You Don't Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska

 

You Don't Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska was another one of the books my school purchased for a language arts unit on memoirs. As it was pretty short and very new, I decided to give it a try and see if our students might like it.

This memoir is the diary of Yeva Skalietska, who was twelve years old and living in Ukraine with her grandmother when the war with Russia began in 2022. The town they lived in, Kharkiv, is very close to the Russian border, so Yeva began to see the impacts of the war immediately. She wrote all about her experiences in her diary, documenting her fear and terror of the falling bombs and her sadness at having to leave her home to find safety. Her and her grandmother end up traveling across Ukraine to Hungary, then to Ireland as refugees. Her diary updates paint an informative and emotional picture for readers of what it is like to really live through, and escape from, a war.

Yeva writes about this journey in a thoughtful way that illuminates the impact of war on children. She focuses only on the danger and terror of the situation and how it upended her life. She does not get into any politics or history at all. Her writing is easy to read for a young audience and remains appropriate for middle grades while still being realistic. The short length makes the memoir accessible to younger readers as well. I think that both adults and kids will appreciate this story. Kids will enjoy reading something real from the perspective of someone their own age, and adults will find the young point of view all the more poignant through their older lens.

Ultimately, I can definitely see myself recommending You Don't Know What War Is to our students once they reach their memoir unit. It is a realistic look at how war affects the lives of children and the fact that it is so modern will make it feel relevant in a way that a lot of older works don't. This is definitely a worthwhile read.

2023 Reading Challenges Tally:

Goodreads Reading Challenge: 20/24

Clear the Shelves 2023: 12/24