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Zasha #1
Saving Zasha
In post-WWII Russia, one boy dares to save an entire race of outlawed dogs -- the German shepherd!
World War II has just ended when thirteen-year-old Mikhail finds a dying man and his German shepherd, Zasha, in the woods. It's dangerous -- some say traitorous -- to own a German dog after Germany attacked Russia, so Mikhail must keep Zasha a secret to keep her alive.
But Mikhail's rival, Katia, is determined to find the dog she is sure he's hiding. At the same time, a soldier named Dimitri is breeding a new Russian dog at a nearby farm. So many dogs were lost in combat, to starvation, and in the slaughter of German dogs that the country is in dire need of every kind of dog.
Dimitri, too, has suspicions of Zasha's existance, and would like nothing more than to add her to his breeding program. He'll have to compete with the armed dog thieves who are also on her trail.
Mikhail's inspiring journey to save his best friend, the last German shepherd in Russia, forces him to face some of life's hardest lessons about war, hate, forgiveness, hope, love, and man's best friend.
World War II has just ended when thirteen-year-old Mikhail finds a dying man and his German shepherd, Zasha, in the woods. It's dangerous -- some say traitorous -- to own a German dog after Germany attacked Russia, so Mikhail must keep Zasha a secret to keep her alive.
But Mikhail's rival, Katia, is determined to find the dog she is sure he's hiding. At the same time, a soldier named Dimitri is breeding a new Russian dog at a nearby farm. So many dogs were lost in combat, to starvation, and in the slaughter of German dogs that the country is in dire need of every kind of dog.
Dimitri, too, has suspicions of Zasha's existance, and would like nothing more than to add her to his breeding program. He'll have to compete with the armed dog thieves who are also on her trail.
Mikhail's inspiring journey to save his best friend, the last German shepherd in Russia, forces him to face some of life's hardest lessons about war, hate, forgiveness, hope, love, and man's best friend.
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2011
135 people are currently reading
1494 people want to read
About the author
Randi Barrow
6 books44 followersI started my working life as an adoption attorney. After twenty years I was able to begin writing full time. My first two books were historical fiction for middle grade kids. I've expanded into adult fiction with Chasing the Beatles. It was great fun to write, and I'm thrilled with the response I'm getting from readers. My love of music, and the Beatles in particular, helped inspire this book. And it hasn't hurt to be married to Arthur Barrow, a musician and composer, who has brought so much music into my life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 377 reviews
October 15, 2023
5 stars. This is the prefect sequel to
Finding Zasha
and I really think they should be read in order! What a lovely conclusion!
This book tells of an unknown story. After WWII, Russians hated Germany so much that all German Shepherds were slaughtered, and Russians with Shepherds were considered traitors. Because so many dogs died in the war, Russia was soon left virtually dog-less… and so the hunt to create the Russian superdog began.
The style of this book is younger and simpler than Finding Zasha. It fit Mikhail well and was easy to read. The whole atmosphere of the book was very simple, homey, and relaxed, a lovely contrast to Finding Zasha. I did not find the characters as interesting as in FZ, however. Mikhail, Nikolai, Rina, & their mother were a nice family, and I was delighted how well they got along. The strong brother-brother bond in particular was lovely. Katia was an irritating child, but turned out okay. And Dimitri was a good, interesting fellow. Zasha, of course, was even better than in the first book!
Although the story had such a laidback atmosphere, the story did have an urgency to it, since Mikhail & his family must keep Zasha hidden from the others and deceive those who know there she exists. I really appreciated how they discussed the fact that all countries, all armies in war, necessarily do evil things, and that hate is wrong, stupid, and dangerous. I also liked how they handled the cost of war on people. The ending of the book was particularly sweet!
Overall, it was a quick, enjoyable, soothing read and while I was sad that certain characters from Finding Zasha, I do know it was realistic and appreciated that.
Content: There was a layer of trickery, lying, and withholding truth, but Mikhail does apologize for part of it at the end, and it was made very clear the family only did what they did to save Zasha’s innocent life. I still do not condone it, but it is different than lying for personal gain. A tiny bit of arguing by children with their mother, although it is done respectfully and they have a great relationship. A scene with drunken men.
A Favourite Quote: “People sometimes do heroic thing sin a war, but everyone does terrible things. No one is only good, or only bad…. No one’s hands are clean.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “How can you say a dog has nationality? Maybe she wasn’t even born in Germany. Maybe she was born in Russia! Maybe she’s a Russian Shepherd.”
“And maybe you should study law with your fancy arguments.”
This book tells of an unknown story. After WWII, Russians hated Germany so much that all German Shepherds were slaughtered, and Russians with Shepherds were considered traitors. Because so many dogs died in the war, Russia was soon left virtually dog-less… and so the hunt to create the Russian superdog began.
The style of this book is younger and simpler than Finding Zasha. It fit Mikhail well and was easy to read. The whole atmosphere of the book was very simple, homey, and relaxed, a lovely contrast to Finding Zasha. I did not find the characters as interesting as in FZ, however. Mikhail, Nikolai, Rina, & their mother were a nice family, and I was delighted how well they got along. The strong brother-brother bond in particular was lovely. Katia was an irritating child, but turned out okay. And Dimitri was a good, interesting fellow. Zasha, of course, was even better than in the first book!
Although the story had such a laidback atmosphere, the story did have an urgency to it, since Mikhail & his family must keep Zasha hidden from the others and deceive those who know there she exists. I really appreciated how they discussed the fact that all countries, all armies in war, necessarily do evil things, and that hate is wrong, stupid, and dangerous. I also liked how they handled the cost of war on people. The ending of the book was particularly sweet!
Overall, it was a quick, enjoyable, soothing read and while I was sad that certain characters from Finding Zasha, I do know it was realistic and appreciated that.
Content: There was a layer of trickery, lying, and withholding truth, but Mikhail does apologize for part of it at the end, and it was made very clear the family only did what they did to save Zasha’s innocent life. I still do not condone it, but it is different than lying for personal gain. A tiny bit of arguing by children with their mother, although it is done respectfully and they have a great relationship. A scene with drunken men.
A Favourite Quote: “People sometimes do heroic thing sin a war, but everyone does terrible things. No one is only good, or only bad…. No one’s hands are clean.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “How can you say a dog has nationality? Maybe she wasn’t even born in Germany. Maybe she was born in Russia! Maybe she’s a Russian Shepherd.”
“And maybe you should study law with your fancy arguments.”
November 24, 2013
Saving Zasha is a sweet book about a little known problem (at least to Americans): the near extinction of any dog in European countries after World War 2. According to the history-based novel, dogs were used and abused for many different purposes, including carrying bombs under tanks, carrying messages through enemy territory, and acting as guard dogs and killers. In addition, declining food resources meant that many animals starved just as humans were struggling to make ends meet. Last, prejudice against other nations caused many to blame dogs that had been bred there.
In this case, Zasha is a German shepherd found by a teenage boy in Russia not long after the war ended. Although he and his family take the dog in to care for her, they must also keep her a secret...simply because her breed includes the word German. Too many hearts are unwilling to forgive or accept that not every aspect of the German culture was bad.
