Yelchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin’s Nose.

Yelchin, Eugene.  Breaking Stalin’s Nose.  Henry Holt/MacMillan Children's Publishing Group,  2011.  151p  $15.99 ISBN 978-0-8050-9216-5     elm/ms (Grades 6-8).VG-BN Historical

     This unusual story introduces young readers to the oppression and fear of the populace in Russia under Stalin.  Sasha lives in Russia during the rule of Stalin.  He unwaveringly idolizes Stalin.  He is all set to join the Young Pioneers and then his father, who is in the Secret Police, is falsely arrested.  Sasha is forced to rethink his beliefs.
     In a society where anyone can accuse another person and send them to jail without trial or an attempt to find the truth, how easy it is to find an “outsider” in any situation. Sasha joins in on picking on the only Jew in his school, but you can tell he really doesn’t want to participate.  Then he himself becomes the “outsider”.  There are many lessons a student can learn from this book about compassion, true camaraderie, and the poison of false accusations.
This is a period of history that will be unfamiliar to most readers.  The author’s note does help set the stage.  It might be helpful to place this information as an introduction.
     The illustrations in black and white at times lend a comic tone to the story with the caricatures used.  At the end of the story they lend weight and solemnity to the words.
     The reading level appears simpler but due to the subject matter, this title should be for grades 6-8.             

Subject: Stalinist Russia - Fiction

Joan Theal

 

Another note on Breaking Stalin's Nose:

     This book relies heavily on the reader's familiarity with Gogol's classic short story "The Nose", which will be familiar to Russian readers, but not necessarily American readers.  It is my feeling that Yelchin or the publisher should have included a foreword briefly outlining the story of "The Nose" and acknowledging the connection between it and this story.

Carol Kennedy