Breaking Stalin's Nose

Written by Eugene Yelchin

A boy's dream to join the Young Pioneers unravels as his father is arrested.

3.9 Goodreads · 10,242 ratings

176 pages· 14,863 words· Est. 1.5 hour read· 670L

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Bookroo's summary

Sasha Zaichik eagerly awaits joining the Soviet Young Pioneers, but his world crumbles when his father is arrested. As mishaps pile up, Sasha questions his beliefs and loyalty. Can he reconcile his ideals with the harsh reality? Discover the poignant journey of a boy caught between devotion and disillusionment in a society where trust is fragile and truth is elusive.

From the publisher

A Newbery Honor Book. 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. Breaking Stalin’s Nose is one of Horn Book’s Best Fiction Books of 2011