This is an interesting book that really brings you into the mind of a Jewish child living during the Holocaust. It tells the story of an 11 year old boy named Alex who lives with his father in the Warsaw Ghetto.
One horrible day, Alex's father leaves and Alex is forced to live in a bombed out house on 78 Bird Street. There he must learn how to survive in the always threatening conditions. Until his father returns, Alex must always be on alert. The main character's bravery and courage is inspiring to all who read this book. At times it could be a bit dull, but over all this book was wonderful. Anyone who loves to sit down with a good book should read The Island on Bird Street.

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!!!

This epic Jewish war tale is good enough to be passed down through generations of Jews and any other religion alike. It takes place in Warsaw, Poland in a ghetto which is a small place where many people are trapped within barbed wire and doomed to be isolated. The main character is a boy named Alex whose mother has disappeared (and is assumed dead) and father has been arrested by the Nazis. Left all alone, with the only reason to keep on living his girlfriend and the slim hope that his father will return alive, Alex hides in the ruins of his abandoned house. The Nazis are hunting Jews down like game and scanning the houses for them, but Alex is still brave enough to venture out to the Polish side. This book is very exciting, emotional, and shows how brave people can be. There were points of high tension, but the story was also about how people depend on one another. It shows the dimensions of fear and love alike. -- The Newton Boys Reading Circle (Danny, David and Ben)

The book I read was called Lydia, Queen of Palestine. It's about this Romanian Jewish girl, who's parents are devorst and she doesn't know it! Since German Soldiers were running every where, she went on a train to a community in Palestine. Her mother was going to be smuggled into Palestine later by a boatsman. This community is a fenced in place where everybody doesn't lock their doors or anything.
Before all of this Lydia's father left for another woman. Lydia calls her "That Woman".When he left to go to Palestine he got papers to bring people where he was. He sent them to "That Woman"
There are more important things in this book, but I don't want to give them away.What I liked about this book was that it expressed how she felt. What I didn't like about the book was that the 1st chapter was disgusting. I thought it would be good for 3rd graders, ut as I got into it I thought it would be for my age.

I found this book to be very interesting. I was very amused with what i read. I couldn't put it down and this meant i read it in one day. I wanted to keep reading though. If you like to read books about life and adventures and children. You'll like to read this one!! The author did a great job. The best part about it was that it was based on a real person, and me to think a person had that much flare and compasion was very amazing. She seemed to be very unique. I would recommend this to anyone who likes to read.

The Best Book of the 21st Century!
I really liked this book for several reasons:
1.) My name is shared with that of the herione of this story. 2.) It was very funny :-D. Example- Lydia loves making up soapopras with her dolls. And ever uses them a a jury when she declares people to be her 'ememy/ies'. 3.) This book is historically acturate. 4.) It has a happy ending I'd give this book 100000000000 stars if I could!!!!!

A Review by Craig
This is a story about a fourteen-year-old Polish boy, Marek, who lives in Warsaw, Poland in 1942. The book takes place a couple of years after the Nazis invasion of Poland. Warsaw is a city occupied by the Nazis who have sectioned off an area of the city called the ghetto. This area, which is basically a prison, is strictly for the Jewish people. The story follows the teenager Marek as he struggles to understand the hatred and mistrust towards the Jewish people. The book follows Marek as he helps his stepfather and becomes a member of the underground, which smuggles weapons, food, and other goods through the sewers into the ghetto. The Jewish people in the ghetto decide to defend themselves when the Nazi decide to get rid them all. Marek gets involved in the uprising and fights along side his friend that he saved from the Polish and German Police.

This book does a good job of putting the reader right along side Marek in his adventures throughout the story and to feel his experiences. The action and descriptions in this book really shows the horror of the Holocaust and war in general. "For a moment I stood there with my mouth open, listening to the German's screams grow more distant. Then there was a sudden thump in the courtyard." (p.167). Even though it was sometimes hard to read because I knew that these things really could have happened, I always wanted to keep reading. The author made me want to find out what would happen next.

The author wrote so that you could really get a feel for how he felt about the characters in the book. He wrote, "The more I imagined him, the more I had to rewrite the whole story of his life, to change my whole conception of him, starting with his childhood" (p. 38). Here he is talking about the father that he never knew well, and whom he was told lies about, but then finds out the truth.

This book got The Batchelder Award and I think it deserved it. It portrayed life during the holocaust very well through the eyes of a sympathetic teenager. On Amazon.com, they show this book at a 9-12 year old reading level, but I think you really have to be at least 12 to totally grasp the situation in this story. That's one of the reasons I recommend this book to read, because it really grabs you, and makes you feel for the people who suffered through those times.

The Man From the Other Side is a well written by the author he explains the story and other details really well, I could basically see the people in my head when I read the book. This book is placed in the 1940's in Poland were a fourteen year old boy named Marek, and his step-father smuggle goods through a sewer into the jewish community. Marek finds during the book that he is half jew and decides to help another jew he meets to escape from Poland and away from the Nazi.

I would highly recommend this book to people that like or are interested in WWI because it talks about the enivorenment the jews lived in which, was really detailed by the author. Also the author painted a perfect description of the jews and the way they lived. If you want to find out more for yourself take a risk and READ THE BOOK!!!

This book is really getting good so far.
Im on the 9th chapter and what I read is so far good.
Im sure it will be good at the end.