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$42.83
Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters: A Graphic Memoirâ
$42.83
The Story
Strong-willed Genya sets her mind to attending art school in 1980s Ukraine, amidst the turmoil of Soviet control, the Cold War, and the unfolding Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Genya--the nickname of the book's author and story's protagonist, Yevgenia--knows from age five that she wants to be an artist. When she turns eleven, she'll apply to the same prestigious art school that her mother attended. But making the cut won't be easy, especially with the school's open-secret rule that no more than 1% of the student body can be Jewish. The years before Genya's eleventh birthday bring plenty to distract her. Nothing in Soviet Ukraine is quite as it seems; adults mock the government, but only in private; and her classmates are terrified of American bomb strikes. And that's all before April 26, 1986, when Genya's police officer neighbor gets called to an emergency in a town she's never heard of: Chernobyl. A graphic memoir account of creator Yevgenia Nayberg's childhood, Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters is both deeply personal and a glimpse into broader Soviet intelligentsia experiences. Young readers curious about life elsewhere, particularly in the face of disaster, will find ample details to devour, while those dreaming of a creative life will take inspiration from Genya's perseverance. Salient and yet often slyly funny, this is a must-read for any graphic memoir fan.
Author: Yevgenia Nayberg
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Published: 04/14/2026
Pages: 144
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 10.10h x 7.20w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780823460588
Audience: Ages 9-12
Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/19/2026
Booklist 02/01/2026
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2026
Foreword 02/27/2026
School Library Journal 11/01/2025 pg. 110
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2026
About the Author
Yevgenia Nayberg is an award-winning illustrator, painter, and set and costume designer. She has received multiple awards for her picture book illustrations, including a Sydney Taylor Honor and two notable recognitions. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books A Party for Florine, Anya's Secret Society, Typewriter, Mona Lisa In New York, and I Hate Borsch!, and the illustrator of Drop by Drop by Jacqueline Jules, among other collaborations. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, she now lives in New York City.
Author: Yevgenia Nayberg
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Published: 04/14/2026
Pages: 144
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 10.10h x 7.20w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780823460588
Audience: Ages 9-12
Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/19/2026
Booklist 02/01/2026
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2026
Foreword 02/27/2026
School Library Journal 11/01/2025 pg. 110
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2026
About the Author
Yevgenia Nayberg is an award-winning illustrator, painter, and set and costume designer. She has received multiple awards for her picture book illustrations, including a Sydney Taylor Honor and two notable recognitions. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books A Party for Florine, Anya's Secret Society, Typewriter, Mona Lisa In New York, and I Hate Borsch!, and the illustrator of Drop by Drop by Jacqueline Jules, among other collaborations. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, she now lives in New York City.
Description
Strong-willed Genya sets her mind to attending art school in 1980s Ukraine, amidst the turmoil of Soviet control, the Cold War, and the unfolding Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Genya--the nickname of the book's author and story's protagonist, Yevgenia--knows from age five that she wants to be an artist. When she turns eleven, she'll apply to the same prestigious art school that her mother attended. But making the cut won't be easy, especially with the school's open-secret rule that no more than 1% of the student body can be Jewish. The years before Genya's eleventh birthday bring plenty to distract her. Nothing in Soviet Ukraine is quite as it seems; adults mock the government, but only in private; and her classmates are terrified of American bomb strikes. And that's all before April 26, 1986, when Genya's police officer neighbor gets called to an emergency in a town she's never heard of: Chernobyl. A graphic memoir account of creator Yevgenia Nayberg's childhood, Chernobyl, Life, and Other Disasters is both deeply personal and a glimpse into broader Soviet intelligentsia experiences. Young readers curious about life elsewhere, particularly in the face of disaster, will find ample details to devour, while those dreaming of a creative life will take inspiration from Genya's perseverance. Salient and yet often slyly funny, this is a must-read for any graphic memoir fan.
Author: Yevgenia Nayberg
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Published: 04/14/2026
Pages: 144
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 10.10h x 7.20w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780823460588
Audience: Ages 9-12
Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/19/2026
Booklist 02/01/2026
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2026
Foreword 02/27/2026
School Library Journal 11/01/2025 pg. 110
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2026
About the Author
Yevgenia Nayberg is an award-winning illustrator, painter, and set and costume designer. She has received multiple awards for her picture book illustrations, including a Sydney Taylor Honor and two notable recognitions. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books A Party for Florine, Anya's Secret Society, Typewriter, Mona Lisa In New York, and I Hate Borsch!, and the illustrator of Drop by Drop by Jacqueline Jules, among other collaborations. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, she now lives in New York City.
Author: Yevgenia Nayberg
Publisher: Neal Porter Books
Published: 04/14/2026
Pages: 144
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.30lbs
Size: 10.10h x 7.20w x 0.70d
ISBN: 9780823460588
Audience: Ages 9-12
Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/19/2026
Booklist 02/01/2026
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 03/01/2026
Foreword 02/27/2026
School Library Journal 11/01/2025 pg. 110
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/2026
About the Author
Yevgenia Nayberg is an award-winning illustrator, painter, and set and costume designer. She has received multiple awards for her picture book illustrations, including a Sydney Taylor Honor and two notable recognitions. She is the author and illustrator of the picture books A Party for Florine, Anya's Secret Society, Typewriter, Mona Lisa In New York, and I Hate Borsch!, and the illustrator of Drop by Drop by Jacqueline Jules, among other collaborations. Born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine, she now lives in New York City.
