Sasha wants nothing more than to be a member of the Young Soviet Pioneers. Sasha's father works for Stalin's State Security--secret police--and Sasha wants to be just like him. Stalin himself pinned the order of the Red Banner on his Sasha's father's chest and called him "an iron broom purging the vermin from our midst." If only Sasha understood exactly what that statement meant, and who was counted as "vermin".

Sasha's is the voice of innocent, blind loyalty. Throughout the book he makes statements that reveal his belief in the benevolence of Communism in the face of blatant contradiction. People aren't afraid of his father, they are "respectful". That boy, Four Eyes, who didn't do anything wrong, is being dragged away by the Secret Police, but that's okay because, "he'll get to see his parents" (who have been imprisoned as "enemies of the people"). After his father took his mother to the hospital, where she died, Sasha's Aunt Larisa said his father looked "guilty, not sad", and Sasha thinks there must have been a funeral and wonders why his father didn't take him. Probably because "he blamed himself for not being able to save my mom. He's not even a doctor, but he's that responsible."

In only two short days Sasha's world is turned upside-down. He learns more about Stalin's tyrannical regime than he wants to know. By the end of this brief novel, he is still denying much of the truth, but he has a new and painful understanding of what it means to be a Communist.

Breaking Stalin's Nose is brief, but powerful. It's written in a way children can understand. Will they comprehend the magnitude of Communism? Absolutely not. I don't even think I can comprehend that. But it's a start.

Here's the problem, though: I think this book's shelf appeal to children is virtually non-existent. I can't think of a single child who would read the jacket flap and want to read this. They have no idea who Stalin was or what a Communist is. As far as I know, they don't learn about it in school, either. I didn't.

However, the truth of this message is an invaluable one for us, for our children, and for their children. There will be some courageous educators who will be inspired to work this book into their curriculum. Historical background instruction is a prerequisite, but the potential for intense classroom discussion is immeasurable.

Outside of the classroom, in the home, is where this book can have the most power, though. Parents, get this book and read it with your children. Talk to them about Sasha's life. Tell them what you know about Communism, and if you feel you don't know enough, learn about it together. Our children must know this saga in history so they will not allow it to be repeated.