A review by bethgiven
Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin
3.0
I picked this up since it was a recent Newbery Honor book. Sasha is a ten-year-old boy living in the Soviet Union under Stalin. He is zealously devoted to communism ... but being ten, it's obvious to the adult reader that a lot of brainwashing has been going on. Then, in one short twenty-four hour period, his world is turned upside-down and he's not quite sure he actually wants to join up with Stalin's "Young Pioneers." There are some interesting themes presented to think on, and I especially appreciated the author's notes at the end that furthered those themes from the fictional story into reality.
This book is short enough to read in one sitting (for adults) and simple enough for young readers, as young as third or fourth grade. I have a hard time giving this more than three stars as an adult, just because it was such a quick read that I didn't have much time to feel invested in the story, but it's still a "good read."
This book is short enough to read in one sitting (for adults) and simple enough for young readers, as young as third or fourth grade. I have a hard time giving this more than three stars as an adult, just because it was such a quick read that I didn't have much time to feel invested in the story, but it's still a "good read."