This is the kind of book that I don't want to say too much about, aside from the fact that it will break your heart and give you a new awareness of the war in Ukraine and everything that is going on and reading this book has given me a new perspective on what they've been through. Although I will never fully understand what they have seen and lived through, this book is as close as I can come.

Having been fascinated by Anne Frank and her diaries, I knew this would make a good read. A heartbreaking but poignant account of the Russian/Ukraine war told through the eyes of a child. Her life changed forever when her country was invaded and she has shown courage beyond her years. An incredible read.

A book that every young person should read! I have no words to describe how moving and powerful this collection of diary entries is.

This is an important book, as it comes straight from experience and cannot be denied. But Yeva was luckier than so many in that she got out quickly and had help from journalists. I did wonder where her parents were in all this - we know her mother is in Turkey, why couldn't she go there? I found the last part, with the stories of her friends particularly moving.

Little did we think we would read another novel about a 12 year old girl and her expeience of war during our life time .This account tells the incredibly sad story of the days before and during the days of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and her flight to seek safety in Europe. This would be a suitable for your child if they want to understand what their new classmates have experienced and how the war continues to affect the country they love.

This book cannot help but touch your heart strings.

A diary by a twelve year old at the start of the war in Ukraine and how she and her grandma escaped. What is interesting is how they experienced this at ground level, rather than the usual big picture reports that we saw on the news. How this war affected individuals, and in this case, children, is how this book is unique. The stories at the end about her friends experiences are special.

I should say from the start that I think everyone should read this…

‘Until you’ve been there you don’t know what war is..’

How do I review the diary of 12 year old girl who has had to leave her home ..forced out by Russian bombs..A girl with friends and family, soft toys..living a life with birthday parties and school. This isn’t a review it is a testament to the fact that a twelve year could write a diary as she hides in an old gym; is forced to leave her home with her Grandmother; struggles to get the paperwork to escape the terror…is witness to events that we have only viewed on our tv screens, that we can never truly understand…

Yeva’s diary is punctuated by news headlines from each day, with photos and maps and with the messaging that took place on social media between herself and her friends as each of them takes different routes out of their city of Kharkiv..

The little message threads weaving their way through the book remind us of the thread of humanity holding tight to each other; they reinforce the fact that how many lives were devoted; they underline the utter disbelief and terror of the children and families involved..

Yeva writes that ‘On these page, I would share my feelings and it helped me cope.’ Her account is heartbreaking and challenges our comprehension. It is an incredible witness to the human experience of war…

‘I can feel the tension inside me; the stress of the situation is overwhelming..’
‘I can’t stand the word ‘refugee’. I never could.’
‘I’m ashamed to admit I don’t have a home..’

As the title says ‘we don’t know what war is..’ but reading Yeva’s book is such an important part of improving our understanding..

This is a beautiful book; each photo adds to the story of the diary and the illustrated maps are stunning.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for my digital copy of this special book

Yes, another book from Ukraine, but the war hasn't gone away, and this book raises the question everyone seems to ask “what's it like for the children ?” Well, this writer has one answer. Yeva enjoyed her 12th birthday (“almost a teenager!”) on February 14th this year. Ten days later “I was woken suddenly by a a loud metallic sound I thought it was a car being crushed into scrap metal, which would have been weird because I don't live near a scrapyard.”

Twelve-year-old Yeva had a comfortable life in her grandmother's flat in Kharkiv - “a big kitchen filled with Italian furniture our huge tub with massage jets”. When the Russians arrived “I grabbed my diary because I want to start writing things down as they are happening”, so quite an organised near-teenager, then. A teenager, too, with the built-in scepticism of her generation ~ faced with the destruction of its catchment area, her school responds in a kind way … “The school announced a two-week holiday. Yeaaah. Doesn't sound like much of a holiday.”

Where would teenagers be, though, without their phones ? When Yeva and her grandmother move out to the safer western suburbs of Kharkiv, she forgets to pick up her charger (fortunately, her grandmother's friend has a spare) and she comments that two of her classmates stayed up messaging each other until midnight. Later in the book, these message dialogues crop up, telling readers far more about teenagers and the war than the diary itself ~
10.08 :Tolya – “Guys, I'm all good for now. Half my street was hit but they didn't touch us”
“I'm turning off my phone for now, but I might come back later”
13.28: :Myron - “I don't want my computer to get damaged. Where can I put it ?
Yeva - “Hide it in the wardrobe. We will survive, we will break through.”

