This Newbery Honor book is similar in some ways to Lois Lowry's [b:The Giver|3636|The Giver (The Giver, #1)|Lois Lowry|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266448651s/3636.jpg|2543234]. Both books feature a young boy who has been taught to believe the world is a certain way, but by the end of both books, his worldview has been turned upside down.

There's a huge difference between The Giver and Stalin's Nose, though. One is science fiction and the other is historical fiction. I worry that, while the sci-fi setting of The Giver succeeds with kids, the historical fiction might be a little too dense for readers as young at the main character, Sasha, who's 10. Most American schools don't exactly teach Russian history to 4th graders, nor have they probably broached subjects like Communism or Stalin.

If a kid has either curricular support or some intrinsic motivation to research the actual history, this is a very good book. I'm just not sure how well it stands on its own for a young audience. ( )

If I am honest, I am really not sure how I felt about this book. Ten year old Sasha lives with his father in a communal apartment is Moscow- under Stalin's rule. Sasha's father is a "the best communist" that Sasha knows and part of Stalin's secret police. Sasha plans to grow up just like him but on the eve of Sasha's induction to the Young Pioneers his father is arrested and taken away in the night. Sasha now has no where to go or live -his mother died of mysterious circumstances. Returning to school the next day- his day goes from bad to worse. I thought this book was pretty dark and would have a hard time recommending this to any students under 7th grade. ( )

An inside view of Russian society under Stalin from the eyes of a naive 10-year-old boy, whose only wish is to be a Young Pioneer in service to his leader and the cause of Communism.
A bit chilling, but not too scary for a family read-aloud or a mature 8-year-old I think.
The ending is not cliche and the message is not simplistic nor based on any political agenda, but definitely educational.
The plot moves quickly and the characters are well-drawn. There are also some poignant illustrations.
The author writes based on personal childhood experiences, which makes it even more interesting. ( )

This is an excellent book to read with one's child and have a talk about what an autocrat or dictator looks like. It might be a good way to have a talk about current events in a compare and contrast sense as well. ( )