(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Brett Helquist. In 1892 Saint Petersburg, Irina's father is chief custodian for the Mariinsky Theatre, tasked with solving the theater's mouse problem before the Nutcracker's Christmastime debut. Meanwhile, under the stage, the Mariinsky mouse corps de ballet members, including plucky Esmeralda, are rehearsing their own Nutcracker. Irina's and Esmeralda's story lines are individually engaging, and their overlapping moments are warmhearted. Copious illustrations enhance both worlds.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2017

(4) YA In 1982, college student Laura travels to Russia to study but becomes involved in a romance with a young Russian man. Laura struggles to decide if he really loves her, or if he's using her to escape the oppressive Communist regime--as she and her fellow American students have been warned. The story's premise and unusual setting helps offset the occasionally flat writing.

Reviewer: Zoey Peresman

(4) 4-6 In a sequel to The Impossible Journey, Georgi and Marya struggle in 1941 war-torn Leningrad. Marya works to save Russia's treasures in the Hermitage, while Georgi smuggles food over the frozen river. The characters do not come to life as individuals, but the story is ripe with historical detail, conveying a nostalgic affection for the glories of St. Petersburg. Bib., glos.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams

(2) 4-6 When thirteen-year-old Marya's parents, deposed aristocrats, are taken by the Soviet secret police, she determines to reunite the family. Her journey with her younger brother, Georgi, is a bold adventure in exotic territory. The desperate plight of Russians under Stalin is only too real. Marya and Georgi, with their perseverance and unfailing love for their parents, win our sympathy, entreating us to see them safely to the end.

Reviewer: Lauren Adams | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2003