Breaking Stalin's Nose: (Newbery Honor Book)

Brief Description: In the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, ten-year-old Sasha idolizes his father, a devoted Communist, but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his own perceptions, values, and beliefs. Review Quotes: "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." --"Publishers Weekly" ."..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." --"Horn Book, " starred 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." --"Kirkus""Velchin skillfully combines narrative with dramatic black-and-white illustrations to tell the story of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin." --"SLJ"Review Quotes: "The cat-and-mouse chase that pits Sasha's whole world against him will rivet middle-grade readers, but this title will hold special appeal for older students whose grasp of content outstrips their reading proficiency." --"BCCB" "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." --"Publishers Weekly" ."..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." --"Horn Book, " starred 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." --"Kirkus""Yelchin skillfully combines narrative with dramatic black-and-white illustrations to tell the story of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin." --"SLJ"Review Quotes: "Mr. Yelchin has compressed into two days of events an entire epoch, giving young readers a glimpse of the precariousness of life in a capricious yet ever-watchful totalitarian state." "--Wall Street Journal""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." --"San Francisco Chronicle""The cat-and-mouse chase that pits Sasha's whole world against him will rivet middle-grade readers, but this title will hold special appeal for older students whose grasp of content outstrips their reading proficiency." --"BCCB""Picture book author/illustrator Yelchin 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." --"Publishers Weekly"* "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." --"The Horn Book, " starred 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." --"Kirkus Reviews""Yelchin skillfully combines narrative with dramatic black-and-white illustrations to tell the story of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin." --"School Library Journal"Brief Description: Original publication and copyright date: 2011. Brief Description: "Go Fish, Bonus materials inside"--Page 4 of cover. Biographical Note: Eugene Yelchin has illustrated several books for children, including "Who Ate All the Cookie Dough? "and "Won Ton." He lives in California with his wife and children. Marc Notes: Square Fish.; Original publication and copyright date: 2011.; Go Fish, Bonus materials inside--Page 4 of cover.; In the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, ten-year-old Sasha idolizes his father, a devoted Communist, but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his own perceptions, values, and beliefs.; AR: 2.0 / LEXILE: 670L--Title page verso.; Newberry Honor book, 2012. Publisher Marketing:"Breaking Stalin's Nose" is one of "Horn Book"'s Best Fiction Books of 2011 Sasha Zaichik has known the laws of the Soviet Young Pioneers since the age of six: "The Young Pioneer is devoted to Comrade Stalin, the Communist Party, and Communism.""A Young Pioneer is a reliable comrade and always acts according to conscience.""A Young Pioneer has a right to criticize shortcomings."But now that it is finally time to join the Young Pioneers, the day Sasha has awaited for so long, everything seems to go awry. He breaks a classmate's glasses with a snowball. He accidentally damages a bust of Stalin in the school hallway. And worst of all, his father, the best Communist he knows, was arrested just last night. Eugene Yelchin's moving story of a ten-year-old boy's world shattering is masterful in its simplicity, powerful in its message, and heartbreaking in its plausibility. Review Citations:

Audio File 10/01/2012 pg. 62 (EAN 9781429949958, Open Ebook)

School Library Journal 11/01/2012 pg. 54 (EAN 9781429949958, Open Ebook)

School Library Journal 08/01/2011 pg. 125 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

Kirkus Reviews 08/01/2011 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 08/01/2011 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

Horn Book Magazine 09/01/2011 pg. 106 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Booklist 10/15/2011 pg. 56 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 11/01/2011 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

People 07/16/2012 pg. 53 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

Wilson Children's Catalog 01/01/2012 pg. 170 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

Wilson Middle/Junior Hi Catalo 01/01/2012 pg. 128 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2012 pg. 88 (EAN 9780805092165, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Yelchin, Eugene EUGENE YELCHIN studied art and theater design at the Leningrad Institute of Theater Arts. He lives in California.