Ukraine, war, Russia, refugee, non-fiction, diary, recount, true story, Dublin, Ireland
You Don't Know What War Is
by Yeva Skalietska
Key information
Author: Yeva Skalietska
Illustrator: -
Release Date: 25th October 2022
Star rating: ★★★★★
Book type: Chapter (diary), 240 pages, paperback
Reader level: Confident reader (content 9+)
Age: 9+
Overview
This is the gripping and moving diary of young Ukrainian refugee Yeva Skalietska. It follows twelve days in Ukraine that changed 12-year-old Yeva's life forever. She was woken in the early hours to the terrifying sounds of shelling. Russia had invaded Ukraine, and her beloved Kharkiv home was no longer the safe haven it should have been. It was while she was forced to seek shelter in a damp, cramped basement that Yeva decided to write down her story. And it is a story the world needs to hear.
Yeva captured the nation's heart when she was featured on Channel 4 News with her granny as they fled Ukraine for Dublin. In You Don't Know What War Is, Yeva records what is happening hour-by-hour as she seeks safety and travels from Kharkiv to Dublin. Each eye-opening diary entry is supplemented by personal photographs, excerpts of messages between Yeva and her friends and daily headlines from around the world, while three beautifully detailed maps (by Kharkiv-native Olga Shtonda) help the reader track Yeva and her granny's journey. You Don't Know What War Is is a powerful insight into what conflict is like through the eyes of a child and an essential read for adults and older children alike.
Key themes/concepts
- War
- Refugee
- Fleeing
- Diary entry
- True story
- Ukraine War
Key considerations
- War
- Violence
- Death
- Bombing
- Refugee
- Grief
- Trauma
Curriculum links
Current affairs: Ukraine war
Geography - Ukraine, Russia
PSHE - War, Rights, Refugee, United Nations
Additional teaching opportunities
1. Writing
- Diary entry
- Recount
- Newspaper article
- Speech
- Formal and informal writing styles (compare young author to older)
2. Geography
- Explore Ukraine
- Ukraine and Russia on the world map
- Map out journey taken by Yeva
- Ireland/Dublin
Vocabulary
| Tier 2 | Tier 3 |
|---|---|
| Kharkiv, Kiev, Ukraine, Russia, invasion, refugee |
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