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The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia
Author:
Fleming, Candace
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Class:
947.083
Age: 12-19
Language: English
Demand: Moderate
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LC: DK258
Grade: 7-12
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ISBN-13: 9780375867828
LCCN: 2013037904
Imprint: Schwartz & Wade
Publisher: Random House
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Pub Date: 07/08/2014
Availability: Available
List: $19.99
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Hardcover
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Physical Description:
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292 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
H 9.56",
W 6.38",
D 1.1",
1.275 lbs.
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LC Series:
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Brodart Sources:
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Brodart's Children and Teen Nonfiction Picks
Brodart's For Youth Interest Titles
Brodart's For Youth Interest: Popular
Brodart's Insight Catalog: Teen
Brodart's TOP Young Adult Titles
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Bibliographies:
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Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 12th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 13th ed.
Middle and Junior High Core Collection, 14th ed.
Robert F. Sibert Award Honorees
Senior High Core Collection, 20th ed.
Senior High Core Collection, 21st ed.
Senior High Core Collection, 22nd ed.
Texas Tayshas Reading List
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Awards:
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BCCB Blue Ribbons
BCCB Starred Reviews
Booklist Editors Choice
Booklist Starred Reviews
Booklist Top of the List
Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Winners
Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
Horn Book Fanfare
Horn Book Guide Titles, Rated 1 - 4
Horn Book Starred Reviews
Kirkus Best Books
Kirkus Starred Reviews
Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Winners
Notable Children's Books, ALA
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
Orbis Pictus Award Winners
Publishers Weekly Annual Best Books Selections
Publishers Weekly Starred Reviews
School Library Journal Best Books
School Library Journal Starred Reviews
Teachers' Choices Reading List
VOYA's 5Q Picks
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Starred Reviews:
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Booklist
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Horn Book
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
School Library Journal
~VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine - Retired Journal)
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TIPS Subjects:
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History, World (General)
Political Science
Royalty
Asia
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BISAC Subjects: |
YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION / History / Europe
YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION / Biography & Autobiography / Historical
YOUNG ADULT NONFICTION / Biography & Autobiography / Political
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LC Subjects:
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Nicholas, II,, Emperor of Russia,, 1868-1918, Family
Romanov, House of
Russia, History, Nicholas II, 1894-1917
Soviet Union, History, Revolution, 1917-1921
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SEARS Subjects: |
Nicholas, II,, Emperor of Russia,, 1868-1918, Family
Romanov, House of
Russia, History
Russia, History, 1917-1921, Revolution
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Reading Programs: |
Accelerated Reader Level:
7.2
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Points: 12.0
Lexile Level:
950
Reading Counts Level:
7.4
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Points: 17.0
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| Annotations |
| Brodart's TOP Young Adult Titles | 07/01/2014 |
| An unprepared tsar guides the Romanovs into tumultuous times as readers join Russian tsar Nicholas II, his wife, Alexandra, their four daughters, and their hemophiliac son, confront World War I and the Russian Revolution, staring in the face of desperate, rebellious peasants. 304pp., Photos, Maps |
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| Starred Reviews: |
| Booklist | 06/01/2014 |
| Grades 9-12. History comes to vivid life in Fleming's sweeping story of the dramatic decline and fall of the House of Romanov. Her account provides not only intimate portraits of Tsar Nicholas; his wife, Alexandra; and the five Romanov children, but it also offers a beautifully realized examination of the context of their lives--Russia in a state of increasing social unrest and turmoil. The latter aspect is shown in part through generous excerpts from letters, diaries, memoirs, and more that are seamlessly interspersed throughout the narrative. All underscore the incredible disparity between the glittering lives of the Romanovs and the desperately impoverished ones of the peasant population. Instead of attempting to reform this, Nicholas simply refused to acknowledge its presence, rousing himself only long enough to order savage repression of the occasional uprising. Fleming shows that the hapless tsar was ill equipped to discharge his duties, increasingly relying on Alexandra for guidance; unfortunately, at the same time, she was increasingly reliant on the counsel of the evil monk Rasputin. The end, when it came, was swift and--for the Romanovs, who were brutally murdered--terrible. Compulsively readable, Fleming's artful work of narrative history is splendidly researched and documented. For readers who regard history as dull, Fleming's extraordinary book is proof positive that, on the contrary, it is endlessly fascinating, absorbing as any novel, and the stuff of an altogether memorable reading experience. Cart, Michael. 304p. AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, c2014. |
