Cum I-am Spart Nasul Lui Stalin (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
After hearing Yelchin lecture at an Esri Forum series, I read this Newbery Honor book, the moving story of Sasha Zaichik, a ten-year-old Muscovite preparing for his induction into the Soviet Young Pioneers during the years of Joseph Stalin's terrorizing dictatorship. On the day of Sasha's induction, however, things start to go wrong, starting with the arrest of his father, a member of the secret police and a communist hero. As the day progresses, Sasha begins to get a glimpse of a world that does not mesh with what he has been told about his glorious homeland. A heart-wrenching loss-of-innocence story that gives a glimpse into the pervasive fear that filled every corner of Stalin's Soviet Union. It's a quick read, and Yelchin's many illustrations add an extra level of anguish to the story. Though written for children, it is a good book for anyone interested in what it was like to grow up in the Soviet Union. Written by an author-illustrator who grew up in the Soviet Union, the beautiful black and white drawings and dramatic story of STALIN’S NOSE will capture readers’ hearts and imaginations. Young Sasha is a strong believer in his hero, Joseph Stalin, and the merits of the Communist system until his own father is arrested by the government. Events snowball over a two-day period and Sasha suddenly begins to question the world he thinks he knows and all he believes in.Words and text bring this tale alive and no matter what their age, readers will come away with an understanding of what life under Stalin might have been like and what it means to think for oneself. Yelchin’s afterword details his personal story of a later era than under Stalin’s leadership (he spent twenty-seven years in Russia before leaving at the age of twenty-seven).
What do You think about Cum I-am Spart Nasul Lui Stalin (2013)?
This is a good book! I liked the glimpse into the Soviet Union during that time.
—Kcdaniel
Eye opening look at a fictional character'a life under Stalin's rule.
—babakie
I hated this book. I couldn't understand half of the Germany words.
—AisforAnika
Kind hard to get into and over before you know it
—Tbug
