Selected Book
Angel on the Square
- Paperback
- Author: Gloria Whelan
- Publisher: HarperCollins
- Release Date: January 2003
- Reading Level: Ages 9-12
- ISBN-10: 0064408795
- ISBN-13: 9780064408790
- List Price: $7.99
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Summaries and Customer Reviews provided by Amazon
SummaryFrom the author of the 2000 National Book Award winner, Homeless Bird, comes an evocative glimpse into a chilling period in world history. Gloria Whelan manages to take the fly-on-the-wall approach one step further in her latest piece of historical fiction. In Angel on the Square, a young girl joins Russian Tsar Nikolai II, Empress Alexandra, and their children when her mother becomes one of the empress's ladies-in-waiting. Katya Ivanova, as companion to the Romanov children, has an insider's view of the crumbling of tsarist Russia from 1913 to 1918. Initially, life is lavish and amusing for this young aristocrat, although her friend Misha's revolutionary ideas often battle in her mind with her own loyalty to the tsar. Gradually, though, the world outside begins to enter the palace walls, and Katya's life--along with that of all nobility--changes forever. Whelan's balanced treatment of both sides of the Russian revolution is remarkably accessible. Katya is an appealing protagonist; readers will hang on her every word as she is transformed from a spoiled, sheltered child into a caring, hard-working adult. Young readers couldn't ask for a better introduction to this terrifying, earthshaking epoch in history. (Ages 10 and older) --Emilie Coulter |
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
History Comes Alive
Rating:
Angel on the Square is a historical fiction novel that comes alive. Katya a young aristocrat can't think anything bad of the imperial family. That is until the day Misha, her mom's best friend's son, and Katya's best frined, whom she thinks of as a cousin becomes a soldier during WWI. Katya now realizes that maybe the royal family doesn't alwasys make the right decsion. The happy ending is the cherry on top of the perfect book.
I love this!
Rating:
This book is a historical fiction book. There is a war going on between Russia and Germany. Kayta, the daughter of the empress's lady-in-waiting is the main character. I am doing my book report on this book and am loving it! The book sort of starts off a little slow but picks up speed to when I was reading 50-75 pages a night. (I am not a reader.) Katya is an awesome character who I love and I think in a way is a great role model. I would recommend this book to kids above the age of 10 because the description of the war might bring bad thoughts. I thought this was a great book and I am a fan of Gloria Whelan's books. My other favorite is Chu Ju's House by Gloria Whelan. These are great books to read!
Very interesting
Rating:
I learned a lot from this book. It was a good story, well told.
Excellent story set during the Russian Revolution.
Rating:
Carole Seneker
Angel On The Square
Author: Gloria Whelan
Angel On The Square is a wonderful story that can transport the reader to another time and place. A student of history will be able to separate fact from fiction. The average reader will be so absorbed in the story that it might be difficult to think about anything but the protagonist, Katya. This fictional story uses facts of history to weave an interesting tale of a Lady-in-waiting, her daughter, and the son of friends.
There is no afterward or author's note to help the reader understand the historical facts this book is based on. The reader should not have to enter into research to understand the history this fictional story is intertwined with. Historical fiction authors should provide information in the appendix regarding the factual history the novel is based on.
Angel On The Square is an accurate portrayal of the values and norms of the early 20th century in Russia. The author does not stray from the known events of history. The descriptions of the characters and different areas of Russia reflect careful research and attention to detail. The paradigm shift Katya and her mother must make, as they move from the position of aristocrats to peasants, is artfully and convincingly portrayed in this novel. The two different points-of-view held by the aristocrats and the peasants are easily understood through the characters; Katya (aristocratic view-point) and Misha (peasant view-point), who, in the beginning of the novel, are as different as night and day. The author uses words from the Russian language in the dialogue. The Russian culture is easier to understand with occasional Russian words in use. There is a glossary of these words at the end of the book.
The aristocrat/peasant theme of Angel On The Square is present today. This perennial struggle permeates many countries of the world. A small fraction of it was visible during the recent Presidential campaign leading up to the election. Angel On The Square is historical fiction with a fictional story using actual events and people of Russia in 1914-1918. The story touches on Russia's part in World War I and the Russian Revolution.
The values children learn from historical fiction help them to understand that all people in any time period have the same needs and wants that people of the present time do. The oppressed will always seek change to obtain freedom and equality. The lesson here plainly reveals how much better a democracy is than an aristocracy. The children of today learn that Communism does not work because it takes away the incentive to be the best at whatever one sets out to do. The peasants in Angel On The Square saw the desperate inequality in the Russian government and revolted for change. This has happened throughout history in one form or another. If the world understood history and its' propensity to repeat itself, much warfare and aggravation could be spared its' people.
This story takes place in various locations in Russia. The settings are part of the story and help carry out the theme of the culture struggle known as the Russian Revolution. The characters are visibly changed from the time they lived in St. Petersburg to The Oaks. In the process of learning how to become peasants, Katya made a home for herself and her mother out of the shed that had been the smithy at The Oaks. The universal implications of this story indicate that people are resilient and able to change and adapt to radically different settings and lifestyles for survival.
Angel on the Square
Rating:
From award winning author, Gloria Whelan, comes another fascinating tale of courage and bravery. This heart-warming novel, Angel on the Square, takes readers to a whole new view of Russia's rich history. Readers are transported to a weak and crumbling Russia, where lives are not as certain as they used to be. There they meet Katya Ivanova, a young aristocrat and rich daughter of a lady-in-waiting in the palace of Tsar Nicholas II.
Katya has grown up rich and pampered. Her only knowledge is the privileged life she lives, with everything she needs right at her fingertips. With her mother being a very distinguished friend of the empress, she is even more honored. One day, however, her life takes an unexpected turn. Katya's mother is asked to become a lady-in-waiting to the empress. She would move into the palace and Katya would go with her!
Life at the palace, Katya discovers, is fun and merry. The royal family feels like her own, and Katya's life is, again, quite at ease. She becomes friends with the four grand duchesses, and the youngest of the four, Anastasia, is her special friend. The tsar is like the father she never knew and the empress is very kind. However, the young tsar's illness worries the empress, as it seems to become more serious day by day.
Guided by her close friend, Misha, Katya is the only one in the palace with an inside view of the Tsar's failing domination. She witnesses cruel labor strikes, and overworked peasants. Anger and war is surely brewing outside the palace walls. Katya almost questions her loyalty to the Tsar as she sees how he treats his people.
Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Russia begins war with Germany, and millions of peasants are sent to fight. Will Russia win the war? Most importantly, can the Tsar keep his country together? Hatred of the Tsar is now clearly visible, and the word "revolution" is on everybody's mind. Even if this large country survives, what will the future bring? A rich and powerful nation, or a wasteland of hopeless dreams?
Slowly the war creeps inside the palace walls, and the royal family's future, as well as Katya's own, is changed forever.
A prized piece of historical fiction, this book shows a clear and accurate picture of 20th century Russia. Its captivating text illuminates the wonders and fears of living in that place and time, and a remarkable plot shows that learning takes time. The author brings life to many historic events of that time, and depicts them with vivid imagery. This book is a wonderful introduction to the war and hardships of Russia.
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