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Russian History

From the June 29, 2008 Pigeon Post essay of the same name.

Because there are not many stories from Russian history in Picture Book form, we have instead included beautifully illustrated folktales in the hope that they will provide young readers with a taste of Russia and, perhaps, inspire a desire to know more. Or maybe we have simply overlooked good titles that are out there. What are your recommendations?
This book list is divided into three sections:
(1) Picture Books
(2) Books for Independent Readers
(3) Books for Young Adults

The list begins below with Picture Books, but you can use one of the following links to skip directly to either of the other two sections.
Go to books for Independent Readers
Go to books for Young Adults


Picture Books

The Mitten by Jan Brett Recommended
The Firebird by Demi Suggested
When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest and illustrated by P. J. Lynch Recommended
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave by Marianna Mayer and illustrated by Kinuko Craft Suggested
The Kingfisher Book of Tales from Russia by James Mayhew Suggested
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco Recommended
Peter And The Wolf by Sergei Prokofiev and illustrated by Peter Malone and Janet Schulman Suggested
The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship by Arthur Ransome and illustrated by Uri Shulevitz Suggested
The Tale of the Firebird by Gennadii Spirin and Tatiana Popova Recommended
Peter the Great by Diane Stanley Suggested
The Firebird by Jane Yolen and Vladimir Vasilevich Vagin Suggested
Colors of Russia by Shannon Zemlicka and illustrated by Jeni Reeves Suggested


Independent Readers

Russian Fairy Tales by Aleksandr Nikolaevicher Afanasyev Suggested
Russian Fairy Tales by Gillian Avery and illustrated by Ivan Iakovlevich Bilibin Suggested
Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse Suggested
Russia by Kathleen Berton Murrell and illustrated by Andy Crawford Suggested
Angel on the Square by Gloria Whelan Suggested
Catherine The Great by Nancy Whitelaw Suggested


Young Adult

The Devil's Horsemen by James Chambers Recommended
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky Suggested
Flashman at the Charge by George MacDonald Fraser Recommended
Flashman in the Great Game by George MacDonald Fraser Recommended
The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk Recommended
Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie Recommended
Peter the Great by Robert K. Massie Suggested
Russia's War by Richard Overy Suggested
One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn Suggested
War And Peace by Leo Tolstoy Recommended
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy Recommended

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