The Missing: The True Story of My Family in World War II
Age 10+
History & The Past: General Interest Poetry
***As heard on The Jeremy Vine Show***
***As heard on The Cerys Matthews Show***
“Michael Rosen is a master of pace and clarity… Essential reading.” – The Times, Children’s Book of the Week
“Five stars ... extraordinary and affecting. ” – The Telegraph, Children’s Book of the Week
“Rosen handles the difficult topic as sensitively and thoughtfully as you would expect, always writing in a straightforward and accessible way for children.” – BookTrust, the UK’s largest reading charity
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, poetry, maps and pictures.
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 traveled 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 readable 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.
“Fascinating, chilling and poignantly personal” – Financial Times
“The Missing may ostensibly concern the Holocaust but, as Rosen makes clear, this is a book about facing down prejudice, defying those who would sow the seeds of hatred and opening our arms to those in need.” – Independent
Creators
Children's Laureate Michael Rosen is one of the most popular authors for children. His bestselling titles published by Walker Books include We're Going on a Bear Hunt, A Great Big Cuddle, Little Rabbit Foo Foo, Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, Tiny Little Fly and What Is Poetry?. He is a distinguished critic and academic, presents radio programmes for the BBC and is a political commentator. Michael lives in London. Follow him on Twitter under the handle @MichaelRosenYes.