The secondary plotline was just as interesting as the first. The Russian government realized that it was likely the only entity with resources to begin breeding dogs again. It also pushed for a new, Russian dog to be created through cross-breeding. Several years down the road, the Black Russian terrier became a success.
4th grade reading level, 6 AR points, large font and spacing means the page number is less than it appears
In this case, Zasha is a German shepherd found by a teenage boy in Russia not long after the war ended. Although he and his family take the dog in to care for her, they must also keep her a secret...simply because her breed includes the word German. Too many hearts are unwilling to forgive or accept that not every aspect of the German culture was bad.
The secondary plotline was just as interesting as the first. The Russian government realized that it was likely the only entity with resources to begin breeding dogs again. It also pushed for a new, Russian dog to be created through cross-breeding. Several years down the road, the Black Russian terrier became a success.
4th grade reading level, 6 AR points, large font and spacing means the page number is less than it appears
May 19, 2011
You'll Fall in Love with Zasha and Mikhail ! !
I found this book to be: exceptionally well-written, poignant, & charming.
Great for: upper elementary, middle school.
This engaging, moving, thrilling story is set in a rural part of northern Russia, at the end of World War II. I found it so easy to relate to the characters, especially Mikhail and his older brother, Nikolai. Their family is changed forever by the discovery of Zasha, a beautiful, intelligent German shepherd dog. For Randi Barrow, the author, this is her first foray into historical fiction. I am confident you will agree that the result is an outstanding book. I can't say enough about how terrific it is ! !
I found this book to be: exceptionally well-written, poignant, & charming.
Great for: upper elementary, middle school.
This engaging, moving, thrilling story is set in a rural part of northern Russia, at the end of World War II. I found it so easy to relate to the characters, especially Mikhail and his older brother, Nikolai. Their family is changed forever by the discovery of Zasha, a beautiful, intelligent German shepherd dog. For Randi Barrow, the author, this is her first foray into historical fiction. I am confident you will agree that the result is an outstanding book. I can't say enough about how terrific it is ! !
Read
December 1, 2015How would you feel if a World War 2 just ended in Russia and on one day, a soldier that is critically injured comes to your back woods of your farm and has a German Shepherd at his sides.Well in "Saving Zasha" that is what happens to Mikhail and his family, this leads to them keeping Zasha a secret, because at the time everything that was German or made in Germany must be destroyed by the Russians including........dogs.The genre of the story is a mix between realistic fiction and historical fiction.It is realistic fiction because it contains events that could have happened.It is also, historical fiction because it contains events that did really happen like the end of World War 2.It all starts when Mikhail finds a soldier and his dog right outside his farm.He then takes them home for his mom to cure the severely injured soldier but she fails as his wound already caught an infection. Then the family must decide to keep the dog or turn it in to the police station.***SPOILER ALERT*** The family decides to keep the dog a secret but when the town hears about the dead man and who he had dog hairs created certain suspicion. What happens next? Just read the rest of the review and you will find out.
The setting of the story is in a small village in Russia and it occurs right after World War 2 ended. The setting and time are important to the story because after World War 2 the Russians have such a strong hate towards the Germans.They feel the need that anything made or even touched by the Germans must be destroyed and completely forgotten about. What happens in the story is that a boy named Mikhail finds a wounded soldier and his dog named Zasha.He takes the wounded soldier and the dog home to his family. Then the mom tries her best to save the soldier. Over the night the soldier passed away. Now the family has to make a decision between turning in the dog to the village and keeping the an ultimate secret. The family decided to keep Zasha since she was German and would definitely be killed like how other German dogs were. What happens next is that a nosy girl named Katia has a suspicion of the existence of Zasha. She believes that the dead soldier named Petr had fur on him when he was turned in to the town. She believes that it is dog fur because it was not as long as horse fur. Now that Katia has suspicion of Zasha Mikhail must train Zasha to hide,lay down, and most important not to bark. At the same time this is happening, a retired Russian soldier named Dimitry is breeding a new Russian dog at a nearby farm. In the text it states that " Rumors say that there is a soldier breading a new super Russian military dog.My brother Nikolai whispered." The type of conflict is person vs person. It is person vs person because Mikhail must go against Katia and other people that have suspicion of Zasha. The theme of the story is that sometimes the right path is not always the easiest past. In this case Mikhail and his family decide to keep Zasha but go through a lot of troubles with feeding her in secret and making her a special hiding place. It was the right path because if they had decided to turn in Zasha to the authorities Zasha would most likely be killed.
The first person point of view affects the story because it shows what Mikhail sees. This means that the reader can only read what is happening and what Mikhail sees. The tone of Mikhail is nervous. Mikhail is nervous because every time someone pays s visit to his house he feels that Zasha will be found and killed by the crazy Russian people. The setting adds to the conflict because it takes place right after World War 2 and is happening in a small village in Russia. This is a problem for Mikhail because the Russians where betrayed by the Germans in the War. This leads to the Russians having such a strong hate toward Germans that the Russians are urged to destroy anything German. In the text it states " We cannot let go of Zasha with all the hate between the Germans and the Russians". Mikhail is the protagonist because he must overcome obstacles in order to keep Zasha from being killed. He also must overcome the antagonist which is Katia and dog thieves who also have suspicion of Zasha. Mikhail is a reliable character because he doesn't do anything that makes the reader question wether he is reliable or not.
My favorite part of the story was the end because at the beginning of the story the father of Mikhail,Rina,Nikolai had gone of to war and had not come back yet. Then what happenens is that Dimitry,the retired soldier, pleads Mikhail to give him Zasha for safety reasons and to add him to his breeding programs. Mikhail decided to give Dimitry Zasha. What then happens is that Mikhail decides to turn in Zasha to the police station. While that happens Katia sees Zasha she started crying. Mikhail finds out that she did all the surprise visits because she loves dogs and had always wanted one but could not get one due to the loss of dogs during the war. When the chief of the police station sees the dog he immediately sends the dog again to Dimitry. But before this happens Dimitry takes the family somewhere. When the family gets out of the truck they are absolutely puzzled at what they see. In the text it states that "FATHER?!?!? Mikhail said" By now the whole family was in tears. When the family got home there was another pleasant surprise. This time it was Zasha waiting in the front door. The father of Mikhail is scared by Zasha since he was in a torture chamber in Germany where they used German Shepards to abuse the prisoners. Then Mikhail spoke " father if Zasha gives you bad reminders about your time in Germany we will give him away." Then the father claimed silently" what a man you've become Mikhail, no, do by get rid of such a beuty of a dog.
I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars because it literally has been the best book I have ever read. It is amazing from the beginning to the end. It always had me on the edge of my seat. I recommend this book to people who like dramatic and suspenseful moments throughout the story. My last on this book was that it had a cliffhanger on the beginning of the story where the family was going to decide whether to keep Zasha or get rid of her. The rest is just an amazing story.
