Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Finalist: THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE by Eugene Yelchin
Introduced by Heavy Medal Award Committee member Dawn Dvorak
THE GENIUS UNDER THE TABLE by Eugene Yelchin (2012 Newbery Honor Winner) tells the story of young Eugene (then, Yevgeny) and his family’s life in Russia during the Cold War. Their life is difficult. They are crammed together in one room, and must mind every word they speak, lest the spy in their midst report them to the KGB. The only way to escape this life is to have a talent: for sports, for arts, for something important. Unfortunately, Yevgeny is terrible at every sport, so his forthcoming ballet audition may be his last chance for greatness and ultimately, freedom.
“Talent you have enough for two, Yevgeny. What you need is a little freedom to show it, but they make you sleep under the table.”
P 83
Though his family doesn’t know it yet, Yevgeny shares his secret talent with readers. While his family sleeps, he draws beautiful pictures on the underside of the table with his father’s pencil. These remembered drawings become the illustrations for this autobiography.
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The evocative vignettes that are both humorous and poignant bring Yevgeny’s childhood to life. His carefully crafted descriptions, along with his illustrations, paint a vivid picture of a mundane yet harrowing life. He describes the slowly mounting tension as violence against Jewish people (which Yevgeny and his family are) escalates, the neighborhood spy goes missing, and the impending ballet audition approaches.
Though the stories are specific to the author’s life, many of the themes are universal. Who doesn’t have stories of zany family antics, albeit without spies? Whose parents don’t wish for a better and easier life for their children? And who doesn’t search for a passion in life to keep the doldrums away? Even if it’s as simple as doodling quietly in a secret place with a stolen pencil.
Heavy Medal Award Committee members and others are now invited to discuss this book further in the Comments section below. Please start with positive observations first; stick to positives until at least three comments have been posted or we reach 1:00 pm EST. Let the Mock Newbery discussion begin!:
Filed under: Book Discussion, Heavy Medal Mock
About Steven Engelfried
Steven Engelfried retired from full-time library work a couple years ago and now works as a part-time Youth Librarian at the West Linn Public Library in Oregon. He served on the 2010 Newbery committee, chaired the 2013 Newbery Committee, and also served on the 2002 Caldecott committee. You can reach him at sengelfried@yahoo.com.
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Aryssa Damron says
I was really surprised by this one–how much I felt like I was in this moment with him, even as someone kind of “over” Cold War memoirs. Calling it “mundane but harrowing” is perfect–I’m glad we’ve reached a point where these stories are being told, and by someone with such a heart for storytelling.
Louie Lauer says
Aryssa,
I went from reading Fallout to reading Genius Under the Table and loved how each of these stories offered a little different perspective. I felt like a started with a really great overview and then dove into one particular viewpoint. Even decades after the Iron Curtain fell, I still feel there is so much I don’t know about life behind the Curtain that books like this offer a much needed peak. A fascinating story told by a master storyteller and illustrator.
Lisa Levin says
I agree Aryssa. I am such a lover of historical fiction and this memoir certainly caught my attention. It is another book that my students are really loving, and I didn’t think that would be the case. The specifics of what it was like to live through the Cold War told through the eyes of a young Eugene is compelling. The humor is great and I enjoyed the illustrations. I didn’t love Yelchin’s 2012 Newbery Honor (Under Stalin’s Nose) but what he writes about is so important. But Genius Under the Table I couldn’t put down.
Emily Joan Smith says
Lisa, I’m glad to hear that your students are loving this one. I haven’t gotten it to catch on just yet, but I’m hoping that Fallout will create an interest in the Cold War so this one will make a (substantially lighter-hearted!) follow up.
To me, this book’s greatest strengths is its humor, which is the lens through which Yelchin delineates memorable characters and such vivid setting. No matter how bleak the era in history, kids are kids, right?
Leonard Kim says
Lisa, how old are the students that are loving this book? I don’t doubt kids are more sophisticated now compared to when I was their age, but I feel the age suggested by the “look” of the book doesn’t quite match up with the age that might really appreciate it. If I turn to a random page (page 55 it turns out) I think elementary school me would not have cottoned on to the humor in the teacher’s statements like, “Drawing correctly teaches us to live by the rules. Discover the joy of living in our beloved country,” and “You don’t have to worry about talent, Yelchin.” I am trying to remember how old I was before I would’ve understood the second statement really means “you don’t have talent” and that’s funny and not just cruel. And I think I might not have appreciated until I was a teenager that the first statement is at once a sincere statement by the character and an ironic, excoriating one by the author. Maybe I was relatively literal as a child, but I think the humor we are rightfully praising might not necessarily be pitched (i.e., excellently presented) to a child audience.
Lisa Levin says
Leonrd, My 5th and 6th graders are enjoying this book. Granted it is my students that are more non-fiction and historical fiction readers.
Louie Lauer says
Leonard, I am also using this right now with a group of 5th graders and they seem to enjoying it so far. Although not interesting to all 5th graders, I think this could be a right fit for a 5th grader. Most of the reviewing sources say 5th-8th, which I think feels appropriate.
