A Boy Is Not a Bird

September 23, 2019
Opening in the summer of 1940, as Russian Communists take over 11-year-old Natt’s hometown, Zastavna , this well-paced novel from Ravel (The Cat) follows Natt’s loving family and supportive Jewish community through increasingly invasive changes. As the months progress, he loses his home, town, and, finally, his country when he and his mother are among those deported to Siberia in the summer of 1941. Aptly describing himself as a “go-along-type of boy,” multilingual Natt initially focuses on how each change affects his daily routines and comforts: when Russian teachers replace their strict instructor, for example, Natt and his best friend Max—whose friendship is warmly, credibly depicted—are delighted. Natt enthusiastically takes on the opportunity to shine as a Pioneer, loyal to Stalin and the Communist cause, but his naiveté slowly fades as deprivations and cruelties intensify. With a big heart and developing intellect, Natt is an endearing figure, and secondary characters are equally well drawn, especially his eternally optimistic mother. The final scene leaves Natt’s future unresolved, but back matter explains that the novel, based on the experiences of Ravel’s fifth grade teacher, is the first title in a planned trilogy. Ages 9–12.

August 15, 2019
When his Romanian town becomes part of Soviet Ukraine in 1940, how long can Natt's naiveté last? Eleven-year-old, asthmatic, Jewish Natt is happy in Zastavna, where he speaks five languages. There's German at home, Ukrainian to speak to his Ukrainian neighbors, Hebrew from his secular, Zionist Hebrew school, Yiddish to talk to some of his Jewish neighbors, and, of course, Romanian at school. When Soviets take over Zastavna, Natt's excited to learn Russian, too. He's pleased about many changes the Soviets bring: The meanest teacher is gone, the new teacher is nice (if oddly nervous), and Natt will soon be a Pioneer with a red kerchief. But not all the changes are good. The Russians take over Natt's house, and there's never food anymore. Though Natt's torn between the cynicism of his best friend and his mother's attempts to paint a rosier picture, he sees the grim truth when his father is sent to a Siberian gulag. Soon Natt, too, is arrested, and this once-proud Pioneer is deemed "an Enemy of the People" and deported to Siberia with his mother. Basing her story on the experience of a beloved teacher, Ravel has Natt tell his own story in an ingenuous present tense that never loses its youthful quality even as it gains wisdom. Though a historical note focuses on Hitler, Natt never encounters the horrors of Nazis. An accessible gateway to mid-20th-century Eastern European history. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 8-11)

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