The setting of the story is in a small village in Russia and it occurs right after World War 2 ended. The setting and time are important to the story because after World War 2 the Russians have such a strong hate towards the Germans.They feel the need that anything made or even touched by the Germans must be destroyed and completely forgotten about. What happens in the story is that a boy named Mikhail finds a wounded soldier and his dog named Zasha.He takes the wounded soldier and the dog home to his family. Then the mom tries her best to save the soldier. Over the night the soldier passed away. Now the family has to make a decision between turning in the dog to the village and keeping the an ultimate secret. The family decided to keep Zasha since she was German and would definitely be killed like how other German dogs were. What happens next is that a nosy girl named Katia has a suspicion of the existence of Zasha. She believes that the dead soldier named Petr had fur on him when he was turned in to the town. She believes that it is dog fur because it was not as long as horse fur. Now that Katia has suspicion of Zasha Mikhail must train Zasha to hide,lay down, and most important not to bark. At the same time this is happening, a retired Russian soldier named Dimitry is breeding a new Russian dog at a nearby farm. In the text it states that " Rumors say that there is a soldier breading a new super Russian military dog.My brother Nikolai whispered." The type of conflict is person vs person. It is person vs person because Mikhail must go against Katia and other people that have suspicion of Zasha. The theme of the story is that sometimes the right path is not always the easiest past. In this case Mikhail and his family decide to keep Zasha but go through a lot of troubles with feeding her in secret and making her a special hiding place. It was the right path because if they had decided to turn in Zasha to the authorities Zasha would most likely be killed.
The first person point of view affects the story because it shows what Mikhail sees. This means that the reader can only read what is happening and what Mikhail sees. The tone of Mikhail is nervous. Mikhail is nervous because every time someone pays s visit to his house he feels that Zasha will be found and killed by the crazy Russian people. The setting adds to the conflict because it takes place right after World War 2 and is happening in a small village in Russia. This is a problem for Mikhail because the Russians where betrayed by the Germans in the War. This leads to the Russians having such a strong hate toward Germans that the Russians are urged to destroy anything German. In the text it states " We cannot let go of Zasha with all the hate between the Germans and the Russians". Mikhail is the protagonist because he must overcome obstacles in order to keep Zasha from being killed. He also must overcome the antagonist which is Katia and dog thieves who also have suspicion of Zasha. Mikhail is a reliable character because he doesn't do anything that makes the reader question wether he is reliable or not.
My favorite part of the story was the end because at the beginning of the story the father of Mikhail,Rina,Nikolai had gone of to war and had not come back yet. Then what happenens is that Dimitry,the retired soldier, pleads Mikhail to give him Zasha for safety reasons and to add him to his breeding programs. Mikhail decided to give Dimitry Zasha. What then happens is that Mikhail decides to turn in Zasha to the police station. While that happens Katia sees Zasha she started crying. Mikhail finds out that she did all the surprise visits because she loves dogs and had always wanted one but could not get one due to the loss of dogs during the war. When the chief of the police station sees the dog he immediately sends the dog again to Dimitry. But before this happens Dimitry takes the family somewhere. When the family gets out of the truck they are absolutely puzzled at what they see. In the text it states that "FATHER?!?!? Mikhail said" By now the whole family was in tears. When the family got home there was another pleasant surprise. This time it was Zasha waiting in the front door. The father of Mikhail is scared by Zasha since he was in a torture chamber in Germany where they used German Shepards to abuse the prisoners. Then Mikhail spoke " father if Zasha gives you bad reminders about your time in Germany we will give him away." Then the father claimed silently" what a man you've become Mikhail, no, do by get rid of such a beuty of a dog.
I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars because it literally has been the best book I have ever read. It is amazing from the beginning to the end. It always had me on the edge of my seat. I recommend this book to people who like dramatic and suspenseful moments throughout the story. My last on this book was that it had a cliffhanger on the beginning of the story where the family was going to decide whether to keep Zasha or get rid of her. The rest is just an amazing story.
October 18, 2022
Výborná zaujímavá kniha pre milovníkov psov. Odporúčam.
January 4, 2013
Even though the war is over, conditions are still difficult in Russia and if you are a dog, especially a German Shepard, things are downright dangerous. It is hard to believe tha in a country that no longer has any dogs left because of the war, German dogs, are nevertheless. killed immediately. After all, Germany started the war and Russians still hate them so much they even hate their dogs. So imagine the fear and awe13 year old Mikhail feels when he finds a severely wounded soldier with the most beautiful, obedient German Shepard he has ever seen and with whom he immediately falls in love.
Mikhail helps the soldier home, but despite all his mother's efforts, the man dies. Mikhail, his mother, sister Rina, 9, and older brother Nicolai, 15, take the man's body to the police to report his death, but now the question is what to do with Zasha, the dog?
Well, by now all three kids are in love with her, and even their mother has some affection for the beautiful dog and so it is decided that they will keep Zasha, but make sure she is well hidden from prying eyes. Still, despite their best efforts, two people suspect the family of having a dog. Katia, a not well liked by him classmate of Mikhail, is the first to come around snooping. Under the pretext that she is helping out on her father's newspaper, Katia is rather desperate to discover the hidden dog. In her zeal, Katia tells the brothers about a man not far away who is trying to start a dog kennel at the abandoned Orlov farm.
Intrigued, the boys sneak over to the farm and discover what Katia said was true. The army has assigned one of their soldiers, Dimitri, to start trying to breed a "superdog" that could be used for both work and the military. Unfortunately, all Dimitri has to work with in creating this "superdog" is a bunch of ragtag dogs that are anything but super. Wouldn't he just love to have Zasha? Thanks to Katia who had already told him her suspicions, Dimitri's hopes are confirmed when he sees the boys have German Shepard dog hairs all over their clothing.. And added to Katia and Dimitri's desire to discover Zasha are the two dangerously desperate dog thieves that show up on the farm to search for Zasha because there is lots of money to be made if you have dogs to sell.
On top of all this, it turns out Zasha may be even more valuable than originally thought when it is discovered that she is pregnant. Will the family be able to keep Zasha and her pups safe and out of the hands of all those who want her for their own purposes?
Saving Zasha has all the makings of an exciting, nail-biting adventure story for any reader who likes good historical fiction and/or a great dog story. It is a finely wrought debut novel for Randi Barrow and she has created a realistic situation and characters in a book that is sure to win over many middle grade readers.
Barrow writes at the end of the novel that by the end of World War II there was a shortage of dogs because so many were used during the war and didn't survive. Indeed, at one part in the novel, Mikhail's mother's explains how they were used. When the war ended, the army really did set about creating a kind of superdog called the Black Russian Terrier. Be sure to read this part of the book.
The prequel, Finding Zasha, has just been released and is said to be just as exciting as Saving Zasha and may even answer a few of the questions about Zasha's past that you might have if you have already read Saving Zasha. I hope!
This book is recommended for readers age 9-12
This book was borrowed from the Children's Center branch of the NYPL
Mikhail helps the soldier home, but despite all his mother's efforts, the man dies. Mikhail, his mother, sister Rina, 9, and older brother Nicolai, 15, take the man's body to the police to report his death, but now the question is what to do with Zasha, the dog?
Well, by now all three kids are in love with her, and even their mother has some affection for the beautiful dog and so it is decided that they will keep Zasha, but make sure she is well hidden from prying eyes. Still, despite their best efforts, two people suspect the family of having a dog. Katia, a not well liked by him classmate of Mikhail, is the first to come around snooping. Under the pretext that she is helping out on her father's newspaper, Katia is rather desperate to discover the hidden dog. In her zeal, Katia tells the brothers about a man not far away who is trying to start a dog kennel at the abandoned Orlov farm.
Intrigued, the boys sneak over to the farm and discover what Katia said was true. The army has assigned one of their soldiers, Dimitri, to start trying to breed a "superdog" that could be used for both work and the military. Unfortunately, all Dimitri has to work with in creating this "superdog" is a bunch of ragtag dogs that are anything but super. Wouldn't he just love to have Zasha? Thanks to Katia who had already told him her suspicions, Dimitri's hopes are confirmed when he sees the boys have German Shepard dog hairs all over their clothing.. And added to Katia and Dimitri's desire to discover Zasha are the two dangerously desperate dog thieves that show up on the farm to search for Zasha because there is lots of money to be made if you have dogs to sell.
On top of all this, it turns out Zasha may be even more valuable than originally thought when it is discovered that she is pregnant. Will the family be able to keep Zasha and her pups safe and out of the hands of all those who want her for their own purposes?
Saving Zasha has all the makings of an exciting, nail-biting adventure story for any reader who likes good historical fiction and/or a great dog story. It is a finely wrought debut novel for Randi Barrow and she has created a realistic situation and characters in a book that is sure to win over many middle grade readers.
Barrow writes at the end of the novel that by the end of World War II there was a shortage of dogs because so many were used during the war and didn't survive. Indeed, at one part in the novel, Mikhail's mother's explains how they were used. When the war ended, the army really did set about creating a kind of superdog called the Black Russian Terrier. Be sure to read this part of the book.
The prequel, Finding Zasha, has just been released and is said to be just as exciting as Saving Zasha and may even answer a few of the questions about Zasha's past that you might have if you have already read Saving Zasha. I hope!
This book is recommended for readers age 9-12
This book was borrowed from the Children's Center branch of the NYPL
May 16, 2019
Silný príbeh o vojne, nenávisti, nádeji, láske a nehynúcom priateľstve človeka a psa.
Krátko po druhej svetovej vojne natrafí trinásťročný Michail v lese na zraneného umierajúceho muža, ktorý má pri sebe sučku nemeckého ovčiaka. Volá sa Zaša a chlapec ju vezme domov. V Rusku však po vojnových útrapách panuje nenávisť k všetkému nemeckému, a preto musí Michail novú kamarátku udržať za každú cenu v tajnosti. A vôbec to nie je jednoduché. Zaša je navyše posledná sučka nemeckého ovčiaka v krajine a na ceste za záchranou jej rasy Michailovi hrozia smrteľné nebezpečenstvá….
Túto knihu som dlho odkladala. Dôvodom bolo nasýtenie sa vojnovou tematikou. Faktom je, že táto kniha veľa vojny neobsahuje, ukazuje skôr jej následky. Je to príbeh mladého chlapca, jeho brata, mamy a sestry, ktorí na odľahlej usadlosti zachránia zraneného muža a s ním aj jeho nemeckého ovčiaka menom Zaša. Takto začína táto 200 stranová kniha. Jej hlavnou premisou je sledovať ako sa rodina spojí aby ochránila nového štvornohého člena, ktorý sa im za to odmeňuje nezištnou láskou a nádejou v lepšie časy.
Bez odbiehania k detailom, kapitoly svižne bežia, aj keď sa podľa mňa v knihe veľa nedeje. Vlastne okrem hrozby zlodejov psov a odhalenia od Káte som akosi nepochytila, že by sa niečo dialo. Aj stretnutie s Dmitrijom, ktorý zakladá chov nového ruského superpsa bol len sčasti zaujímavý. A potom tu zrazu bol záver… tak neviem či som dostala skrátenú verziu či čo. Celkovo som si vlastne nevybudovala vzťah k žiadnej z postáv, kde hlavní hrdinovia, Michail i jeho rodina boli až veľmi prepozitívni, Káťa priotravná, Zaša primúdra a Dmitrij bol pridobrý…. Keď to tak čítam, tak vlastne všetci boli šmahnutí filtrom dobroty 😆
Ako ak chcete knihu pre dobrý pocit, tak toto je vhodná voľba, má aj istú morálnu hodnotu, odškrtnete si aj vojnovú časť, nestrávite pri nej celé veky a zavriete s tým, že ste si aj oddýchli.
Prvá veta:
“Michail! Niekto prichádza!” zvolal môj brat Nikolaj a vbehol do stodoly.
Posledná veta:
“Myslím, že až dnes sa vojna skutočne skončila”, vzlykol som.
Goodreads Challenge 2019: 41. kniha
Krátko po druhej svetovej vojne natrafí trinásťročný Michail v lese na zraneného umierajúceho muža, ktorý má pri sebe sučku nemeckého ovčiaka. Volá sa Zaša a chlapec ju vezme domov. V Rusku však po vojnových útrapách panuje nenávisť k všetkému nemeckému, a preto musí Michail novú kamarátku udržať za každú cenu v tajnosti. A vôbec to nie je jednoduché. Zaša je navyše posledná sučka nemeckého ovčiaka v krajine a na ceste za záchranou jej rasy Michailovi hrozia smrteľné nebezpečenstvá….
Túto knihu som dlho odkladala. Dôvodom bolo nasýtenie sa vojnovou tematikou. Faktom je, že táto kniha veľa vojny neobsahuje, ukazuje skôr jej následky. Je to príbeh mladého chlapca, jeho brata, mamy a sestry, ktorí na odľahlej usadlosti zachránia zraneného muža a s ním aj jeho nemeckého ovčiaka menom Zaša. Takto začína táto 200 stranová kniha. Jej hlavnou premisou je sledovať ako sa rodina spojí aby ochránila nového štvornohého člena, ktorý sa im za to odmeňuje nezištnou láskou a nádejou v lepšie časy.
Bez odbiehania k detailom, kapitoly svižne bežia, aj keď sa podľa mňa v knihe veľa nedeje. Vlastne okrem hrozby zlodejov psov a odhalenia od Káte som akosi nepochytila, že by sa niečo dialo. Aj stretnutie s Dmitrijom, ktorý zakladá chov nového ruského superpsa bol len sčasti zaujímavý. A potom tu zrazu bol záver… tak neviem či som dostala skrátenú verziu či čo. Celkovo som si vlastne nevybudovala vzťah k žiadnej z postáv, kde hlavní hrdinovia, Michail i jeho rodina boli až veľmi prepozitívni, Káťa priotravná, Zaša primúdra a Dmitrij bol pridobrý…. Keď to tak čítam, tak vlastne všetci boli šmahnutí filtrom dobroty 😆
Ako ak chcete knihu pre dobrý pocit, tak toto je vhodná voľba, má aj istú morálnu hodnotu, odškrtnete si aj vojnovú časť, nestrávite pri nej celé veky a zavriete s tým, že ste si aj oddýchli.
Prvá veta:
“Michail! Niekto prichádza!” zvolal môj brat Nikolaj a vbehol do stodoly.
Posledná veta:
“Myslím, že až dnes sa vojna skutočne skončila”, vzlykol som.
Goodreads Challenge 2019: 41. kniha
January 13, 2021
O laske ku psom ;) a bolo to treba obalit do pribehu :) Chalanom sa to pacilo (psa nemame), ale mne az tak nie. Trosku mi to klzalo po povrchu, lebo vsetci boli uzasni a dobri a vsetci lubili psikov a chybali im, nikto tam nebol zly. Pribeh sa odohraval po vojne, mama a 3 deti, ktore sa spoja, aby ochranili nemeckeho ovciaka Zasu. Dozvedela som sa par zaujimavych informacii o nemeckych ovciakoch a psoch vo vojne, co ma celkom prekvapili. Nevravim, ze to bolo zle, ale nebolo to ani nic extra. Takze kludne si to precitajte, ale necakajte ziaden zazrak. Pekny pribeh o psoch a na konci HappyEnd a slzicky!
P.S. Citali sme po veceroch s chalanmi a nahlas (aj oni dvaja :))
P.S. Citali sme po veceroch s chalanmi a nahlas (aj oni dvaja :))
February 10, 2022
Great animal story set right after World War II. A 13 year old boy who lives in a Russian farming village finds a wounded man and his German Shepherd dog, and when the man dies without any explanation, Mikhail convinces his mom to let him keep the dog, named Zasha. But they have to keep Zasha hidden whenever anyone comes to visit, because Russians have outlawed German Shepherds, and are killing any they find as part of their hatred for the enemy they defeated. Other men are stealing dogs to sell them. Mikhail and his younger siblings also have to be wary of the nosy girl in town, who fancies herself a reporter and is sniffing around looking into the suspicious death of the stranger--but really she wants a dog for herself! The setting is very well realized, good historical details, and several good action and suspense scenes as they are almost found out. The plot hinges on a man they meet who is trying to breed a new type of dog that will be a special Russian breed--if he can find any dogs to start his program. Author's note gives the facts surrounding the dog breeding program, that created the Black Russian Terrier. Good solid middle grade historical fiction/dog story (a happy ending for the dog, for my friends who need that info :-)
April 16, 2019
Part 2 of the life of Zasha. Another recommendation by my granddaughter. Good historical fiction about WWII between Russia and Germany. Very interesting historical facts about the creation of a new Russian dog.
April 4, 2018
I liked this book because it had a clear problem and solution to the problem. Also it was a very quick read, making the understanding of the book much easier.
December 14, 2012
5TH RESPONSE: 12/11/12
I am currently reading saving Zasha, by: Randi Barrow. This book takes place right after World War II. Mikhail and her family are Russian. Mikhail finds a bloody man who has a German shepherd. Mikhail takes the man and the dog back to her house. Her family tries to save the man but soon he dies. But Mikhail and her family decide to keep the German shepherd. Along the way Katia, Mikhail’s classmate, is very suspicious and thinks the man was covered in dog hairs. So far I think this book has been great. For example if you’re a Russian and you fight against the Germans in a war, it is probably not a good idea to have a German shepherd. But that’s how it makes the story interesting and come alive. I think this is definitely a faced pace book because in the first few chapters Russians already have a German dog with them. This relates to me because one time I was trying to figure out the password to my brother’s kindle, but I accidentally pressed reset, so all of his books, apps, and movies were deleted. But I know that’s nothing compared to having a German dog when your Russian after World War II! The problem they were having in my book was way worse than what happened with me and my brother! I would recommend this to people who like historical fiction because it takes place back a long time ago. This book has been great so far and I can’t wait to read more. I think that Katia is going to find Zasha in Mikhail’s house. That will definitely make the book very interesting if she does.
I am currently reading saving Zasha, by: Randi Barrow. This book takes place right after World War II. Mikhail and her family are Russian. Mikhail finds a bloody man who has a German shepherd. Mikhail takes the man and the dog back to her house. Her family tries to save the man but soon he dies. But Mikhail and her family decide to keep the German shepherd. Along the way Katia, Mikhail’s classmate, is very suspicious and thinks the man was covered in dog hairs. So far I think this book has been great. For example if you’re a Russian and you fight against the Germans in a war, it is probably not a good idea to have a German shepherd. But that’s how it makes the story interesting and come alive. I think this is definitely a faced pace book because in the first few chapters Russians already have a German dog with them. This relates to me because one time I was trying to figure out the password to my brother’s kindle, but I accidentally pressed reset, so all of his books, apps, and movies were deleted. But I know that’s nothing compared to having a German dog when your Russian after World War II! The problem they were having in my book was way worse than what happened with me and my brother! I would recommend this to people who like historical fiction because it takes place back a long time ago. This book has been great so far and I can’t wait to read more. I think that Katia is going to find Zasha in Mikhail’s house. That will definitely make the book very interesting if she does.
December 21, 2013
I enjoyed the story! It is suitable for a middle school level and an interesting idea based on history in Russia (read the last few pages at the end to understand the history). The writing said just enough, the characters had personality and were realistic, and the story progressed well and was filled with exciting moments.
I wish we could have known more about the man who brought Zasha. The audience almost did, but it would have been nice to solve that mystery. The ending wrapped up happily, and it was quite a long last day for the Russian family, ha! That was fine, understanding who the audience is and how the story was spun in a child-friendly and light-hearted way as much as possible. I also wish Zasha's skills and training would have played a factor more in the story. A lot of effort went into the training, so I wanted to read more about how useful it could have been further than it was.
Overall, I enjoyed it, and it is definitely worth a read, particularly for younger audiences (8-14).
I wish we could have known more about the man who brought Zasha. The audience almost did, but it would have been nice to solve that mystery. The ending wrapped up happily, and it was quite a long last day for the Russian family, ha! That was fine, understanding who the audience is and how the story was spun in a child-friendly and light-hearted way as much as possible. I also wish Zasha's skills and training would have played a factor more in the story. A lot of effort went into the training, so I wanted to read more about how useful it could have been further than it was.
Overall, I enjoyed it, and it is definitely worth a read, particularly for younger audiences (8-14).
May 18, 2015
I've always been a sucker for dog books, that's why I choose to read Saving Zasha. This book takes place right after the end of WWII to Russia. There is a family of a mother, 2 sons, and daughter who take care of their farm after their father has been sent to war. This family soon discovers a dying man and his German Shepard, Zasha. After an attempt by the mother to save him, the man dies and the family is left with Zasha. Due to the immense hatred of the Germans, the family are forced to hide Zasha from everyone, or she will be killed.
This book is a great mixture of compassion, fear, love and family. The children must think of clever ways to hide their friend to keep her safe. This book shows the compassion of children and also their creativity. This book also has many war time stories that show the tough things children who grew up during WWII had to face. This amazing book gives you an instant connection to the well written characters and the transports you back to the rebuilding of Russia after WW11.
This book is a great mixture of compassion, fear, love and family. The children must think of clever ways to hide their friend to keep her safe. This book shows the compassion of children and also their creativity. This book also has many war time stories that show the tough things children who grew up during WWII had to face. This amazing book gives you an instant connection to the well written characters and the transports you back to the rebuilding of Russia after WW11.
June 23, 2016
I think students will like this story set in Russia after WWII. It tells an interesting part of history with the dog population dwindling during this time period, and many students will be able to relate to the feeling of comfort an animal is able to bring to a family during difficult times. This is a quick read. The only reason it wasn't finished in a day or two for me was due to the fact that I took a timeout from my reading to watch Roots.
March 7, 2016
I thought it was a really good book I liked the dog named zasha. Zasha was a Germansheperd and in the time period the book is in dogs were killed. The Russins hated everything German because World War 2 just ended. Mikhal and his family hid zasha becuase they didnt want zasha takin away from them or killed. Dimitri was a retired militant that had dogs hidden in his back yard because the military wants him to try to make a super dog.
November 30, 2011
htis book is amazing!
Want to read
April 11, 2013how do you get a book on this app???!
please help
please help
November 15, 2016
An amazing sequel to Finding Zasha, full of excitement and suspense.
February 3, 2024
This book shows if you deeply care about something, you will do anything to protect it. That’s well.what Mikhail did with Zasha. Mikhail and his family were very brave to keep Zasha after Peter died. They risked themselves from Katia, dog catchers/steelers. Through I didn’t like how Katia was being selfish about a dog. I do understand how she feels about not having one. I felt very happy for the family when Mikhail’s dad no way returned home from serving in the army. Now they will live in peace together as a new family.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2015
***SPOILER ALERT***What would you feel if World War two just ended in Russia and you find a dieing soldier with a badly infection with his German shepherd in your woods? Well all of this happens in the story "Saving Zasha". KEEP ON READING IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE STORY!........
The book "Saving Zasha" is about a boy named Mikhail finds an injured soldier with his German shepherd. Mikhail notices that he is badly wounded so he takes the soldier and his dog to his house their mom then tries to to help him and keep him alive but he is too infected. The next morning he is found dead and the family has to decide if they want to keep the dog or taking it to the village but if they kept her they would have to keep her a secret.Afterwards some girl named Katia tells on them about Zasha she suspects that the soldier had dog fur on him. Soon Mikhail teaches Zasha some tricks to keep her safe such as to hide.The setting of The story takes place in a small village in Russia and it all happens right after world war two and it all happens after World War two. Its relevence to the story is important because after the war the Russians and the Germans hated each other because the Russians thought that anything German shall be destroyed and never thought about or seen again. The type of conflict is person vs to person, because Mikhail had a to go through a hard obstacle with the people who had something against Zasha anda to keep her safe. The theme of this story is if you do something good such as to safe a dogs life, it won't always be any simple task. Becarse The family has to train Zasha so she won't be noticed and doesnt get killed.
The point of view was 1st person. 1st person because The story was Boing told by Mikhail. The title relates to the story because its all about Saving Zasha because instead of taking Zasha to The Village Where they will most likley kill her they thought her to hide, not bark, and lay down. The setting of the this book is important because after the war the Russians and the Germans because the Russians thought that anything German should be killed and forgotten about. The setting adds to the conflict because the conflict is person vs person because Mikhail was going through a tough time with Zasha and the settings is how the Russians and Germans hated each other.
I was surprised when the mom didn't even care about bathing and dressing a dead body and how they carried the dead body in their car. My favorite part was when Mikhail was teaching Zasha tricks to keep her safe because it showed that he actually cared about her. "Saving Zasha" is a good title because it pretty much explains the story because in the the story they chose to keep Zasha and not take her to the village because they would end up killing her but they had to keep her a secret.
I rate this book 5/5 stars because it thought me a lot of stuff such as how the Russians and Germans hated each other after the war and I did not know that. Also how the Russians hated everything German because the Germans killed a lot of people for no reason. I would recommend this book to someone who like reading historical fiction the story was about history but then made as if it was happening now. So now you know that not every decision isn't always going to be simple but always try your best to make it how you wanted it to be in the first place, because in the story Mikhail and his family chose to keep Zasha but it was not easy because it was hard to keep her a secret because he had to show her to hide, lay down , and to not bark but he did all of that because he wanted his decision to, to be the best decision better than to just taking her to the village.
The book "Saving Zasha" is about a boy named Mikhail finds an injured soldier with his German shepherd. Mikhail notices that he is badly wounded so he takes the soldier and his dog to his house their mom then tries to to help him and keep him alive but he is too infected. The next morning he is found dead and the family has to decide if they want to keep the dog or taking it to the village but if they kept her they would have to keep her a secret.Afterwards some girl named Katia tells on them about Zasha she suspects that the soldier had dog fur on him. Soon Mikhail teaches Zasha some tricks to keep her safe such as to hide.The setting of The story takes place in a small village in Russia and it all happens right after world war two and it all happens after World War two. Its relevence to the story is important because after the war the Russians and the Germans hated each other because the Russians thought that anything German shall be destroyed and never thought about or seen again. The type of conflict is person vs to person, because Mikhail had a to go through a hard obstacle with the people who had something against Zasha anda to keep her safe. The theme of this story is if you do something good such as to safe a dogs life, it won't always be any simple task. Becarse The family has to train Zasha so she won't be noticed and doesnt get killed.
The point of view was 1st person. 1st person because The story was Boing told by Mikhail. The title relates to the story because its all about Saving Zasha because instead of taking Zasha to The Village Where they will most likley kill her they thought her to hide, not bark, and lay down. The setting of the this book is important because after the war the Russians and the Germans because the Russians thought that anything German should be killed and forgotten about. The setting adds to the conflict because the conflict is person vs person because Mikhail was going through a tough time with Zasha and the settings is how the Russians and Germans hated each other.
I was surprised when the mom didn't even care about bathing and dressing a dead body and how they carried the dead body in their car. My favorite part was when Mikhail was teaching Zasha tricks to keep her safe because it showed that he actually cared about her. "Saving Zasha" is a good title because it pretty much explains the story because in the the story they chose to keep Zasha and not take her to the village because they would end up killing her but they had to keep her a secret.
I rate this book 5/5 stars because it thought me a lot of stuff such as how the Russians and Germans hated each other after the war and I did not know that. Also how the Russians hated everything German because the Germans killed a lot of people for no reason. I would recommend this book to someone who like reading historical fiction the story was about history but then made as if it was happening now. So now you know that not every decision isn't always going to be simple but always try your best to make it how you wanted it to be in the first place, because in the story Mikhail and his family chose to keep Zasha but it was not easy because it was hard to keep her a secret because he had to show her to hide, lay down , and to not bark but he did all of that because he wanted his decision to, to be the best decision better than to just taking her to the village.
December 23, 2014
Are you the kind of person that feels sorry or cries if an animal ( a dog perhaps) is hurt or killed? If so, you have found your destined book. Saving Zasha is realistic-fiction book with many great details. This book is sure to leave you wanting more of it. It is a unique book with many interesting facts and a fantastic narrative overall. This book gives outstanding vocabulary and a good idea of what to imagine in your head. The only thing I would change is that the book is too predictable. You can quickly know that this and that is going to happen ahead of time. Otherwise, the book was a wonderful narrative to read.
Saving Zasha is about this boy named Mikhail in the 1940's right after World War II has just ended. His father is still in the military and Mikhail's family does not know when the father will return. Mikhail is living a more calmer life (now that the war has finished) but stumbles upon a new encounter in his life: Zasha. While Mikhail rides on his horse through the woods, he finds a man who is very ill and alongside him is a beautiful german sheperd. *SPOILER ALERT* The sick man dies and leaves his female dog, Zasha, in the care of Mikhail and his family. *END OF SPOILER ALERT*. Even though the war is over, Mikhail's country, Russia does not allow anything German to be in their country. Now Mikhail must keep Zasha a secret to everyone and especially those who are suspicious of Mikhail. The conflict is person vs society. The narrative states," Katia had begun to grow suspicious of me and now I had to keep Zasha safer." It is sure to leave you satisfied, guaranteed!
I am happy that I picked Saving Zasha as one of my books to read. The main character's motivation is clearly Zasha and that was something I admired. I like how the author demonstrated us at the very beginning of the book the special bond Mikhail and Zasha instantly had. It was a nice moment to see how much Mikhail and Zasha cared for each other in their different but loving ways. The book states," Zash was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. She was like no other dogs we've had in the past." It also states," I will never let anything bad happen to you, Zasha." The character clearly shows his love to Zasha and finds her perfect. It is amazing to see how a human being and a creature/animal can create such a powerful bond and care for each other in the harsh times.
Saving Zasha is an amazing book with moments sure to make you smile, laugh, or maybe sad. It is full with creative lessons and good details! The text states," You will have to wait till you get home to eat something. Practice with Zasha. Its the perfect opportunity." Here Mikhail is going to wait until getting home to eat because he wants to practice tricks with Zasha. It didn't matter if he was hungry because he would be spending time with his dog and teaching her new tricks. That proves Mikhail was a really good friend to Zasha. The book also states," We ven plyed a form of hide-and-seek where I could tell her to stay and I would hide as far away from her in thirty seconds and then give a short whistle. She found me every time but was always exhilarated as I was by the new game." The interesting thing I learned from the book was that friends are a big and important part of our daily lives.
In conclusion, Saving Zasha was an extrordinary book! I would rate it 4 stars because the book was predictable but overall the book had many great moments. I would recommend it to those who love dogs and happy endings. This book will teach you very nice lessons but one you should never forget is : a dog is a man's best friend.
Saving Zasha is about this boy named Mikhail in the 1940's right after World War II has just ended. His father is still in the military and Mikhail's family does not know when the father will return. Mikhail is living a more calmer life (now that the war has finished) but stumbles upon a new encounter in his life: Zasha. While Mikhail rides on his horse through the woods, he finds a man who is very ill and alongside him is a beautiful german sheperd. *SPOILER ALERT* The sick man dies and leaves his female dog, Zasha, in the care of Mikhail and his family. *END OF SPOILER ALERT*. Even though the war is over, Mikhail's country, Russia does not allow anything German to be in their country. Now Mikhail must keep Zasha a secret to everyone and especially those who are suspicious of Mikhail. The conflict is person vs society. The narrative states," Katia had begun to grow suspicious of me and now I had to keep Zasha safer." It is sure to leave you satisfied, guaranteed!
I am happy that I picked Saving Zasha as one of my books to read. The main character's motivation is clearly Zasha and that was something I admired. I like how the author demonstrated us at the very beginning of the book the special bond Mikhail and Zasha instantly had. It was a nice moment to see how much Mikhail and Zasha cared for each other in their different but loving ways. The book states," Zash was the most beautiful dog I had ever seen. She was like no other dogs we've had in the past." It also states," I will never let anything bad happen to you, Zasha." The character clearly shows his love to Zasha and finds her perfect. It is amazing to see how a human being and a creature/animal can create such a powerful bond and care for each other in the harsh times.
Saving Zasha is an amazing book with moments sure to make you smile, laugh, or maybe sad. It is full with creative lessons and good details! The text states," You will have to wait till you get home to eat something. Practice with Zasha. Its the perfect opportunity." Here Mikhail is going to wait until getting home to eat because he wants to practice tricks with Zasha. It didn't matter if he was hungry because he would be spending time with his dog and teaching her new tricks. That proves Mikhail was a really good friend to Zasha. The book also states," We ven plyed a form of hide-and-seek where I could tell her to stay and I would hide as far away from her in thirty seconds and then give a short whistle. She found me every time but was always exhilarated as I was by the new game." The interesting thing I learned from the book was that friends are a big and important part of our daily lives.
In conclusion, Saving Zasha was an extrordinary book! I would rate it 4 stars because the book was predictable but overall the book had many great moments. I would recommend it to those who love dogs and happy endings. This book will teach you very nice lessons but one you should never forget is : a dog is a man's best friend.
January 26, 2018
This book was awesome. It really gave a good look at what the home font looked like during world war II . Many books want to show the soldiers and the battle front and the concentration camps , but there was so much more that happened during this time that you read so many of the books that are the same kind of idea. This book was so different from anything that I had ever read . I learned some really interesting things about the use of animals during WWII that I had no idea about before. This book is so good and I would recommend it to any animal lover .
March 13, 2018
I rated this book 5 stars and think that other readers that enjoy the topic of World War II will also as well. This book relates to my life because I have a German Shepherd as well. The author gave real details about German Shepherds about how loyal and intelligent they are. The other reason I enjoyed this book was because of the plot twist at the end and there is a lot of conflict between not just people and other people, there was conflict between people and dogs from Germany. Finally, it shows how different countries were still furious with Germany even after years after the war.
October 13, 2017
I think this was one of the better books I have read. I binge read this book. I couldn’t stop reading it just kept me attention the hole time. Saving Zasha was about a dog that was took as a human killing machine. This is because the Germans strapped bombs to them in war this was a very cruel thing to do. Pretty much if you had one of these dogs it would be taken away and killed. This is why today we have animal abuse charges if you harm one. Some people think dogs are violent killers but it’s the owners that train dogs how to do these vicious things. I think people blame animals to often.
I think this was a well written book it had lots of action around every corner. The plot kept going the hole time throughout the book. It has lots of information on how life was during war. This book is not about the Houle costs. It is about two boys a girl and a mom that live in a house together. There dad is still somewhere alive or dead somewhere because he was off somewhere fighting. During this book an old man stumbles across their farm with a dog. This guy had been shot so they took him in and bandaged him up and he died during the night. This is where the dog Zasha came into the plot. She is the main character. Zasha is a very well-trained dog. She can do anything.
They even taught her how to hide from people by using code words. There was one person that would walk around and look for dogs to call people in for having this certain breed of dogs. Not only did they have this problem with this girl that was trying to catch a glimpse of the dog. There were dog stealers. People that go around stealing all dogs. They had this yellow pickup with a bunch of cages for all the dogs they stole They said they worked for the government. Everyone knew they were lying everybody gave up their pets otherwise they would have got shot. I personally think this is well written book. If the author wanted he could have dragged it out into a series. Instead of ending it so fast. The plot really twisted when the kids were going to have to give Zasha up to her original owner. It turned out that the old later was not the old owner of the dog. Or the husband of the guy that died. And they ended up getting to keep Zasha and their dad came home from war on a stretcher because he got hit by a land mine. I would rate this book a 9 out of 10.