Rox Anne Close says
Yelchin easily invites the reader in with his casual delivery, and his mix of humor and irony, then suddenly there are jarring reminders of the oppression Yevgeny experienced living in the USSR. I laughed at Yevgeny’s visit to Lenin’s tomb and the observation of the bandage on his mummy. I was grossed out with the Juicy Fruit gum he shared with his brother, and I thought the afternoon that Grandma, Victor and Yevgeny listened to American Rock & Roll records illegally was hilarious. Then I was jarred by the the hardships of his family’s daily life, the KGB spy in the kitchen, moving the furniture at night, the heads cut out of family photos, and Blinov showing up at the ballet. These powerful insights and dark humor kept me engaged.
The characters are well developed with mom obsessed with Baryshnikov, dad obsessed with Russian poets, Victor with ice skating, Grandma with her intense love for Yevgeny and her sarcastic humor, and Yevgeny trying to find his talent.
Yelchin uses illustrations to help tell the story, but the words are vivid enough without the pictures to show Yevgeny’s struggle to find his talent. This book is definitely one that I moved to the top of my pile to win the Newbery.
Stephanie Saggione says
The humor in this book makes it accessible to kids growing up here in the United States. Although hard to believe, the events that he described happening under Communist rule would interest and shock young readers. It would generate questions and conversations in families and classrooms. I thought the cover looked “old” which might deter some readers.
Andrea Tyler says
I loved this book and would give it to any child who enjoys reading historical fiction. I think Yelchin does a great job bringing out the perspective of a child living behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. This is a part of history that does not often get studied in depth and the humor and illustrations within the book is a great way to introduce the subject with kids.
Beyond the historical aspect, this book will appeal to those who are still trying to find what makes themselves unique. It’s a universal challenge every child deals with at some point in their lives, no matter where they live or what time period they live in.
Amanda E Bishop says
I think Yelchin excels in including so much humor in this book and really brings to life what it was like to live in the USSR as a child. He managed to write about the many people who impacted his life in such a unique way. I really felt as if I was growing up along with young Yevgeny and experiencing the anxieties that he felt by not having a “thing” that he excelled in. I think so many kids will connect with this feeling.
While I did enjoy this book, it was not a book that truly loved. Yes it was humorous and a great memoir, but for me there was something lacking that keeps it from standing out. I will admit that I haven’t read anything else by Yelchin so that might be what is holding me back from being able to reflect on his childhood and how it influenced his writing and illustrating career.
Emily Mroczek-Bayci says
Hi Amanda, I’m going thru all the comments again and wondering if you were able to determine any more specifics about what was lacking in this title? I haven’t read much by Eugene Yelchin either but still found myself really drawn to his characters (and the parents I thought were really realistically done). I thought the characters were the strongest part, showing their mixed emotions about themselves and their country and the desire to be talented at something and being scared of the government, I thought the balance of such difficult emotions was phenomenal.
Dawn says
I really liked this! There don’t seem to be a lot of memoirs aimed at kids. The other popular memoirs I can think of are adult/ya memoirs rewritten for a kid audience (Trevor Noah, Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai).
For me, this was strong on all of the criteria: plot, characters, setting, interpretation, etc. I love the illustrations, since they are recreations of what he actually drew underneath the table. I also think it can be read quickly for plot and be very enjoyable, or be read with a heavier focus on themes and interpretation. I appreciate books that can be enjoyed on multiple levels.
Louie Lauer says
Although I think that the delineation of setting is also especially strong with Genius, I think that it is Yelchin’s style that makes this book such a readable and unique memoir for kids. It was hard for me consider purchasing a Cold War memoir for my elementary collection until I actually saw it. The combination of illustration and text help to maintain a lighter tone overall, and provides students some supports in taking in the information. The layout of each page draws the reader the through, often times intermixing graphics with text. And the humor! The infusion of the humor throughout helps lighten a topic that could otherwise be considered too heavy for young readers. I am always on the lookout for memoirs written for young readers and this one is top notch.
Tamara DePasquale says
The Genius Under the Table is an extraordinary window into a time and place that few of us can identify with. Yet, Yelchin’s keen ability to connect with and communicate through his boyhood self is key to this title’s success. Yevgeny’s (young Yelchin) voice is wildly authentic – innocent, mischievous, funny, and at times heartbreakingly honest. The reader meets a young boy who struggles to understand his worth, his place in the family as well as his place in a very confusing world. This is universal, and this is what draws the reader in. From the moment we meet Yevgeny, we are routing for him.
Make no mistake, this is a grim childhood with very real and frightening images, but the harsh realities of growing up in the Soviet Union during the Cold War are also framed in moments of kindness, love, and humor – all so appropriate for the targeted audience. What a monumental feat it is to tell this story in a way that remains hopeful to the end.
Emily Mroczek-Bayci says
I find myself comparing this title to FALLOUT for obvious reasons and GENIUS soars above for me. I am really impressed with how Yelchin captures the characters thoughts and feelings and the climate of times in the Soviet Union– how quickly someone can move from grace to disgrace, how people are scared to have opinions, how important it is to have a talent… The tone is humorous like everyone says but it excellently portrays the harsh realities of the situation– (the setting of the crowded apartment and having to write under the table), the themes of family and loyalty and perfection, the characterization of Eugene and his family members and even the ballet dancer and the spy, .. This title truly shines