Ms. Nichols Reads

Breaking Stalin’s Nose by Eugene Yelchin Bibliography Yelchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin's Nose . Square Fish, Henry Holt and Company, 2013. ISBN 1250034108. Plot Summary Sasha Zaichik is the model of a perfect communist citizen. He is a perfect student and is soon to be a member of the prestigious Young Pioneer organization. All is going well until one night Sasha’s father is arrested for treason. Now Sasha must learn to survive on his own. Sasha seems to be handling his independent life fairly well until a regrettable action occurs.   At school one day, as he was retrieving a flag for the Young Pioneer ceremony, Sasha accidentally knocks the nose off of a sculpture of Josef Stalin. This action is one that is punishable by death. Sasha is afraid. Unfortunately Sasha’s classmate nemesis, Vovka Sobakin witnesses the destructive action. Although it was an accident, Voovka blackmails Sasha with this information.  Critical Analysis I am ...

Bomb by Steve Sheinkin Bibliography Sheinkin, Steve. Bomb: the Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon . Square Fish, 2018. ISBN 1250050642. Plot Summary This is the story of the atomic bomb; how it was created, the brilliant minds that risked their lives for it, and the ones that tried to steal information about it. This story addresses all sides that raced to create this atomic bomb. It just so happens that the United States was the first country to develop the atomic bomb, but Sheinkin also addresses the “What if?” from other countries. What if the Germans developed the atomic bomb first? What if the world’s most powerful weapon had fallen into the laps of the Nazis?  Critical Analysis Going into this read, I knew absolutely nothing about the atomic bomb, except for the fact that the United States was the first to drop one on Japan. I didn’t realize there was a race to build the bomb. I didn’t realize so many people ha...

Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti Bibliography Bartoletti, Susan Campbell. Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow . Scholastic Focus, 2019. ISBN 1338309846. Plot Summary This is the untold story of the children who sacrificed their lives for their country, and for their leader, Adolf Hitler. Trained very young, the German children were taught to fight, shoot guns and sacrifice for their country. Among these children, were a few that did not follow the same path of a typical German youth and chose to resist the Nazis party at all costs. By telling these children’s tales through the backdrop of World War II, the ability these children had to make an impact not only on their country, but on their world is shown. Critical Analysis I normally have a love/hate relationship with nonfiction novels. I love reading nonfiction books because you can learn so much about so many different topics. I hate nonfiction books when they are dry and bo...

The Family Romanov by Candace Fleming Bibliography Fleming, Candace. The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, & the Fall of Imperial Russia . Random House Children's Books, 2014. ISBN 0375867821 . Plot Summary The story of the Romanov family comes alive in this terrific novel written by Candace Fleming. The story follows the lives of Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra through the political turmoil, and eventual abdication from the throne of Russia. Along the way, chaos rears its ugly head from the uprising of the Russian people. The Romanovs rely heavily on Rasputin, a holy man, that many voice their disapproval of. Nicholas and Alexandra try to hold their family together amongst the chaos. With a sad ending and an even more infamous legacy, the story of the Romanov family is brought to life on the pages of this novel.    Critical Analysis This story holds such a fascinating account over the lives of the Russian royal family; The Roman...

On Enemy Soil by Jim Murphy Bibliography Murphy, Jim. On Enemy Soil: the Journal of James Edmond Pease: a Civil War Union Soldier . Scholastic, 2012. ISBN 0545398878. Plot Summary This is the personal journal belonging to sixteen year old James Edmond Pease. Pease is a soldier fighting on the northern side of the American Civil War. With hard work and determination, and a bit of good luck, Pease works his way up in the ranks in his company. This story follows Pease’ journey through a bloody war fought on farms and in family’s backyards. Although James Pease is a fictional character, his experiences are based off of those that many soldiers faced during this bloody time in history.  Critical Analysis As the story begins, the reader can derive from the lack of proper grammar that Pease is not a very learned man. However with Pease writing the was he talks, the style adds voice to the story. For example, when Pease is discussing the opposing sid...

Orchards by Holly Thompson Bibliography Thompson, Holly. Orchards . Ember, 2012. ISBN 0385739788. Plot Summary The story begins with the narrator talking about a suicide that has shaken her world. As the story continues, the reader finds out more about Ruth’s death. Kana is speaking to Ruth through her poetic lines. As quickly as the story opens, we see the narrator being sent to Japan to live with relatives for a while. It is easy to see that Kana is angry about this move. Through hard work, Kana begins to make a life for herself in Japan. She grows comfortable with her family, and befriends her cousin. Just as quickly as Kana grows comfortable, her whole world shifts again. Kana recieves word that another classmate has committed suicide. Kana is confused and does not understand why she chose to end her life. As this news makes its way to Kana, her time in Japan has neared the end. When she arrives home, Kana reunites with friends and family alik...