Monday, July 22, 2013

BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE by Eugene Yelchin


Bibliography
Yelchin, Eugene. 2011. BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN: 9780805092165

Plot Summary
This book is about a young boy named Sasha Zaichik who is growing up in the Soviet Union during the Stalin era.  He is a devoted Communist just like his father who is a member of the State Security (secret police).  One day when the police take his father away without explanation, Sasha realizes Communism is not as great as he once thought.

Critical Analysis
This historical fiction which is told in the first person takes place over the course of two days during the Stalin era in the Soviet Union.  The protagonist and narrator in this story is Sasha Zaichik, a 10-year old boy who wants to be a loyal Communist just like his father.  Throughout the story, Sasha talks about his way of life which is the Communist way of life.  He describes how he lives in a communal apartment or "komunalka" with 12 other families, but thinks it's great.  All he has ever been taught is how great Communism is and pities those who live in capitalist societies.

The book starts out with Sasha writing a letter to Stalin thanking him for being a great leader and letting him know his dream is to become a Young Soviet Pioneer. Sasha's dream is about to come true the following day, and his father who is a member of the State Security or secret police, is going to be the guest of honor at the school ceremony.

Unfortunately, later that evening, police take Sasha's father away without explanation leaving him confused and worried.  His father told him earlier that if anything were to happen to him to go to his aunt's apartment, so that is was Sasha does, but she turns him away in fear that she and her family will get in trouble.  Naive Sasha continues to believe what has happened to his father is a huge mistake and Comrade Stalin will fix it immediately and hopefully in time for the Young Pioneers ceremony.

Sasha manages to get to school the following morning and acts as if everything is fine.  The rest of the story takes place at school and describes how quickly his peers are to accuse people of treason.  His teacher, Nina Petrovna is only nice to Sasha and students who are sons or daughters of those believed to be good Communists.  The teacher along with Sasha's other classmates are mean to students such as Borka Finkelstein simply because he is Jewish.  Another student named Vovka Sobakin who was once thought of very highly by the teacher is now treated unfairly because his father had been accused of being an enemy of the people.

When Sasha is sent to retrieve the Young Pioneers banner, he accidentally hits a statue of Stalin and the nose breaks off.  This is a very serious offense, and Sasha is terrified he will be arrested and now knows his chances of becoming a Young Pioneer are over.  When the teacher finds out about the statue, she asks the class to write down who they believe broke the statue and advises them to choose the offender simply by their character and no other facts.  She also frightens the kids by letting them know if they are wrong then there could be consequences for them.  Ultimately Finkelstein lies and says he broke it, so he will be sent to the jail where he believes his mother and father are located.  Later Vovka is able to frame the teacher, and she is the one who gets in trouble for breaking Stalin's nose, but Sasha feels guilty and tries to confess to Principal Ivanych.  The principal knows that Sasha's father was arrested and locks Sasha in a storage room until it is time for him to be sent to an orphanage, but while in the storage room Sasha encounters the officer who arrested his father.  The officer had read Sasha's letter to Stalin and gives Sasha the chance to become a Young Pioneer if he agrees to report suspicious activity.  Frightened Sasha reluctantly agrees and is told to carry the banner at the rally, but as he is walking to the main hall he decides to leave the banner and the school.  He decides to go to Lubyanka prison to find his father.  He finds a line of thousands of people waiting to see loved ones who were unjustly arrested.  In the end, Sasha has a painful understanding of what it really means to be a Communist.  He realizes it is unfair and sees how people are living in constant fear of being arrested for no reason.

This book is sad, but it is written in a way children can understand.  The book contains black and white illustrations that help add to the story.  Most young readers will relate to the strong bond between Sasha and his father.  This book also does a great job of historically dictating the life of a child in the Soviet Union during the reign of Stalin.  BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE will help American children realize the amazing freedom we have in the United States.  Eugene Yelchin includes an author's note at the end of the book describing the similarities between his life and the book.  He was born and educated in Russia and lived a life very similar to Sasha's.

Review Excerpt(s)
2012 American Library Association Notable Books for Children Award Winner
2012 Newbery Medal Nominee
2012 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
2012 Judy Lopez Memorial Award Nominee
2011 California Books Award Nominee

Starred review in THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE: "…this brief novel gets at the heart of a society that asks its citizens, even its children, to report on relatives and friends. Appropriately menacing illustrations by first-time novelist Yelchin add a sinister tone."

KIRKUS review: "Yelchin’s graphite illustrations are an effective complement to his prose, which unfurls in Sasha’s steady, first-person voice, and together they tell an important tale."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY review: "Picture book author/illustrator Yelchin (Won Ton) makes an impressive middle-grade debut with this compact novel about a devoted young Communist in Stalin-era Russia, illustrated with dramatically lit spot art."

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE review: "A miracle of brevity, this affecting novel zeroes in on two days and one boy to personalize Stalin's killing machine of the '30s. …black-and-white drawings march across the pages to juxtapose hope and fear, truth and tyranny, small moments and historical forces, innocence and evil. This Newbery Honor book offers timeless lessons about dictatorship, disillusionment and personal choice."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: "Yelchin skillfully combines narrative with dramatic black-and-white illustrations to tell the story of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin."

Connections
  • This book introduces children to historical fiction.
  • This book could encourage students to want to learn more about the history of the Soviet Union.
  • It could prompt a discussion about the different types of economic systems such as capitalism, socialism, and communism.
Related books:
  • Sepetys, Rudy. 2011. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN: 9780399254123
  • Sis, Peter. 2007. THE WALL: GROWING UP BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN: 9780374347017



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