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| Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books | 09/01/2014 |
| R. Gr. 7-12. Mention of the last Russian emperor, Tsar Nicholas II, and his family conjures a life secluded and opulent; a mode of governance oblivious and despotic; and a death tragic and, if not inevitable, at least sadly predictable. Fleming adheres to this well-established framework, but she crafts a retelling of the history that excels in providing background for readers who approach with little more than a vague image of glamorous royalty gunned down in their prime. Any attempt at portraying the Romanovs must necessarily grapple with such contextual complexities as anti-Semitism and pogroms; the fusion of piety and superstition that empowered Rasputin's influence on the family; Marxist theory and Lenin's interpretation of it; World War I and its drain on agriculture; an enervated Duma devoid of authority to control a sprawling, diverse nation. Fleming supplies clear explanations and slips them into the text exactly where needed, circling quickly back to the Romanovs themselves before the gripping biography turns into a formal history lesson. Groupings of black and white photos coordinate with the content of the book's four sections, and boxed insets of primary-source testimony provide vivid contrasts between the lavish life at court and the grinding poverty of peasants and urban laborers that would fuel the Russian revolution. With comprehensive source notes and bibliographies of print and online materials, this will be a boon to student researchers, but it's also a heartbreaking page-turner for YAs who prefer their nonfiction to read like a novel. EB. 304p. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIV. OF ILLINOIS, c2014. |
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| Horn Book | 07/01/2014 |
| Middle School, High School. Marrying the intimate family portrait of Heiligman's Charles and Emma (rev. 1/09) with the politics and intrigue of Sheinkin's Bomb (rev. 11/12), Fleming has outdone herself with this riveting work of narrative nonfiction that appeals to the imagination as much as the intellect. Her focus here is not just the Romanovs, the last imperial family of Russia, but the Revolutionary leaders and common people as well. She cogently and sympathetically demonstrates how each group was the product of its circumstances, then how they all moved inexorably toward the tragic yet fascinating conclusion. Each member of the Romanov family emerges from these pages as a fully realized individual, but their portraits are balanced with vignettes that illuminate the lives of ordinary people, giving the book a bracing context missing from Massie's Nicholas and Alexandra, still the standard popular history. The epic, sweeping narrative seamlessly incorporates scholarly authority, primary sources, appropriate historical speculation, and a keen eye for the most telling details. Moreover, the juxtaposition of the supremely privileged lifestyle of Russian nobility with the meager subsistence of peasants, factory workers, and soldiers creates a narrative tension that builds toward the horrifying climax. Front and back matter include a map, genealogy, bibliography, and source notes, while two sixteen-page inserts contain numerous captioned photographs. jonathan hunt. 287pg. THE HORN BOOK, c2014. |
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| Kirkus Reviews | 06/01/2014 |
| Fleming examines the family at the center of two of the early 20th century's defining events.It's an astounding and complex story, and Fleming lays it neatly out for readers unfamiliar with the context. Czar Nicholas II was ill-prepared in experience and temperament to step into his legendary father's footsteps. Nicholas' beloved wife (and granddaughter of Queen Victoria), Alexandra, was socially insecure, becoming increasingly so as she gave birth to four daughters in a country that required a male heir. When Alexei was born with hemophilia, the desperate monarchs hid his condition and turned to the disruptive, self-proclaimed holy man Rasputin. Excerpts from contemporary accounts make it clear how years of oppression and deprivation made the population ripe for revolutionary fervor, while a costly war took its toll on a poorly trained and ill-equipped military. The secretive deaths and burials of the Romanovs fed rumors and speculation for decades until modern technology and new information solved the mysteries. Award-winning author Fleming crafts an exciting narrative from this complicated history and its intriguing personalities. It is full of rich details about the Romanovs, insights into figures such as Vladimir Lenin and firsthand accounts from ordinary Russians affected by the tumultuous events. A variety of photographs adds a solid visual dimension, while the meticulous research supports but never upstages the tale.A remarkable human story, told with clarity and confidence. (bibliography, Web resources, source notes, picture credits, index) (Nonfiction. 12 & up). 304pg. KIRKUS MEDIA LLC, c2014. |
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| Publishers Weekly | 04/28/2014 |
| Ages 12-up. Making vibrant use of primary sources that emerged since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Fleming (Amelia Lost) brings to life the last imperial family of Russia. Writing with a strong point of view based on diary entries, personal letters, and other firsthand accounts, she enriches their well-known story with vivid details. The narrative begins in February 1903 (with some flashbacks to the meeting of tsar Nicholas and German-born tsarina Alexandra) and also features primary sources from peasants and factory workers--including an excerpt from Maxim Gorky's 1913 memoir--that help to affectingly trace the increasingly deplorable conditions and growing discontent that led to the Russian Revolution; key figures such as Rasputin and Lenin are profiled in some depth. Fleming's fulsome portraits of Nicholas and Alexandra, along with her depiction of their devoted relationship, highlight the role their personalities played in their downfall, as well as that of their beloved country. A wonderful introduction to this era in Russian history and a great read for those already familiar with it. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. (July). 304p. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, c2014. |
