Standoff: Kidnapped from Ukraine by Marsha Forchuk Skrpych

For an authentic and very personal perspective on the war in Ukraine, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch offers a story of Ukrainians from Mariupol and what they saw and felt when the Russians attacked. Can Lit for Little Canadians

When Russia starts the war with Ukraine by bombing the major cities, 12yo Rada and her Dad are separated from Rada’s twin Dariia and their Mom. While Rada and Dad make it to the safety of the Azovstal steel plant, Rada huddles in a bunker while Dad is off fighting for Ukraine’s freedom.  As bombing continues for months, life in the bunker goes from desperate to dire.  Rada has formed a family of sorts, but she won’t find happiness until she can find Dariia and Mom and a new life. (source)

Bookseller blurb: Twelve-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova couldn't be more different. Dariia is outgoing and chatty while Rada is quieter and artsy. But what they have in common is their love for each other and their home. The family lives in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is attacked by the Russians on Feb 24th, 2022. The attack separates the family-Dariia is with her mum and Rada with her dad. Rada and her father navigate the treacherous journey from shelter to shelter as they make their way to the Azovstal plant so that her father can fight in the resistance. Meanwhile, Rada is still trying to get in contact with her sister and mother. As the war rages and each family member must contend with their own battles, their love for their country and their family keeps them going.

At the recent IBBY Congress in Ottawa I met the Canadian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch and she told me briefly about her books. Here is her web page.  I had not heard of her work but when I returned to Australia I saw a couple of her books in a bookshop and then I discovered this title in a library where I work as a volunteer. It is book two in this series (Kidnapped from Ukraine) but it seems that each book does stand-alone although the Kirkus reviewer says book one is important and that it is a stronger story than this second installment. 

I recommend this series for readers aged 11+ - senior primary up to Grade 8 in high school. Readers who enjoy books about contemporary events, survival stories, and books about younger kids or teenages as heroes will enjoy this series. This book is also an important way to raise awareness about the war in Ukraine.  It is interesting to note the author is now banned for life from Russia.

Standoff is a fairly new book - published by Scholastic Canada in 2026. Here are the first (2025) and third (2026) books:

Bookseller blurb: 12-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova couldn't be more different. Dariia is outgoing and chatty while Rada is a quieter and artsy. But what they have in common is their love for each other and their home. The family lives in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is attacked by the Russians on Feb 24th, 2022.The attack separates the family -- Dariia is with her mom and Radawith her dad. Dariia and her mother are then separated by Russian officials and Dariia is sent to live with a Russian family. As the war rages around them, the sisters and their family must overcome unimaginable hardships. But they will learn how powerful hope is in the face of disaster.

Bookseller blurb: Twelve-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova couldn't be more different. Dariia is outgoing and chatty while Rada is quieter and artsy. But what they have in common is their love for each other and their home. The family lives in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, which is attacked by the Russians on February 24, 2022. The attack separates the family-Dariia is with their mum and Rada with their dad. After separate struggles, the sisters have finally found their way back to each other. Though the siege has changed them, their love for their country and their family has remained the same. But their father is still somewhere out there, and they won't rest until they're all reunited.