often dehumanising language is used to describe those who seek our help in fleeing from such evils. As far too often we derive comfort from viewing issues of migration in abstract terms.
Undoubtedly, then, we still need ‘The Missing’, a call to action to see our world from the perspective of others, to treat people as we would wish to be treated ourselves.
A necessary book.
February 22, 2020
This is a kids book, but it's also a very important message and something all kids should learn. Michael Rosen is a great author and poet and my kids adore him. But like he says in this book, had he been born five years earlier, then there is every chance he may not have lived.
Following the leads that help him find out what happened to his family during WWII we see the sad truth of the horrible times of the war. Not the fighting and bombing, but the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Germans.
It's easy enough to read in one sitting, my daughter did, and so did I. There are also some little poems in the story to give it depth and feeling. Not that it needs any more feeling.
We think this is history, but it's happening now, every day, and we let it, or rather we turn a blind eye. It's a book that all children (and adults) should read, it a simplistic way of showing us how horrid our world was and is now. Michael Rosen, may your shoes always sing and your coat fly and thanks for writing such a touching book.
Following the leads that help him find out what happened to his family during WWII we see the sad truth of the horrible times of the war. Not the fighting and bombing, but the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Germans.
It's easy enough to read in one sitting, my daughter did, and so did I. There are also some little poems in the story to give it depth and feeling. Not that it needs any more feeling.
We think this is history, but it's happening now, every day, and we let it, or rather we turn a blind eye. It's a book that all children (and adults) should read, it a simplistic way of showing us how horrid our world was and is now. Michael Rosen, may your shoes always sing and your coat fly and thanks for writing such a touching book.
June 2, 2021
This book from one of the rules of writing and kings of memes was a very good read. I thought that Rosen's story about finding what happened to his family after and during the war was very interesting. I think that Rosen did a really good job, as always, of creating emotion and style throughout his novel. I felt that it was very short and only took two days to read, pity. Though it was still very good and was able to pack all of the emotion and energy into the short story. I think that Rosen was able to keep me entertained in a very good way, like I knew he would. So I would suggest this book to any person who is a fan of memes, Rosen, World War Two, and really anything else. I think that this is the type of book that you do not have to understand to grasp its meaning. This story had the nice and good feeling and mood that Rosen always brings to his stories which helped it to feel very comfortable indeed.
In this epic tale meme master Michael Rosen discovers the truths and terrors that happened to his family during World War Two, and maybe even some distruths.
In this epic tale meme master Michael Rosen discovers the truths and terrors that happened to his family during World War Two, and maybe even some distruths.
March 7, 2023
Mixing prose and free verse poetry in each chapter, acclaimed and beloved British author for children Michael Rosen has written his extended family's story in this slim nonfiction work. This book takes the reader by the hand and shows us the questions Rosen had growing up and into adulthood about his aunts and uncles that were barely spoken of. We hear the questions inside Rosen's head as he imagines why, where and what if. Research is the central idea in this book. Rosen takes us with him as he asked people for their first hand information, wrote letters, read books, posted to Twitter, and mined libraries and monuments for information about his missing relatives. Scratching away the fragments of time, Rosen shares his emotions as he finds out small nuggets along the way that reveal the truth about missing relatives during World War II in Europe who were Jewish.
A wonderful account of what it means to persist even when one knows that the likely outcome will not be a happy ending. Rosen is a true gem. Read all of his books.
A wonderful account of what it means to persist even when one knows that the likely outcome will not be a happy ending. Rosen is a true gem. Read all of his books.
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