Randi Barrow
Scholastic Press
2011
Randi Barrow’s Saving Zasha mesmerized me with its historical action tale about a German shepherd and a boy who has to save her. It’s a touching story about a connection between a boy and a dog. 13-year-old Mikhail finds a dying man and his dog, Zasha, in the woods. Mikhail and his brother Nikolai have to keep her a secret or else they will kill her. Mikhail and Nikhil are on an adventure to find a lot of hiding places for Zasha so that no one can find out about her.
Barrow uses a lot of descriptive writing in his book but the most specific thing he uses is the way he makes you have a picture in your head like “Zasha turned toward him at the sound of her name. The water boiled in the kettle and mother poured it over the same tea leaves we’d use at breakfast.” This book is for everyone because it’s an adrenalin-rushing, exiting book. I recommend this book to people ages 10 and up because there are some parts that are just overwhelming and mind boggling.
Reviewed by Dustin 7th Grade
