Standoff (Kidnapped From Ukraine #2) [Paperback]

This gripping, accessible novel by celebrated Ukrainian Canadian author Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch follows two sisters as they struggle to survive the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

12-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova couldnt 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 mom 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.

Praise forStandoff(Kidnapped From Ukraine #2):

* Rada's indomitable spirit, her refusal to give in to despair in the face of outrageous cruelty, shows readers how heroism takes many forms... This second title in the series offers a horrifying look inside the conditions in war-torn Ukraine while also inspiring hope for heroes and survivors... Purchase for all middle grade shelves. --School Library Journal, starred review

Praise forUnder Attack(Kidnapped From Ukraine #1):

* Gut-punching: This is essential reading. --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise forWinterkill:

Unflinching...Skrypuch handles difficult themes with intelligence and honesty...couldnt be timelier today. --The New York Times Book Review

In a timely, hard-hitting novel, Forchuk portrays the manufactured famine Holodomor that Stalinists inflicted on Soviet Ukrainiló1