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| School Library Journal | 06/01/2014 |
| Gr 9 Up. The tragic Romanovs, last imperial family of Russia, have long held tremendous fascination. The interest generated by this family is intense, from debates about Duchess Anastasia and her survival to the discovery of their pathetic mass graves. A significant number of post-Glasnost Russian citizens consider the Romanovs holy to the extent that the Russian Orthodox Church has canonized them. This well-researched and well-annotated book provides information not only on the history of these famous figures but also on the Russian people living at the time and on the social conditions that contributed to the family's demise. The narrative alternates between a straightforward recounting of the Romanovs' lives and primary source narratives of peasants' lives. The contrast is compelling and enhances understanding of how the divide between the extremely rich and the very poor can lead directly to violent and dramatic political change. While the description and snippets on the serfs and factory workers are workmanlike, the pictures painted of the reclusive and insular Romanovs is striking. Unsuited to the positions in which they found themselves, Nicholas and Alexandra raised their children in a bubble, inadequately educating them and providing them only slight exposure to society. The informative text illuminates their inability to understand the social conditions in Russia and the impact it might have had on them. This is both a sobering work, and the account of the discovery of their bones and the aftermath is at once fascinating and distressing. A solid resource and good recreational reading for high school students. Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA. 304p. SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, c2014. |
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| ~VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates Magazine - Retired Journal) | 08/01/2014 |
| 5Q 4P J S. They did not know that they were about to be shot dead. As the family of ex-tsar Nicholas gathered in the cellar, the youngest girl, Anastasia, smuggled in her dog. Moments later, the entire family, including the dog, lay lifeless on the dirty floor. The Romanov family had ruled Russia for three hundred years. How had they come to such a tragic end? Fleming answers that question by beginning with the meeting of the reluctant ruler, Nicholas, and his German-born wife, Alexandra. They shared a passionate bond that seemed fated to cripple the monarchy. Nicholas yielded to the guidance of his wife, who was dedicated to a self-purported mystic named Rasputin. Both parents were deeply devoted to their children; four girls and one son, Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia. Fleming keeps the reader close to the Romanov family as she relates the fateful sequence of events that led to their execution. There was war against Germany, which Russian soldiers fought with little ammunition or supplies. Families in the cities and villages were starving to death for lack of bread. There was an emerging philosophy called communism, espoused by Vladimir Lenin, that promised an equal distribution of Russia's wealth. Nicholas, wrapped in his own comforts and close family, did not comprehend the turmoil outside the palace walls. Fleming organizes the narrative of these events masterfully, guiding the reader through a complex period of history and always winding back to the Romanov children. Photographs, a map, and extensive source notes add to the power of this heart-wrenching story, a must-have for all libraries.--Diane Colson. 304p. VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES, c2014. |
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| Journal Reviews |
| BookPage | 07/09/2014 |
| The talented and versatile Candace Fleming, who writes novels and delectable picture books as well as groundbreaking nonfiction for young readers, shows why there's so much excitement about nonfiction in children's literature these days. The fall of imperial Russia and the fascinating story of the Nicholas II and Alexandra might seem more suited for a college history class. But in Fleming's capable hands, readers will find themselves caught up in one of the most intriguing--and sometimes heartbreaking--stories of the 20th century. Fleming reveals that her own fascination with the famed imperial family and the murders of Nicholas and Alexandra and their five children compelled her to undertake the project. "After some reading and research, I came to realize, more than anything, that I needed to find the answers to the question that kept nagging me: How did this happen?" In tracing the complex answer to this question, Fleming deftly provides a portrait of the Romanovs and their times. The book is designed with young readers in mind. Historic photographs help make an unfamiliar time period vivid and real, and throughout the narrative, sections titled "Beyond the Palace Gates" illuminate the external events and the historical context that led to revolution and the fall of Russia's last tsar. Fleming's meticulous research is documented in impeccable source notes and an impressive bibliography, making this a model for student researchers. All this and compelling storytelling make The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia stand out as a must-read for teens, and, of course, their curious parents. Deborah Hopkinson. 304p. BookPage Children’s Corner Web Exclusive Review. BOOKPAGE, c2014. |
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| Horn Book Guide | 05/01/2015 |
| 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. Review 7/14. jh. 287pg. THE HORN BOOK, c2015. |
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9780375867828,dl.it[0].title
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