Saving Zasha

World War II has just ended when Mikhail finds a dying man and his German shepherd, Zasha, in the woods. It’s dangerous — some say traitorous — to own a German dog after Germany attacked Russia, so Mikhail must keep Zasha a secret to keep her alive. But Mikhail’s rival, Katia, is determined to find the dog she is sure he’s hiding.

So far, this book is so simply rendered as to be almost placeless. However, it does relate, in simple language, a story of Russia in the aftermath of WWII and it features a dog. Therefore, it may appeal to reluctant Intermediate readers who might otherwise avoid historical fiction. I find the plot too contrived, but, then again, I am not ten. I hope that the second half of the book develops some depth.

Alas, some action, but stalled in the shallows. When the boys (13 and 15) have to defend their dog & home from theives with guns, the writer assures us that their "father had made sure we were expert marksmen, training us from the time we were five or six years old." However, it mystifies this reader how these "expert marksmen" on the next show more page "hadn't fired these rifles in a long time, maybe even a year" (p. 182). This slim volume is riddled with lots of these sorts of sloppy conveniences. Perhaps, though, the intended audience will bear it better, this thin in SPCA-approved holier-than-bow-wow dog story. show less

So far, this book is so simply rendered as to be almost placeless. However, it does relate, in simple language, a story of Russia in the aftermath of WWII and it features a dog. Therefore, it may appeal to reluctant Intermediate readers who might otherwise avoid historical fiction. I find the plot too contrived, but, then again, I am not ten. I hope that the second half of the book develops some depth.

Alas, some action, but stalled in the shallows. When the boys (13 and 15) have to defend their dog & home from theives with guns, the writer assures us that their "father had made sure we were expert marksmen, training us from the time we were five or six years old." However, it mystifies this reader how these "expert marksmen" on the next show more page "hadn't fired these rifles in a long time, maybe even a year" (p. 182). This slim volume is riddled with lots of these sorts of sloppy conveniences. Perhaps, though, the intended audience will bear it better, this thin in SPCA-approved holier-than-bow-wow dog story. show less

When Mikhail and his family encounter Zasha, they decide they want to keep her. She's a beautiful German Shepard and that is a problem in Russian just after WWII has ended. The family faces threats from dog stealers, a nosy neighborhood girl, and must keep Zasha a secret.
A quick read with tough, likeable characters. It's a gentle story with things wrapped up neatly.

I recommend this book to anyone who has ever owned a dog. It shows how dogs are an important part of your family.
This book takes place in Post WWII Russia, and is about a boy who's dad is M.I.A and the boy, Mikhail, gets a German Shepherd from a dying man. The only problem is Russia doesn't want anything German in the country after the war. Mikhail must hide his new dog, Zasha, to prevent the Russians from getting her. Mikhail tries to find a safe place for Zasha to stay because some strange men keep coming by asking if Mikhail is harbouring any dogs. Mikhail also learns that not every Russian agrees with all the laws.
This book was a very exciting historical fiction book. There was lots of suspense like when the men came by looking show more for Zasha, you wondered if they would capture her. There was also a large and shocking surprise at the end of the book. This book was very interesting and I found it hard to put down. I wished that the author made the book longer with more content because I was disappointed when this book ended, but other than that it was a great book.
The author made you feel what Mikhail was feeling when he thought he could lose Zasha. Anyone with a dog would know they would be devastated if they lost their own dog. The author also greatly described what Russia was like in the 1940s. He made you feel like you were with the characters.
This was a great WWII era book. I look forward to reading more books by Randi Barrows. show less

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-6

Plot Summary: While on horseback on the outskirts of their property, someone pops out of the woods and begs Mikhail for help. He admits he has a dog and Mikhail helps the man on the back of his horse and they rush home. Despite Mother and Rina's best efforts to prevent the infection from spreading further, the man dies that evening. The next day, they take the horse and cart to the police station with the man, but Mikhail begs his mom to let them keep the dog secretly, knowing that the dog might be shot if found. They run into Katia, who asks many questions about the man but the family keeps quiet about everything, telling her to read the written record given to the police. Katia shows up a few days later show more looking for animals, suspecting there is a dog. Thieves show up as well, with guns, but no one finds the Zasha. The family plans how to continue keeping Zasha hidden, including in various hiding places around their property. Katia comes back and drunk soldiers run into their hiding place when Zasha and Mikhail are sleeping, but they always manage to avoid everyone. Katia shares that a man is living in a nearby farm to breed dogs and out of desperation, Mikhail and Nikolai go to investigate. They trespass onto the property and are caught, but Dimitri slowly lowers his gun and invites them to tea when they share their names and love for animals. Upon departing, Dimitri shares that he knows they have a dog from the dog hair on their clothes and from the questions Katia is asking everyone in town and warns them to be careful. The dog thieves are still in the area. Will Zasha be safe from harm? What will happen to the puppies she is carrying?

Setting: Vasily, Russia

Characters:
Mikhail - 13 y/o, good decision maker
Zasha - German Shepherd, well behaved, smart, learns commands quickly and can fetch items from different rooms
Nikolai - 15 y/o, Mikhail's older brother, works with Mikhail well
Rina - 9 y/o, Mikhail's sister, loves the dog and comes up with the hiding place for Zasha to have her puppies
Mother - strong, good decision maker, always knows what to say and how to handle the situation, honest and good and desribes the turth about war how both sides do bad things, even heroes
Papa - been away from home for 4 years, hasn't written home in 2 years, sent a poem to his wife about coming home that another soldier wrote
Paku - horse
Petr - man who asks Mikhail for help then dies, had infected wound in shoulder, was wearing a stolen jacket but said his name was Petr
Katia - daughter of the editor, annoys Irina, the boys, and Dimitri with all of her questions
Irina - reporter who is annoyed at Katia
Dimitri - former soldier who got into trouble for hurting other soldiers who hurt a horse, living on an abandoned farm with the task of creating a new super Russian dog breed

Recurring Themes: war, World War II, Russia, Germany, missing soldier, dogs, military, family, newspaper reporting, honesty

Controversial Issues:
pg 94-98 former soldiers were drunk

Personal Thoughts: At first I thought the dialogue was stiff but it got better quickly. I liked how strong the mother was. Mikhail seemed to act a bit older but it wasn't bad. I thought it was way too happy of an ending with the father showing up at the end, but it's a good middle grade book overall. I think students would love it.

Genre: Historical Fiction (author's note says everything was made up except for Russia regretting the killing off of al of the dogs and the creation of a Russian super breed)

Pacing: mostly fast, lots of action
Characters: well developed without being too introspective and thoughtful
Frame:
Storyline:

Activity: show less

At the end of World War II, it is considered traitorous to own a German Shephard in the Soviet Union, but 13-year-old Mikhail is determined to save his. A great "boy and his dog" story with an intriguing background and setting.