The war's still there, though - “They're shelling civilians more than they did at the start. Grandad Yosip told us he's been walking around the streets. We're shocked – there's a war going on and he thought he'd just take a stroll !” That's one way of coping: Yeva and her classmates have another ~
15.17 :Polyna – “I'm scared”
Nadiya - “Don't be afraid” … “Do what I do” … “I listen to music”

No amount of music will stop the shelling and the bombing, and Yeva and her grandmother move out of the danger zone, first to the west of Ukraine, then to Budapest (“This is all so European !”) where a chance conversation with a Channel 4 crew opens a rescue channel and the pair find themselves in Ireland. “I turned my phone off flight mode and saw that it was bursting with messages. I wanted to reply to them all, but I wasn't connected to the internet.” Life might be returning to normal, as Yeva answers those messages, but they report the destruction of the family flat in Kharkiv and the refugee journeys of her friends and their families. A day at Dublin Zoo doesn't cancel out the news from home. A trip to Malahide Castle and a local beach helps ~ “The whole place had a smell of freedom” but her diary for the day ends “My family is hiding in a shelter.” No wonder she ends the book with the words “The fewer people who know what war is, the better.”

The thing with books written primarily by children is that there is no hidden symbolism or analysis. They have explanations motivated by their own logic that's governed by their own experience and imagination. Especially in diaries where they express how they feel and what they think in their unsophisticated straightforward manner.

This is true of Yeva Skalietska's book, based on her diary around the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine where she lived with her grandmother. In February 2022 she celebrated her twelfth birthday with a bowling party with photographs to prove it. A couple of weeks later, the bombs arrived. She checked in with her classmates on her mobile 'phone, the messages reproduced on the page, along with photographs and lovely artistic maps to show her journey. Each entry is accompanied by newspaper headlines from around the world putting her diary notes within a wider context of events.

Yeva was one of the lucky ones, having spent less than two weeks in Ukraine. She and her grandmother were able to escape the war zone, how they did so is explained in the book. But life goes on and she became a refugee in a foreign land while her friends and family remained at home. From a child's perspective, this is heartbreaking. She feels ashamed of being a refugee.

A good account of modern conflict that should be available for school children to access. The war isn't over, neither is Yeva's story.

A fascinating and important piece of writing on the lived experience of war and how quickly everything can change. Truly eye opening and heart-breaking.

What a book.

This is 12 year old Yeva's story from the day the war starts.

Moving I cannot imagine how I would feel.

What a powerful & extraordinary insight into how a War especially a dramatic & unexpected one as this impacts the very young . Yeva although only 12 years of age is plunged along with her family & friends & country into the most horrific of all situations because of a megalomaniac who wishes to control & destroy the Ukraine . You realise even more by reading Yeva's words the long term Psychological effects this is going to have on her generation & all those behind her in age for many decades to come . This is a very personal & powerful insight into a situation no one would wish their children should have to deal with & I believe children of all ages in Schools should be encouraged to read this Book & I will be buying it to give my grandchildren .Bravo Yeva ! #NetGalley,#GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram,#Amazon.co.uk , #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

I have kept up to date with news on this war since it started... But to read it from the eyes of a child is horrifying. Even more eye opening than what you see on social media etc
I cannot even comprehend what the author has gone through at such a young age, and I truly believe this is a book that should be read by all youths in school.

This book is a diary - of 12 year old Yeva Skalietska's experiences as Putin invades Ukraine in February 2022, as she and her gran escape their home and travel across Ukraine and into Hungary, and ultimately as Yeva arrives in and starts school in Dublin.

This isn't a very long book and it's an easy book to read in the sense of the language - it's written by a 12-year-old (a very articulate 12-year-old) and would be easily understandable by a teen or tween. Having said that, whilst I think it tells a hugely important story (The Diary of Anne Frank inevitably springs to mind as a comparison) I would think carefully about who I recommend this to. The stories that are told, of the bombing and the destruction of Yeva's home, of the worry for self and for family, for how it is to be displaced made me really think about how privileged people are in the UK. Yes, I think that this book would be a brilliant way to help children understand what war is. I was so pleased at how optimistic Yeva seems to be as she starts her new life in Dublin - despite being away from much of her family and all of her friends. Speaking from experience of young adolescents who are already faced with their own post-covid worries I would, however, be very cautious about how they might take this and how it might add to their own worries. What about as a book for adults? Well, it's definitely written in a child's language and some adults might not find that appealing - but I do think that even so adults could learn a lot from this. I felt I did. I am grateful to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

"Everything that seemed hard or bad in the past, becomes trivial."

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest, independent review.

As soon as the terrifying shelling started in Ukraine in February 2022, 12-year-old Yeva Skalietska grabbed her journal and wrote this gripping, moving diary covering the first few weeks of the war in her country.

As she sheltered in a basement in her hometown of Kharkiv, Yeva wrote down her story so the world could hear it. We follow her hour by hour as she seeks safety and travels with her gran across Ukraine to safety in Hungary, and then Ireland.

