Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC. Opinions are my own. I love historical fiction, and the premise appealed to me because it’s rare that I find WWII books that are set in Russia, especially for MG readers. The notebook/diary format was great, and I think the dual narrative works well for this book. The artifacts- photos, maps, etc, make it feel very immersive and real. The story is intense and suspenseful, and I think many readers will appreciate learning more about this part of the war from the perspectives of two 12 year olds. The characters change quite a bit throughout the story, and I would have liked more of an epilogue in order to end the book on a note of hopefulness. The part of the book I didn’t like were the notes from the Soviet officer interspersed throughout. I understood the purpose of them, but I think they will be more confusing for kids who read this, They also lengthen the book, which is already long. Overall, this story has great voice and character development, and readers will learn about the Soviet Front of WWII. Recommended for readers in grades 6 and up who like war stories and historical fiction.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Random House Children's for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Red Stars: The Case of Viktor and Nadya's Notebooks by Davide Morosinotto. This middle grade historical fiction novel will be released in January 2021. All opinions are my own.

Twins Nadya and Viktor have hardly spent a moment apart in their twelve years of life. This changes dramatically when Germany declares war on Russia and begins to invade. Their father must join the militia and head to the frontlines and their mother is tasked with saving the cultural treasures of Leningrad's museum. Consequently, Nadya and Viktor are sent out of the city for their safety on the children's trains. The only problem is the two get separated and placed on different trains. The story is told from their alternating views as they each record their journeys in a series of entries in their notebooks.

This is a unique middle grade mystery adventure novel. The author describes it as quasi-historical fiction. I loved the unique format of the novel as the story is told through a series of diary entries written by Viktor and Nadya, historical photos, maps, drawings, and documents from a Russian officer overseeing whether or not Nadya and Viktor should be tried and punished for the crimes committed and laws broken during the war. This was a gripping fictionalization of the seize of Leningrad during WWII. It is action-packed and focuses on the themes of the power of truth and what it means to be a hero. I found the book to be engaging and feel that my historical fiction loving students will really enjoy it too.

The book "Red Stars" by Davide Morosinotto was terrific, such a good historical fiction for young readers. I loved the story being told from Vikto and Nadya's diaries. I thought that was clever and having two different colors will make it easier for readers to follow along. Even though I never questioned who was writing because the twins have their own voice. What the twins went through was crazy and they did get lucky in certain situations. But it is important to note that this book is fiction, it's okay for somethings to be over the top and to have a twelve year old escape it. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with that especially when the characters learn and grow from what they experienced. I found myself forgetting that the twins were not even teenagers because of how much they had to grow in order to survive. The author did a great job explaining the locations as well as detailing what was happening. Was this book long? Yes, but I enjoyed every single page of it. I noticed it was long but I didn't mind it because it kept moving forward to the main point. This book is not slow moving but instead builds at a reasonable pace. I think this book would be perfect for middle grade because it had a little bit of everything: action, light romance, coming of age, suspense, and drama. 

Should you read "Red Stars"?
YES! This book is great for all ages. It is geared more towards a younger audience but an adult would enjoy it just the same.This book truly shows how important a promise is and how a brother will do whatever it takes to get back to his sister. 

**Received an advanced copy through NetGalley in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. **

I really wanted to like this book. I found it long and the stories were not believable for historical fiction. It seems like the author used the word “luckily” a few too many times. Twin siblings, Victor and Nadya, would get into impossible situations where “luckily” things would work out.

The story line was certainly interesting. Being a World War 2 story, there was plenty of danger, suspense and narrow escapes. The deaths of people throughout the book due to war seemed a bit too flippant. The kids were the narrators and I just can’t fathom that some of the things they experienced wouldn’t incapacitate them. They saw some of their friends die gruesome deaths and there was hardly a tear shed. The fear they experienced wasn’t long lasting, but passed quickly. For some reason I just can’t buy it.

Other disappointments included some swearing sprinkled throughout the book. The twins, while separated from one another talked about their unusual connection with each other to their friends. They brought up idea of telepathy several times.

I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone under high school. It would be an ok read for those interested in suspense, war, narrow escapes, etc., but there are better books to spend your time on.

I received a digital ARC copy from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

An excellent example of how graphic elements- primary source photos, charts, margin notes, sketches, maps- bring a story to life, helping to set the stage and explain historical events with which many young readers will not be familiar. Vivid descriptions, engaging characters. The textual variety adds interest and a feeling of immediacy with the past.

The fresh format and highly engaging story line will captivate middle grade readers! This isn't a perspective often explored around WWII and will inspire excellent conversations around primary materials and the use of historical fiction in the classroom.

The siege of Leningrad by the Nazi’s during World War II is recounted in this heroic story of twins Nadia and Victor who were to be sent out of the city on trains for their safety during the war. They end up on separate trains and Victor must find his sister to keep a promise made to his father.
#RedStars #NetGalley

This epistolary novel records the experiences of Russian twins Victor and Nadya during WWII. The twins receive notebooks from their father and decide to record their experiences in diary form and pass them back and forth so that neither one misses a thing that happens to the other. But dire circumstances separate the two and the bulk of the book relates their realistic, but fictional, lives in Leningrad and the surrounding areas, including the historically significant island of Oreshek and the Military Highway 101 across Lake Lagoda. Text is free of profanity and sexual content, but wartime violence and hardships described make this a book a good choice for students in grades 6-9 who enjoy WWII historical fiction. Thanks for the dARC, NetGalley.

This is kind of an odd story - or at least the format is. The main gist is that twins Nadya and Viktor were sent away from their hometown to keep them safe after the German invasion of Russia. But they were separated. The story, told in diary entries and photos and documents by both children tells of their struggles to survive and to find each other. The interesting part is that the book itself is an "investigation" into their crimes during this time by a top Russian. Throughout the book he makes notes in their entries about the crimes they are committing, etc.
I really liked the format and story at first but to me it got really long and tired by the end. For readers who are really into a historical jaunt - especially Russia in WWII I think they will enjoy it.

This book is chock full of information about life in Russia at the start of World War 2. It's set up in a way that is accessible to middle school aged students, and presented through notebooks, or diaries, written by both a boy and girl. There are some pretty neat notes, maps, and photos included to help the student visualize the story. The biggest problem (for my students, at least) is the sheer length of the novel. It gets bogged down at times in the minutiae, which makes it very long. I don't think most of my kids would make it through this, in spite of it being very interesting.

From the cover to the last page--this book was very good!! I have got it on my book wishlist to share with others!