The Island on Bird Street

by Uri Orlev

Book Overview

During World War II a Jewish boy is left on his own for months in a ruined house in the Warsaw Ghetto, where he must learn all the tricks of survival under constantly life-threatening conditions.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395616239
• ISBN13: 9780395616239
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 162 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 10 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 7

Customer Reviews

A Great Book!!

The Island on Bird Street is set during World War 2/the Holocaust, in a ghetto in Warsaw Poland; the main character is an eleven year old Jewish boy, named Alex. At the beginning of the story, he escapes from being transported to a concentration camp with his father; he must try to survive in his previous house until his father returns. I had to read this book for my Reading class at school: we had to choose between a couple of WW2 books, & I chose this one. Even though this opinion might not be attracting, this is a really good book. I hghly recommend this book: its very interesting to read about how Alex survived. Its hard to put it down, its so exciting and suspenseful!!!

good holocaust book

Alex awoke to find his dad sitting on the floor facing the front door with a gun in his hands. Alex knew his dad was going threw some tough times because Alex's mom went to a different ghetto to visit some friends and hasn't came back for a whole week. Alex went over to his dad to tell his dad to go to sleep but once he saw the pistol he asked his dad if he is going to shoot the Germans and his dad replied "if I must I will." I really liked this book. It was very interesting because it explained how Jewish people were treated during the Holocaust and how they had to hide and risk the things they loved. It had parts that were sad and other parts that made you feel glad. It also showed what the Germans did to the Jewish people, like making them sleep in bunks together with three or more people, and treated them with disrespect by breaking into people's houses and taking them away.

What a great book.

I happened upon this book in our school library. It is an easy and incredible read. Growing up we have heard of the horrors but this book puts a real human spin on it all. The young boy learns independance and resourcefullness in an amazing short amount of time. Though there is tragedy it has a happy ending. Its kind of a sad, feel good story for just about 10years old and up.

Bird Street

I think the Island on Bird Street was a good book. It tied in with the Holocaust, and World War Two. The book was about a boy named Alex whose mother and father were both taken by the Germans, Alex's father told him to hide out and wait for him in a bombed out house even if it took years Alex was to wait for him. Alex was to originally wait in a bunker under the house, but one night he heard a noise, so he moved to the top floor using a rope ladder that he cleverly made himself. The next day a truck pulled up in front of the house and police officers went into his bunker to look around. They made a hole in the ground and there was a real bunker under his. The police hauled out all of the people. Alex thought he was lucky for moving out. I think the book was very interesting. I couldn't guess what was going to come next in the book. It was a thriller. You felt like you were there with Alex. When someone was close to finding him, your heart would start pounding. I suggest the book to anyone who likes to read about adventures.