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Parents' Guide to

You Don't Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine

By Mary Krawczyk, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Engaging account of brave tween's wartime experiences.

Book Yeva Skalietska Autobiography 2022
A dove-like bird carries a flower in its beak; petals from the flower are falling down along the book's title.

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What's the Story?

In YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WAR IS: THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL FROM UKRAINE, Yeva is typical tween celebrating her 12th birthday with cake, gifts, and a bowling party at the mall with friends. Yeva lives with her grandmother in Kharkiv where she enjoys school and hanging out with her friends. Ten days after her birthday, the war in Ukraine begins and life completely changes. Yeva writes about her experiences over a period of three months, from the first days of sheltering in the basement to escaping to a family friend's house outside of Kharkiv, to fleeing to Dnipro and beyond. Yeva describes hearing explosions and machine gun fire and seeing missiles and tanks. She sees and grieves the destruction of her beautiful city. She misses the friends, teachers, and neighbors she's been separated from. At the same time, friends and strangers help each other as they seek shelter, food, and safety. Yeva and her grandmother make it to western Ukraine. There they meet a British television news crew who film them and help them travel even farther to a new life they never imagined. The book also includes a map of Ukraine, photographs of Yeva, and a glossary of Ukranian words and other unfamiliar terms.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This is a simply told and important story about current events, giving the war in Ukraine a name and a face. In You Don't Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine, Yeva is an engaging narrator. Through a child's eyes, she witnesses the horrors of war and also the courage and perseverance of the Ukranian people. Young readers will relate to Yeva, a tween who texts her friends, takes piano lessons, and cherishes her favorite stuffed animal (a pink cat). Readers will learn about courage and perseverance as they follow Yeva's journey to safety with her grandmother.

Although this slim book is not graphic, Yeva describes her intense feelings of fear and panic as she constantly hears bombs and explosions during the first days of the war. She also refers to her sadness as Kharkiv is destroyed and she is separated from her home and friends. However, the book ends with positivity and hope. Yeva's gratitude and curiosity shine through as travels to different places and starts a new life.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the war in You Don't Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine. Have you heard about the war in Ukraine on the news? Did reading Yeva's diary make you think about the war in a different way? Why?

  • Yeva and her grandmother meet a British news crew in Dnipro. The news crew interviews Yeva multiple times. How does meeting the news crew change Yeva and her grandmother's experiences and plans?

  • Yeva mentions often that she misses friends, school, home, and her life in Kharkiv. How do you think it would feel to have to leave your city or town suddenly? What would you miss the most?

  • Yeva and her school friends are spread across Ukraine and throughout Europe. How have they demonstrated courage and perseverance? Why are these important character strengths?

Book Details

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