Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: Eugene Yelchin
Awards: Newbery Honor (2012)
American Library Association Notable Books for Children (2012)
Age Group: 8 to 12-year-olds
Teacher Evaluation: This book offers one perspective on Communism, that of a young boy who grew up loving it but slowly became aware of the faults and terrors. I think this book would be best in fourth grade and higher levels because of the content. I think it would be a great book to recommend to students who enjoy reading about history because of the historical context in it. The writing is also very authentic to a 10-year-old which I think would make the reading easy to follow for students.
Summary: This book is written about a young Russian boy during the time period of Stalin's rule. The young boy Sasha has grown up longing to be a Pioneer and a Communist hero like his father. Sasha's father works for the secret security and has helped catch many spies. The story starts with Sasha writing a letter to Stalin, telling him how he loves Communism and will work hard every day to become the best Pioneer he could possibly be. The next day, Sasha would be taking place in a ceremony to become a pioneer. Sasha details what is like to live during this time, he shares a home with many others, everyone knows each other. As Sasha talks about the community-type living, his father arrives home. Everyone respects his father, Sasha says that everyone looks scared of his father but he knows it is respect. His father picks him up and takes him to their room, a neighbor trailing behind. This neighbor has a big family and lives in a small room, Sasha feels sorry that his father and he have such a luxurious living space, unlike his neighbor. Sasha's father whispers to Sasha not to speak to this neighbor and shuts the door as the neighbor tries to peek into their room. Once the two are alone, Sasha reads the letter he wrote to Stalin to his father, who promises to give it to Stalin. His father tells him that his principal has asked him to be the special guest at the Pioneer ceremony tomorrow. Sasha is very excited that his father will be there at the ceremony, his father also ties the Pioneer scarf around Sasha's neck asking him what each part of the scarf represents. That night Sasha's father says something to him that does not settle with him, he tells him that if something were to happen to him to go to his Aunt and become a Pioneer. Sasha didn't understand the meaning of this until their doorbell rings, policemen come into their room looking for Sasha's father. They tear apart Sasha's room and take his father away. Sasha is now homeless, he tries to go to Stalin's office to tell them they have made a mistake his father is a Communist hero but realizes that is not the right thing to do. Sasha goes to his aunt only to get turned away by her husband out of fear. Sasha sleeps in the basement of his aunt's apartment building with the intention of going to school tomorrow, hopefully seeing his father their because by then he believes they will figure out that everything was a mistake. The next morning Sasha goes to school, he is worried that others will know his father has been arrested. He is teased by another boy who was once his friend about his mother being an American, no one knows this about Sasha. As the story continues, the reader gets to know that Sasha is the top of his class but Sasha runs into trouble when he accidentally breaks off the nose of a statue of Stalin. The book continues with Sasha worried that the truth of him breaking off the nose will come out, he knows if it does he will be arrested for terroristic acts. Sasha gets in trouble for getting involved in a fight and not going to the principal to say he will denounce his father. At the end of the book, Sasha is given the choice of being a Pioneer still, denouncing his father, and becoming a spy. Sasha takes the opportunity but right before he's about to carry the banner to show he is still with the Communist, he turns around and runs straight to the prison his father is in to see him.
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