The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion & the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

A book review by Madeline Soucie

The Romanov family rules Russia for 300 years. Tsar Nicholas II was its last. He turned a blind eye to the poverty of his country during its time of need.

    

Empress Alexandra was a shy religious woman believed to rule behind her husband.

    

Their daughters, the Grand Duchesses, were isolated from the world, taught by tutors and had very little interaction outside the palace. They were dependent on their parents.

    

Tsarevich Alexi was the son and heir to the throne of Russia. He was a hemophiliac, which was kept a secret to the world, as he was often sick and bed-ridden.

    

This book tells the tale of the Romanov family, life at the palace and during their rule, and their eventual murder during unrest and the start of a civil war.

Find it in APL TEEN Nonfiction YA DK 258 .F5725 2014

"The President Has Been Shot!": the Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James l. Swanson

A book review by Madeline Soucie

       

Like history or just want a good book? Take a step back a few decades to when Kennedy was president. Read a quick overview of his life and important achievements, learn about his wife and family, and then his presidency. "The President Has Been Shot!" not only gives an overview of Kennedy's life and presidency, but also tells about his assassination and how it was believed to have been carried out. And of course his impact and how the country and his family went on after his untimely death.

    

Using historical information, this book retells the assassination of JFK and how it is believed that his assassin planned out and set in stone his actions. 

Find it in APL TEEN Nonfiction YA E 842.9 .S95 2013