breaking stalin's nose
by Eugene Yelchin
Henry Holt © 2011
Laura Godwin, editor
April Ward, art director
On the eve of his induction into the Young Pioneers, Sasha’s world is overturned when his father is arrested by Stalin’s guard. Yelchin deftly crafts a stark and compelling story of a child’s lost idealism.
To explore Sasha Zaichik's Stalinist Moscow, visit the companion site, BreakingStalinsNose.com.
Click on an image to enlarge.
Mr. Yelchin discusses the personal journey that inspired the 2012 Newbery Honor-winning book.
• 2012 Newbery Honor Book (American Library Association)
• The Best Children’s Books of 2011 by the Horn Book Magazine
• 2012 Capitol Choices Book, Noteworthy Books for Children
• Featured in Booklist's Top Ten Historical Fiction for Youth: 2012
• The illustrations for the book were on view at the Wende Museum and Archives of Cold War in 2011-2012, and Los Angeles Craft and Folk Art Museum in 2012.
“An important book for all people living in free society.”
–Peter Sìs, author of The Wall
STARRED REVIEW “Although the story takes place over just two days, it is well paced, peeling off the layers of Sasha’s naiveté to show him – and young readers – the cynicism of the system he trusted.”
–The Horn Book Magazine
“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
“Yelchin’s debut novel does a superb job of depicting the tyranny of the group, whether residents of a communal apartment, kids on the playground, students in the classroom or government officials. 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
"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. Through Sasha's fresh and optimistic voice, Yelchin powerfully renders an atmosphere of fear that forces false confessions, even among schoolchildren, and encourages neighbors and family members to betray one another without evidence. Readers will quickly pick up on the dichotomy between Sasha's ardent beliefs and the reality of life under Stalinism, and be glad for his ultimate disillusion, even as they worry for his future."
–Publishers Weekly
"Yelchin skillfully combines narrative with dramatic black-and-white illustrations to tell the story of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin. While the story was obviously created to shed light on the oppression, secrecy, and atrocities under Stalin’s regime, Sasha’s emotions ring true. This is an absorbing, quick, multilayered read in which predictable and surprising events intertwine. Yelchin clearly dramatizes the dangers of blindly believing in anything."
–School Library Journal
“…this is serious, sophisticated stuff. 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.”
–The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“In his first novel, [Yelchin] uses the child’s innocent viewpoint to dramatize the heartbreaking secrets and lies. The present-tense narrative is true to the young kid’s naive viewpoint…”
–Booklist
“…transcends time and place… touching, beautiful and important.”
–Polo Alto Daily News
“…riveting story… an achievement.”
–The Children’s Book Compass
“Yelchin heightens the message of this powerful middle-grade book with drawings that darken as the story darkens.”
–City Book Review
“Yelchin captures the fear that people lived in under the Stalin’s regime, yet he also shows the resiliency of the human spirit. This is a powerful book about freedom, Russia, and the young boy’s path to knowledge.”
–Walking Brain Cells
“…a great overview into Stalinist Russia… historical fiction that could appeal to even reluctant readers and the themes make it an excellent choice for classroom discussions”.
–Adrienne’s Book Blog
“The horrors of the Great Terror are told aslant here, in a child's-size tale of a young boy's disillusionment and the loss of all he has. It would be well for the youngsters among us to know what others have suffered and do suffer in other lands. This book is a great starting point.”
–Provo City Library Children’s Book Review
“…deceptively simple, yet… realistically captures the Stalinist period.”
–Library Thing
“ …exquisitely portrays Sasha's awakening to the corruption and oppression in Stalinist Russia while retaining a convincing child-centric point-of-view. Chilling, fascinating, and at times horrifying.”
–Jacketflap
“This is a wonderful little book for anyone in search of an affecting story – or of insight into an era that is so often neglected in our convenient reimagining of history.”
–Historical Novel Society
“Yelchin does a masterful job of slowly exposing Sasha's naïveté' throughout the course of the book - and exposing the sinister underpinnings of the system Sasha trusted explicitly. …with an adult's guidance and discussion, this book can be a powerful tool in helping children (and adults) understand how people survive in hostile dictatorships.”
–Healthy Homes Blog
“This is an unusual topic for grade school, but a lesson about blind belief still relevant. A quick and chilling read…”
–Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens
“…dramatic, moving and disturbing. A stunning, powerful, and most thought-provoking novel, Breaking Stalin’s Nose isn’t just about Stalin and Communism but also acts as an important warning to the people of today.”
–Greatest Books for Kids blog
"Sasha’s story is one that many young readers will not know, and Yelchin’s simple, yet powerful, depiction of life under Stalin’s rule will captivate readers—and break their hearts even as they root for Sasha to learn the truth. The spot illustrations have a slightly ominous tone to them that counteracts Sasha’s optimism and gives young readers clues to the difference between reality and Sasha’s perception of it.
This book will be a valuable resource for history, and it may also be an interesting choice to introduce the idea of an unreliable narrator. Highly recommended."
—Mackin Books in Bloom
"I began the book hesitantly. Instantly, I was hooked. Yelchin's stark monochromatic illustrations provide intensity, action, and insight amidst the tension of the text."
—Extended Shelf Life
"This short chapter book has wonderfully atmospheric black and white illustrations, and is a page-turning thriller based on historical facts."
—Finders Readers
"As Sasha tells his story, we are transported into Soviet Russia - where everyone is a suspect, and truth is sacrificed for the exigencies of survival. Yelchin captures Sasha's innocence beautifully - the reader knows far more than he does, and can see where the story is going....but one hopes because one has grown to truly love this little boy. The nightmarish unravelling of Sasha's life makes for powerful reading. His story also allows us to ask important questions about power, fear and what we take to be true. Yelchin's illustrations are nothing short of remarkable - he has a way of capturing facial expressions that reveal complex thought, joy, hope and terror. These illustrations lent so much to the book's reading experience."
—A Teaching Life
"The issues raised in Breaking Stalin's Nose are far deeper than a didactic 'Communism is bad and Capitalism is good', and the situations and choices the characters face are relevant beyond their immediate setting. This title would make a fantastic classroom or book group discussion selection."
—Ann Arbor District Library
“This book is going to be a hit with history buffs and especially with the boys… the story deserves to be continued.”
—Will Follow White Rabbits
“A great example of quality children’s literature.”
—Kim Harris Thacker Blog
“…Very real and very relevant.”
—Kane Resource Site
“Breaking stalin's nose had me from the first chapter… will definitely provide many opportunities for important discussions.”
—Read It Again, Mom
“Great historical fiction.”
—Guys Read
“…Powerful as well as heartbreaking.”
—The Potomac School
“A good read, clearly written to make children think about life.”
—Indigo
"This is not the story with a happy ending, but one of truth."
—We Know Books, ETC.
"... a gem."
“I loved this book about a young boy’s devotion to Stalin and Communism – until his life begins to unravel – this one will be on the middle school’s summer reading list.”
–Sommer Reading