(1) YA Sheinkin returns to the milieu of his award-winning Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon (rev. 11/12) for this equally compelling sequel. In the aftermath of World War II, the United States and Russia emerge as global superpowers, each vying for ideological, technological, and territorial dominance. Cold War tensions eventually climax with the Cuban ­Missile Crisis, bringing the rivals perilously close to nuclear war. Castro, Eisenhower, ­Kennedy, and Khrushchev play significant roles in shaping world events leading up to it: the partitioning of Germany, the Berlin Wall, and the metaphorical Iron Curtain; the development of the hydrogen bomb and the subsequent arms race; the equally competitive space race; and the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. But Sheinkin also introduces a colorful parade of lesser-known characters who step forward for their fifteen minutes of fame--scientists and spies; U-2 pilots and submarine captains; secretaries, cyclists, and mobsters. Deftly weaving these anecdotes into the larger tapestry of history and politics, Sheinkin crafts an epic narrative with a large cast of characters, far-flung settings, multiple plot strands, and rising suspense, further evidence that one of our best nonfiction writers is also one of our best ­storytellers. Black-and-white photographs are ­strategically placed at the beginning and end of chapters, while generous source notes, a bibliography, and an index are appended.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(1) 4-6 When it becomes clear that unathletic Yevgeny is not going to follow in the footsteps of his figure-skating-whiz older brother Victor, their mother hopes--against all evidence--that he might make it in the world of the Soviet Union's other big artistic export, ballet, where she ­herself works and even has the acquaintance of the rising star Mikhail ­Baryshnikov. But Yevgeny's genius lies elsewhere, literally under the family's noses, if they only thought to look beneath the dining table where Yevgeny sleeps (and draws) each night. (It's a one-room apartment in 1960s Leningrad, housing Yevgeny, his brother and parents, and his grandmother, who gets some of the best lines in this book.) We now know Yevgeny as Newbery Honor–winning author and illustrator Eugene Yelchin (Breaking Stalin's Nose, rev. 9/11), and this memoir of his adolescence is a forthright, darkly humorous, and indelible portrait of an artist emerging. Family crowding and dynamics aside, the obstacles in Yevgeny's life are large (Soviet authoritarianism and antisemitism chief among them), but always grounded in the particulars of this kid's story: "Don't cry, boy," says a neighbor to an upset Yevgeny. "Have a cookie. You yids like sweets." As you can see from the excerpt on pages 21–28 of this issue, Yelchin, wonderfully, allows his text and pictures to interrupt each other with glee, reminding us how life begets art. It certainly does here.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2021

(2) YA This book trusts readers to figure out that protagonists Valentina and Oksana, whose perspectives alternate for most of the story, have been taught a lot of misinformation. The 1986 Chernobyl disaster forces the eleven-year-old classmates to flee Pripyat, Ukraine, and live in Leningrad with Valentina's kind and generous Babulya, the grandmother she has never known. Oksana has long bullied Valentina for being Jewish, and seeing the misconceptions she'd learned about Jews from her abusive father disproven is Oksana's first indication that he wasn't right about everything. Both girls, whose fathers worked at the Chernobyl nuclear plant, have believed the Soviet government's downplaying of the dangers of radiation, and the catastrophic consequences for their fathers come as a shock to them. Flashbacks to Valentina's grandmother's youth during the Holocaust give a third narrative perspective, shedding light on how Babulya came to be who she is, as well as on her clandestine, illegal religious practice. Though the events are largely bleak, Babulya is a source of hope for the young protagonists, whose gradual evolutions are believable and affecting. Back matter includes information and further reading about Chernobyl as well as resources for readers experiencing abuse.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2020

(2) 4-6 Translated by Denise Muir. Viktor and Nadya are twelve-year-old twins living in Leningrad during World War II. In defiance of the non-aggression pact, Germany invades Russia and lays siege to the city. As children are evacuated, Viktor and Nadya are put on separate trains. Nadya's train is stopped and the children dispersed; Nadya and several companions find refuge on an abandoned island fortress, while Viktor ends up in a gulag. After he escapes, he incorrectly learns that Nadya's train was bombed with no survivors but refuses to believe it. Eventually, Viktor does find Nadya through some fortuitous coincidences, and together they are able to unravel a stunning tale of treason and betrayal at the highest levels of Soviet leadership. The book's format is innovative and adds immediacy. It's written as a series of journal notebooks--Nadya's entries are in navy blue, while Viktor's are in cherry red, complemented by maps and photographs in the same color palettes--which are now being used as evidence to determine whether the children have committed crimes against the Soviet Union. The officer reviewing their case has ominously written notes and questions in the margin; he has also re-ordered parts to aid the narrative flow. Attentive readers will be richly rewarded by this gripping historical mystery.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2021

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Iris Deppe. Soviet dogs Belka and Strelka became, in 1960, among the first animals to return, alive, from orbital flight. Southgate and Deppe tell and show their story with suspense, enthusiasm, and little anthropomorphism. The automatically appealing narrative is bolstered by useful scientific facts ("Strelka's puppies prove spaceflight is not harmful"). With a zip equal to the story, the pictures use well-outlined, simple forms in depicting the dogs in various visual configurations. Timeline.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2019

