The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming.
Published in 2014 by Schwartz & Wade. 304 pages. Recommended for ages 12 and up, Lexile 950.
Starting with the childhood of Tsar Nicholas II, The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia covers the life of the last Tsar of Russia and his family. Fleming takes a narrative approach to this look at the Romanov family, referencing primary sources from the royal family themselves, including letters and journals, as she tells the story of their luxurious life and eventual downfall. Black and white photos are also included for reference throughout the book.
(Fleming, 2014)
Interspersed between the scenes of affluence and wealth enjoyed by Romanovs, Fleming references the terrible poverty and misery experienced by the majority of Russian peasants and workers. Readers can’t help but see the unfair dichotomy between the Romanov children, who want for nothing, and the impoverished Russian children, who want for everything. Perhaps nothing illustrates this more than when comparing the descriptions of joy the Tsar and Empress felt at the birth of their children, with this peasant lullaby from a mother too poor to feed her own child:
“Hush, hush, hushaby my baby,
A man lives at the end of the village.
He’s neither poor, nor rich,
He has many children,
They sit on a bench
And eat straw.
I’ll make you suffer even more,
I won’t give you anything to eat.
I won’t make a bed for you” (Fleming, 2014, p.40).
In spite of these bleak comparisons, readers will still find themselves drawn to the plights of the Romanov family. Perhaps because most readers will begin this book already knowing how it ends, even the happy moments feel bittersweet. Fleming weaves a narrative that showcases the many possible turning points that could have led to a better outcome, if only some actions had been taken earlier, or the Tsar had been better prepared to rule his people.
Fleming doesn’t flinch from some of the terrible events towards the end of the book, although she doesn’t relish or dwell on the violence of the Romanovs’ deaths, either. Much like with the majority of the book, she is interested in showing an unbiased look at the events, without excessive or gratuitous embellishment. Her writing is masterful, compelling, and appropriate for teen or even upper elementary readers.
While this book is primarily focused on the Romanov family, Fleming includes enough history and events happening elsewhere during the timeline of the book that readers will have a good grasp of the reasons behind the downfall of the last Tsar. She even includes a few pages of what happens to Russia after the death of the Tsar and his family, and the fate of their remains. An extensive bibliography, notes, and index are also included.
The Family Romanov is an impeccably researched, expertly told narrative of the last royal family of Russia. While written for young adults, this book is also appealing to an adult audience, and any reader with an interest in this subject will find more than enough to keep their interest from beginning to end.
Other resources to consider:
The Romanov Sisters by Helen Rappaport. Published in 2015 by St. Martin’s Griffin. 544 pages. Recommended for adult readers.
This non-fiction work for adults would be an excellent companion book for The Family Romanov for older readers. Also written in a narrative style, it gives a more in-depth look into the lives of the four Grand Duchesses, leading up to their early and tragic end.
Where is the Kremlin?by Deborah Hopkinson. Published in 2019 by Penguin Workshop. Recommended for ages 8-12 years. Lexile 890.
Written by an award-winning author and part of the popular “Where is” series, Where is the Kremlin? would be a good introduction to Russian history for younger readers before reading The Family Romanov.
While this video doesn’t cover the Romanovs specifically, it does give a good overview of what was happening in Russia during, and after, the events of The Family Romanov, and would make a great review before or after reading the book.
References:
Fleming, C. (2014). The family Romanov: Murder rebellion and the fall of Imperial Russia. Scwartz & Wade.
The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America’s Presidentsby Kate Messner, illustrated by Adam Rex.
Published in 2020 by Chronicle Books. 48 pages. Recommended for ages 8-12 years, Lexile 1080.
This timely presidential fact book takes a unique approach to peering into the lives of the presidents of the United States. Messner selects several dates in history and highlights a short fact that states where the current and future presidents who were alive during that year could be found. Some future presidents were already in politics, some in school or working jobs, and others were still children.
(Messner, 2020, p.32-33)
Interspersed between the dates are “snapshots,” with more in-depth information about a particular president, or as in the example below, some of the White House pets.
(Messner, 2020, p.20-21)
These snippets of information are designed to showcase that the future president could be just about anyone, and ultimately highlight for the child reader the idea that even they could be president someday. The book ends with some speculation about who the next ten presidents, who are probably already alive, might be. This final illustration shows three children who are thinking, growing, and considering the future that they might lead.
(Messner, 2020, p.35-36)
The end pages also include a few additional facts, including presidential requirements, a map of presidential birthplaces, further reading resources, and an extensive bibliography.
(Messner, 2020, p.38)
Messner’s carefully researched and written facts are accompanied by Rex’s beautiful illustrations. The team doesn’t shy away from some of the less glamorous aspects of history, including the too often overlooked labor of slaves that were owned by the founding fathers.
(Messner, 2020, p.8-9)
Messner and Rex do a fairly good job of remaining impartial, although some user reviewers have complained about the inclusion of an image of Hilarie Clinton towards the end of the book, and felt there should have been more information about President Donald Trump (EllieMae et all, 2020). Despite these criticisms, the book received high acclaim from literary reviews, including starred reviews from School Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, Booklist, and Horn Book Magazine.
The Next President provides a unique take on United States presidential history, and would be a great book for a child looking for an overview, or one simply wanting to know a few more facts about previous presidents. This book would make an excellent addition to a class or school library, and is also a timely book to read with children for the 2020 and future presidential elections.
Some companion books to consider are:
The Presidents Visual Encyclopedia by DK Smithsonion. Published in 2017 by DK Children. 208 pages. Recommended for ages 9-12 years, Lexile 1180.
This book would be a great next step after reading The Next President, as it covers all 45 presidents of the United States and goes more in-depth into information about their lives, the White House, and the U.S. presidency. Full color photographs and illustrations accompany the information, making it an engaging and browsable book for readers.
Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America’s Presidents by David Stabler. Published in 2014 by Quirk Books. 224 pages. Recommended for ages 9-12 years, lexile 950.
This fun and sometimes goofy book gives insights into the childhoods of the first 44 U.S. Presidents. Accompanied with cartoons and short chapters, this book is perfect for a history fan, whether they want to flip through and pick out their favorite presidents, or read it cover to cover. Kid Presidents goes more in-depth than The Next President and also makes these imposing figures of history a little more relatable to modern kids.
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Published in 2012 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. 40 pages. Recommended for ages 4-8 years, lexile 570.
While Grace for President is a fictional story, it makes an excellent companion to The Next President. This appealing story introduces young readers to important information about the election process, including the electoral college, and also ties well into the idea that any child could be the next President of the United States.
Where is the Kremlin? by Deborah Hopkinson. Published in 2019 by Penguin Workshop. Recommended for ages 8-12 years. Lexile 890. 