I think this was a well written book it had lots of action around every corner. The plot kept going the hole time throughout the book. It has lots of information on how life was during war. This book is not about the Houle costs. It is about two boys a girl and a mom that live in a house together. There dad is still somewhere alive or dead somewhere because he was off somewhere fighting. During this book an old man stumbles across their farm with a dog. This guy had been shot so they took him in and bandaged him up and he died during the night. This is where the dog Zasha came into the plot. She is the main character. Zasha is a very well-trained dog. She can do anything.
They even taught her how to hide from people by using code words. There was one person that would walk around and look for dogs to call people in for having this certain breed of dogs. Not only did they have this problem with this girl that was trying to catch a glimpse of the dog. There were dog stealers. People that go around stealing all dogs. They had this yellow pickup with a bunch of cages for all the dogs they stole They said they worked for the government. Everyone knew they were lying everybody gave up their pets otherwise they would have got shot. I personally think this is well written book. If the author wanted he could have dragged it out into a series. Instead of ending it so fast. The plot really twisted when the kids were going to have to give Zasha up to her original owner. It turned out that the old later was not the old owner of the dog. Or the husband of the guy that died. And they ended up getting to keep Zasha and their dad came home from war on a stretcher because he got hit by a land mine. I would rate this book a 9 out of 10.
February 14, 2018
I thought the book was great but the ending was absolutely terrible. Everyone got what they wanted and lived happily ever after, not a great ending.
February 14, 2017
This is a powerful story about love, hope, and recovery set in post WWII Russia. While a family awaits news of their father, a soldier not yet returned from the war, they discover an unknown injured man with a German Shepherd. To keep such a dog safe when all things German breed hate and contempt among the locals, the family must hide her from the town. But bigger events are brewing and the family must decide whether to keep their new dog safe or to help set things right.
The book addresses the ugliness of war through the eyes of ordinary citizens who were forced to survive it. Yet we also see that war cannot crush goodness if we hang on to it tight enough. This family remains hopeful in the face of adversity, becomes resourceful when hard times call for it, and above all remain true to each other. All without ever feeling corny or compromised.
The book addresses the ugliness of war through the eyes of ordinary citizens who were forced to survive it. Yet we also see that war cannot crush goodness if we hang on to it tight enough. This family remains hopeful in the face of adversity, becomes resourceful when hard times call for it, and above all remain true to each other. All without ever feeling corny or compromised.
February 6, 2019
I really enjoyed this story of “Saving Zasha” by Randi Barrow. The setting of the story is very important because the story takes place after World War II in a small town in Russia. There Mikhail, the protagonist finds a injured man along with his dog, a German Shepherd in the woods. He takes the injured man and his German Shepherd dog to his house. His mom tries to cure and heal the man but unfortunately he does not survive. That leaves Mikhail, and his family to fend for the dog. They decided to inform the police about the man but keep Zasha secret. They also train Zasha to hide and stay quiet. They had no choice but to keep Zasha a secret, due to the threat the Russians opposed toward any German related things including animals should be destroyed and never be thought of or seen again. This proved it was critical for Zasha to be out of sight as her life was in danger. This book is a realistic fiction. I found the book a little sad and emotional . I really wished there was more to the story. I’m hoping for a sequel in the future that describes the strong bond between Mikhail and Zasha. My best part of the story is when Mikhail, Nikolai, and Rina play a game in which they all call the dogs name and whoever the dog comes to is her leader. This is the best part of the story because he is the main character and only he should have the right of being Zasha’s leader. This part of the story expresses loyalty Zasha has for her owner. Mikhail is also my favorite character because he is really hard working and smart. He is a small boy with a big heart. He saved Zasha despite the danger and burden Zasha added on him. I recommend this book to kids and adults of all ages because there are a lot of things to be acknowledged and learned from this book.
October 27, 2012
This book is set in Russia just after WWII. At this time, most of the dogs in the country have died due to disease, starvation and the war in general. One day 13 year old Mikhail happens upon a dying man not far from his home. The man has a dog with him, a German Shepard. This dog was the most beautiful dog Mikhail, or anyone else, had ever seen. However, having a German Shepherd at the time was considered close to traitorous. Even though dogs were scarce, Russian soldiers had been known to shoot German Shepherds because of their hatred of Germans.
Mikhail takes the man and his dog, Zasha, back to his house where the man soon dies. Mikhail, his older brother, younger sister and mother try to hide the dog from others in order to keep her safe (his father has not returned from the war and there is no word of his whereabouts).
Hiding Zasha proves challenging due to a nosy neighbor who wants a dog of her own and dog snatchers that want to steal dogs to sell.
While any dog lover will be touched by Saving Zasha, some background knowledge of WWII and the time period is helpful to understand the details in the story.
Though the ending is a bit abrupt, it still ties things up nicely for the reader. Because of it's references to violence and some mistreatment of animals, I would not recommend Saving Zasha for students under 5th grade.
Mikhail takes the man and his dog, Zasha, back to his house where the man soon dies. Mikhail, his older brother, younger sister and mother try to hide the dog from others in order to keep her safe (his father has not returned from the war and there is no word of his whereabouts).
Hiding Zasha proves challenging due to a nosy neighbor who wants a dog of her own and dog snatchers that want to steal dogs to sell.
While any dog lover will be touched by Saving Zasha, some background knowledge of WWII and the time period is helpful to understand the details in the story.
Though the ending is a bit abrupt, it still ties things up nicely for the reader. Because of it's references to violence and some mistreatment of animals, I would not recommend Saving Zasha for students under 5th grade.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 13, 2011
In 1945 Russia, dogs are rare--because of the war, many died from starvation or in battle. This is why 13-year-old Mikhail is shocked to one day find an injured man with a German Shepherd in the woods near his home.
Mikhail's family did all they could for the man, but he dies, leaving behind his dog whose name, they learned, is Zasha. Zasha is such a good dog that they decide to keep her, although it will be dangerous for them because some might view them as traitors for having a German dog (the Russians hated all things German during the war, and, even though the war is over, many people continue to feel that way). They must do all they can to keep Zasha safe from those who might do her harm or try to kidnap her--especially since they find out that she is expecting puppies!
Readers will appreciate Mikhail's love for Zasha--along with the trying times he and his family experience in post-war Russia. Those who enjoyed this book about dogs and World War II might also enjoy Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury.
Mikhail's family did all they could for the man, but he dies, leaving behind his dog whose name, they learned, is Zasha. Zasha is such a good dog that they decide to keep her, although it will be dangerous for them because some might view them as traitors for having a German dog (the Russians hated all things German during the war, and, even though the war is over, many people continue to feel that way). They must do all they can to keep Zasha safe from those who might do her harm or try to kidnap her--especially since they find out that she is expecting puppies!
Readers will appreciate Mikhail's love for Zasha--along with the trying times he and his family experience in post-war Russia. Those who enjoyed this book about dogs and World War II might also enjoy Eyes of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury.
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