(2) YA Consummate historical-fiction writer Wein here exercises her considerable skill as researcher, historian, and storyteller in a capacious history of the USSR’s three regiments of airwomen during WWII. Wein takes us deep into the training, daily lives, combat, and intense personal commitment these women experienced throughout the war. An easy, friendly writing style invites readers into the company of a formidable sisterhood. Illustrated throughout with maps and period photographs. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(3) 4-6 Captured Science History series. This installment in the Captured History spinoff series examines the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear spill in Ukraine and the photographic documentation of it. The chilling photos by Igor Kostin, Volodymyr Repik, and others shook the world when they were released. An engaging and thought-provoking discussion of the disaster's scientific and historical impact is profusely illustrated with these archival images. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) 4-6 During the Soviet/Nazi conflict to control Kiev, Luka was sent to work at a labor camp. As this companion to Making Bombs for Hitler begins, he escapes and later joins the Ukrainian underground resistance. Based on actual World War II events, Skrypuch weaves a tale of suspense, highlighting Luka's courage and ingenuity as he searches for his parents and is eventually reunited with friend Lida.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) 4-6 Snap Books: Women and War series. These short and easy-to-read introductory books highlight the brave and notable deeds of women during World War II, whether on the home front (Women) or the front lines (Soviet). These stories of unsung heroines include generous period photographs, direct quotes, fact boxes, and explanatory sidebars of additional relevant information. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Snap Books: Women and War titles: The Soviet Night Witches and The Women Behind Rosie the Riveter.

Reviewer: Jessica Bushore

(2) YA This highly readable novel illuminates the story of the Soviet Union's famed WWII squadrons of airwomen, the "Night Witches." For bomber pilot Valka, Nazi fire, terrible weather, darkness, the loss of comrades, and worry for her sweetheart in the infantry all exercise her aeronautical and emotional resources. Katz is skillfully informative, interweaving historical figures and facts without losing emotional propulsion and suspense.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2017

(3) YA In 1958, Svetlana joins the Bolshoi Ballet, a cover for her work as a KGB "remote intelligence" agent. This third volume continues to follow a matrilineal family of dancers through generations of intrigue-filled history (most recently granddaughter Lana in Hider, Seeker, Secret Keeper). Wrenching mother-daughter relationships, fear of the Stalinist regime, and all-consuming passion for dance are portrayed with equal nuance and depth.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) YA Sixteen-year-old pilot Valentina longs to be a Night Witch--female pilots in the Soviet Union's 588th Regiment--like her older sister, but she's too young to enlist. After their mother is killed, Valya finds herself alone in war-torn Stalingrad and thrust into battle. Tactical descriptions and historical background sometimes stall the action, but WWII-fiction fans won't mind.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) K-3 Translated by Eugene Ostashevsky. Illustrated by Lidia Popova, Boris Ender, and Vladimir Konashevich. This volume brings together three 1920s-era poems by well-known Russian poets featuring the creation of a large toy horse, two trams named Click and Zam, and three boys pretending to be vehicles. The stilted language (translated from the Russian) and retro art are unlikely to engage today's kids. A window into Soviet-era children's book publishing, this will be valued most as a historical document.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(3) 4-6 With Krystyna Poray Goddu. Krystyna (Krysia) Mihulka recounts her harrowing experiences during WWII. Nine-year-old Krysia was deported from southeastern Poland following the German and Soviet invasions and spent two years on a Soviet work farm in Kazakhstan, followed by several years in refugee camps in Iran and Rhodesia. Mihulka's warmth shines through, and her perspective offers a unique angle on the WWII narrative. Small black-and-white photos included.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(2) YA British author Arthur Ransome was also a Russian correspondent throughout the Revolution and a suspected Bolshevik sympathizer and double agent. Sedgwick fictionalizes his story into a romance and Bildungsroman, a fairy tale and novel of politics and suspense, pulling them together with an authoritative narrative voice. This stylized account evokes a historical moment even as it celebrates the complicated past of a classic children's author.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2016

(2) YA This ambitious, sometimes unwieldy, work encompasses the life of composer Shostakovich, the early political history of the U.S.S.R., and the nation's suffering during WWII. Initially inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution, Shostakovich's music changed during Stalin's Reign of Terror. The centerpiece is his Leningrad Symphony, which offered both catharsis and hope. Extensive black-and-white photographs help define the wide range of subjects and settings. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2015

(1) YA Fleming has outdone herself with this riveting work of narrative nonfiction. Her focus here is not just the Romanovs, but the Revolutionary leaders and common people as well. The epic, sweeping narrative seamlessly incorporates scholarly authority, primary sources, appropriate historical speculation, and a keen eye for the most telling details. Two sixteen-page inserts contain numerous captioned photographs. Map, genealogy, and source notes included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2014

(2) 4-6 Arcady's parents were declared enemies of the state, resulting in his assignment to prisonlike orphanages. Now twelve, Arcady is a gifted soccer player. When former schoolteacher Ivan Ivanych wants to adopt Arcady, the boy is sure his soccer skill is the only reason. Although writing in the first person from Arcady's point of view, Yelchin has created two complex and evolving characters.

Reviewer: Viki Ash | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2014

(4) K-3 Davey departs from history (and science) to reimagine the fate of Laika, the stray dog shot into space by the USSR rocket Sputnik 2 in 1957. Only the barest facts are provided in this sentimental alternate version, complete with a happily-ever-after ending: a "loving family" of green aliens embraces the lonely dog. The stylish digital illustrations lend the book its charming retro feel.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt

(4) YA Days of Decision series. These slim books provide solid analysis of pivotal events in world history and the decision-makers who affected them. Report writers and debaters will find useful and pertinent background information; readers are encouraged to consider questions and dilemmas faced by leaders and historians. The pages are overly busy with archival photos, captions, sidebars, maps, and other graphics. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Days of Decision titles: Gandhi and the Quit India Movement, Hitler and Kristallnacht, and Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt