Children's Books
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This easy-to-read story is told over the span of two days. Sasha Zaichak is a ten-year-old boy growing up in the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule. He is about to become a Young Pioneer and is extremely excited to learn that his father, a hero working for Soviet State Security, will be tying the red scarves of the children at his school the next day that will recognize this important step in becoming a Communist. Sasha is completely devoted to the coming Communism and writes a letter to Stalin promising his stength and vigilence to the cause. But the next day, nothing goes as he imagined and to top it off, in the excitement of carrying the banner for the Young Pioneer parade and ceremony, he accidently breaks the nose off the Stalin statue in the school hallway. The consequences for mutilating Soviet property is severe. Will Sasha show true Communist character as he has vowed, or have circumstances changed so much that he chooses another path? The writing is extremely clever and succinct in this story, it is easy to see why it was awarded a 2012 Newery Honor Award. Seeing communism through Sasha's innocent eyes and his justification of food shortages and communal living is precious. His guilt for his and his fathers' comparitively better room conditions is heartbreaking. And the amount of misinformation to which he has already been fed about the wonderful world of communism and the "hard lives of children in capitalist countries" is eye-opening. Plenty of black and white illustrations fill the pages, adding a sense of mood to the story, emphasizing the brutal weather and harsh living conditions. My take away from the story is that under Stalin's rule, everyone is looking out only for himself in an effort to remain alive, and no one can be trusted. Suitable for grades 4-6 and older readers interested in a look from a child's perspective into the Soviet Union under Stalin's leadership. This would also be great for discussion; there is a lot to talk about including the cliff-hanger ending. A similarly themed book, though aimed at a slightly higher audience, is "Hitler Youth", which looks at the part youth played under Hitler's rule. You can see my review of that title here: 
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