Breaking Stalin's Nose

Discuss the effectiveness of the author’s use of satire and the ways this device helps or hinders the delivery of the story’s message to a middle-grade audience.

What significance does the motif of the nose play in the story and in the larger themes of the novel?

How do the actions of Moscow State Security officers at the elementary school in the novel advance Stalinism? Compare and contrast the effect of these actions on individuals versus the general population.