Burying the Sun

St. Petersburg #3

by Gloria Whelan

Too young for the army, one boy takes saving the city into his own hands. The Russian city of Leningrad is darkening with winter and war, and Georgi's family prepares for the worst. His sister, Marya, packs up the great artwork at the Hermitage museum for safekeeping, and their mother tends to the wounded soldiers. But at fourteen years old, Georgi is too young to join the army, and he wonders how he can possibly help his friends and family. As the city slowly starves from lack of food and hope, Georgi knows he can help his people survive, but he must face dangers as real as the battles on the front lines.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Russia, Young Adult, School, Middle Grade, Childrens, World War II

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2004

About the author

Gloria Whelan is the best-selling author of many novels for young readers, including Homeless Bird, winner of the National Book Award; Fruitlands: Louisa May Alcott Made Perfect; Angel on the Square and its companion, The Impossible Journey; Once on This Island, winner of the Great Lakes Book Award; Farewell to the Island; and Return to the Island. She lives with her husband, Joseph, in the woods of northern Michigan.

Reviews

[Madeline Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books were a little bit below my reading level when I read them, but I still liked them. Reading this series is a great way to learn about the last days of the Czars and the takeover of the communists in Russia.

[Lonette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the whole series. Great for getting an overall view of Russian political history/transitions over 1900s. Interesting story too.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pre-read this as as it’s an independent reader in my daughter’s curriculum. Details Russia’s involvement in Word War II and the struggles in Leningrad/St Petersburg as the Germans approached. Reading level is not too difficult, but subject matter is heavy, with lots of death and suffering. The story also ends quite abruptly. A good story though for middle-grade readers for a setting not often appearing in children’s literature.

[Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a heartbreaking time in history. I can't fathom the hellish things these people endured throughout the siege of Leningrad and the duration of the war. This was a gentle fictional account which incorporated many true events and real historical people; it got me interested in reading and researching more on this topic.

[Ava · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for school, but it didn’t even feel like a school book. I really enjoyed it although it was very sad in certain parts.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It is one of those war stories that always sticks with you, and gives you a fresh perspective when it is hard to see the blessings in life. Definitely one I will re-read someday.
Recommended for those who like light romance, war stories, and tales that have themes of family and tradition.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the St. Petersburg Quartet depicts the horror of the 900 day siege of Leningrad.

Rich in historical detail, haunting in imagery, the tale of Georgi and Marya continues. Previously they traveled to Siberia to locate their parents.

Now residing in Leningrad, the characters witness a once proud and beautiful city nearly destroyed as unremittingly the Germans close all ports of exit and bomb and starve the Russia citizens.

Too young to join the Army, Georgi assists in whatever way he can. Before the city was totally surrounded, his sister helped to transport priceless art work from the Hermitage out of the country where it could be saved for future generations. Their mother works as a nurse ministering to Russian soldiers and citizens.

Cut off from sources of supply, the citizens are starving and freezing to death. Despite all odds, a tenacious, strong and determined city held out and did not let the city of Leningrad fall to the hands of the Germans.

A ray of hope occurred when a supply route was found using the frozen Lake of Lagoda to transport food into Leningrad.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=h......

While statistics show that the city needed 1,000 tons of food to survive, those who were able to bravely risk their lives transporting food in the bitter cold and travel via unreliable and unsafe frozen ice were able to miraculously bring 33 tons of desperately needed nourishment to Leningrad. The author uses the character of Georgi as one of the brave transporters to reflect this heroic mission.

The siege of Leningrad occurred from September of 1941 until 1944. History estimates that 650,000 Russians died. Sadly, an entire generation of children who survived grew up fatherless.



For further information regarding the Siege of Leningrad, I highly recommend The 900 Days: The Siege of Leningrad by Harrison E. Salisbury

[Naomi Kenorak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third book in Whelan's series was my favorite, though not suitable for young kids. The younger brother in the Impossible Journey is now 14 years old and living with his family in Leningrad, which is under siege by the Germans in World War II. I have read about this time period before, but none of the other accounts really carried home to me the strength of the Russian spirit in the face of the crushing conditions of the siege. Whelan does not spare the reader from the horrors of impending starvation, the sight of corpses piling up on the streets, or the constant threat of bombs blowing people to bits. But it is the amazing determination and spirit of the people that will really stick with you. The book does such a great job in showing what the Russian people have survived and triumphed over in their recent history.

[Dawn Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whelan's character development is thinner in this book than the others I have read, but I still give it a thumbs-up for its vivid description of the siege of Leningrad, from the perspective of a teenage boy who lives through it.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in the series that starts with Angel on the Square. I highly recommend these books.

[Meredith Henning · Rating 3 out of 5]

Violet's reading page: http://happyheartsmom.typepad.com/swe...