The diary entries are heartbreaking yet compelling and include excerpts of messages between young Yeva and her friends. Each day's entry opens with the world's headlines that day, acting as a timeline for readers who only saw the war from the outside.

Detailed maps help the reader visualise Yeva's journey, and the book also contains personal photographs. The book ends with updates from her friends who are mentioned in her diaries; I think it's a great idea we are able to hear their voices too.

Yeva is a brilliant narrator of a terrible situation, teaching the reader all about Ukraine, what its people feel about the terrible situation they have found themselves in, and their fight for freedom and peace. Her writing style is honest, open and brave.

This is a must-read for older children, teenagers and adults alike, who want to understand more about what is currently going on in Ukraine. I read Yeva's diary in one sitting; I could not put it down!

No one should have to experience what Yeva, her grandmother and her friends experienced. I wish Yeva, her family and her friends all the very best and that one day, they can return to their homes in safety and peace.

This is a compelling, unflinching narrative, that I think demonstrates what is like to live through war effortlessly. I mean we all think we know what war is through history lessons and textbooks, but this book paints a harrowing picture of what it truly feels and sounds like. The fact Yeva wrote this amid the war not after she was safe adds to the feelings it evokes.

“Everyone knows the word ‘war’. But very few people understand what it truly means. You might say that it’s horrible and frightening, but you don’t know the true scale of fear it brings. ..Until you’ve been there, you don’t know what war is.” - from Prologue.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Group U.K. Bloomsbury Children’s Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘You Don't Know What War Is:
The Diary of a Young Girl From Ukraine’ by Yeva Skalietska.

This book is a diary written by a young Ukrainian refugee, Yeva Skalietska. Intended for readers eleven and older, it provides a powerful insight into the conflict through the eyes of a child.

In the early hours of 24th February 2022 12-year-old Yeva's life was changed forever as she woke to the terrifying sounds of shelling. Russia had invaded Ukraine and her beloved Kharkiv home was no longer safe.

Yeva and her grandmother sought shelter in a damp, cramped basement. While there Yeva decided to write down her story. She recorded their experiences through the first eight days of the invasion. On the ninth day a team from the U.K.’s Channel 4 News interviewed them and Yeva captured the nation’s heart. Following this the C4 News team then assisted Yeva and her granny to flee Ukraine for Dublin. She continued to record her experiences day by day.

Published in association with the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, it opens with a foreword by ‘War Horse’ author, Michael Morpurgo. Entries are supplemented by personal photographs, excerpts of messages between Yeva and her friends and daily headlines from around the world. There are detailed maps by Kharkiv-native Olga Shtonda to assist the reader to track their journey through Europe to Dublin.

I was deeply moved by Yeva’s powerful, raw account. In terms of younger readers, parents might wish to read alongside them to allow for conversations about the Ukraine invasion and war in a wider context. I would also hope that teachers and librarians, both school and public, will find it a valuable resource.

On a side note, the book’s cover art in the colours of the Ukrainian flag and its national flower is beautiful.

'We can't remember our old dreams anymore, or all the things we thought to be important. We can't recall our old arguments or troubles. All of those past concerns just don't matter. When there's a war going on, you've only got one goal - staying alive.'

'You Don't Know What War Is' is the diary of a twelve-year-old Ukrainian girl who flees her home in Kharkiv during the Russian invasion. On Valentine's Day 2022, Yeva turns 12 and celebrates her birthday by going bowling with her friends. Ten days later, the bombing begins and Yeva and her Granny hide out in the basement of their flat while they try to figure out a way to escape the city. Through the kindness of friends and strangers, they find a place to stay outside of the city, then take the train across Ukraine to the western border where they cross into Hungary and are eventually offered refuge in Dublin.

Yeva is a wonderfully eloquent and optimistic narrator, wise beyond her years, and her diary gives us a fascinating and compelling insight into the unthinkable scenario of having to flee your home to escape war.

"You Don't Know What War Is' is not only suitable, but essential reading for primary and secondary pupils (as well as adults) to create understanding and empathy for the plight of refugees. A timely and important book - highly recommended!

You never really can fully understand situations like the War in Ukraine unless you have lived them - and in this book, we get an unbelievable look into the horrors faced. An astonishing read

So Well written and incredibly moving.
Yeva described her every day life before the war as a typical young girl, the realisation and horror of the war results in panic attacks for her. The constant moving and hiding in basements along with her desire for a home again are heart rendering.
Yeva's commitment to recording events in her diary and her confidence to talk to film crews show a maturity beyond her years.
Although She is finally settled in Ireland she still thinks of her homeland and the people left behind.