[Layla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Burying the Sun was very historical, kind of depressing but the best book I have read in ages. It is about a boy who wants to go to war but is too young. So instead he decides to get food for everyone. With his mother as a nurse and his sister guarding paintings and art he feels as though his job is not important. When his mom and sister come home it is his 16th birthday and they have soup and rusks. The ending drove me NUTS it was so short and simple and made me want to read EVERY SINGLE RUSSIAN BOOK EVER! To find out what happened to this kid. You have to read the ending yourself though or you would be mad because I gave away the ending and spoiled the whole book for you. This book deserves 5 stars.

[Kathy Bowman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the first two books in this series to my 10 & 7 year old. I think this one I will hand over to my 10yo, but it's probably too old for my 7yo. Whelan does a great job describing the long siege of Leningrad during WWII. I'm not sure Georgi changes much throughout the story, but the descriptions of the siege, of starvation, desperation and hope are well done. One thing I like about Whelan is that she is very good about describing hard situations very matter-of-factly; she doesn't shield you from the horrible, but she does it in such a way that is bearable for young children to grasp.

[Heather Haupt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series so much. This one took us right into the heart of St. Petersburg/Leningrad and the events around World War 2. It gave a peak into the culture from a teens perspective in a way that a textbook simply cannot.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something felt off about the writing/narration in this book. Georgi wasn't as compelling a main character as Katya or Marya. The ending was also way too abrupt.

Last line:

The next day I joined the Russian army.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burying The Sun earns a 4.5 star rating. It was depressing and sad in some parts to read. Though with all the bombing there was still hope in the characters’ hearts. I want to read the 1st, 2nd, and 4th book in the series, because I liked this book a lot.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Theoretically this should have been the book of the series that captivated me the most, as it’s the one directly within WWII, but I found it strangely less captivating than the other two. Still good. Just my least favorite so far.

[Amy T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This third book in the Angel on the Square trilogy covers the German seige of Leningrad during WWII. The actual narrative was a little dry, but Whelan still did a good job explaining what it would be like to live through this horrific time in history.

[Danielle Hardy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a wonderful book for young readers about Russia. It was the third in the series, and they have all been so good. The books really give a good sense of this time in Russia and the tribulations its people endured.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't as good as the first two but I still enjoyed it.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid book in the St. Petersburg quartet. A bit grim, tbh, but engaging and really painted a picture of what the siege of Leningrad was like. Solid historical novel, esp for (older) kids.

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book but the ending was so abrupt! I wanted more of the story! There definitely could have (and should have, IMO) been a book between this one and the next one in the series.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story about Russia. I think you will love this story if you like reading historical fiction and/or realistic fiction.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that matters--see http://www.eatreadandbemommy.com/2021... for details.

[Deirdre Dunston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it

Ar first I wasn't a huge fan but as I went through I felt that I was becoming more attached to the characters

[Catie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgi and his family and friends endure the trials and tribulations of the siege of Leningrad during WWII. Desperation is held in tension with hope as the people do al they can to survive.

[Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Leningrad. War. every day people

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an amazing read! I’m going to be sad when I finish this series. Gloria Whelan is one of my favorite storytellers! I don’t think it matters how old you are to enjoy and love her books

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This middle grade historical novel succeeds in bringing to life the overwhelming suffering and starvation that the citizens of 1940s Leningrad faced during the German blockade on the city. The setting is bleak, but unencumbered prose and a fairly brisk pace evoke the hardships of the times without being completely overwhelming. Still, I don't know how any people were able to survive this at all. I thought things were possibly looking up at the end of the book, but then in the author's note it says that the blockade went on for another two years! I can't imagine two more years like the one described here, where people were taking apart books to eat the binding paste and then burning them for fuel—not to mention the constant bombing.

I like how this volume continues the stories of the main characters that were in the first two books, and how it touches upon the little things that sustained them, such as the Shostakovich symphony. One of the moments that touched me most was the sustaining joy they experienced from a single flower or a radish popping up out of the soil after a desolate winter. Contrasted against the great difficulties that the characters had faced, this simple occurrence shone forth as such a symbol of poignant hope.

The ending to this book seemed very abrupt, as if there would be a sequel. I wish I knew what happened next! There is another book in this series but it takes place fifty years later.

3.5 stars

[Cookav · Rating 4 out of 5]

Georgi is no longer the little 7 year old boy growing up in Siberia, instead, his family has moved back to Leningrad and he is now a tall, lanky 14 year old. The year is 1941, and life goes on as usual in Russia, but a dark cloud called Nazi Germany is hovering over it. Later that year, the brutal siege of Leningrad will begin and will last for the next 3 years. The story follows Georgi as he does all he can to support his country and becomes mature through one of the major events of St. Petersburg's history.

I found Georgi's story a little difficult to relate to because, of course, he is a teenage boy and I am most definitely not :P. I did enjoy the story, even though the book became incredibly depressing around the middle. The lengths that people went to in order to stay alive were horrid and sometimes disgusting, but the way that the war both brought people together and tore them apart was incredibly interesting in character formation.