Celebrate Ukrainian Heritage Month with award-winning children’s book writer, Marsha Skrypuch. Learn how art can be used to discuss the refugee experience and discover the power of storytelling.
Educators in Richmond Hill can register their classes by calling 905-884-9288 ext. 5029. For more information, go here.
This program will be done through Zoom, a free video conferencing software for tablets, smartphones and computers. Access instructions will be sent to those who register.
A reader sent me a Facebook message because she thought I’d be interested in a new Port Dover restaurant called Lviv Castle at 201 Main Street that just opened up. The restaurant is run by Ukrainian refugees. The menu is mostly roadhouse but they recently added a nice selection of Ukrainian dishes. I went there yesterday with my husband and sister and we liked it so much that we went back again tonight with friends. Never have I ever gone to the same restaurant two nights in a row! If you love Ukrainian food and you’d like to support new hardworking arrivals from Ukraine, do drop in to Lviv Castle. I told Tatiana about how we found out about the restaurant and how what I write about in my books is now being enacted again by Putin. I happened to have ARCs (advance reader copies) of two of my books in the car, so I signed them and gave them to Tatiana. Not only did we have a wonderful visit with our friends, we had great food and good conversation with Tatiana. And my husband got to use his Ukrainian, which he spoke before he ever spoke English.
Originally from Ukraine, Maria and her older sister Krystia have made it through separate ordeals during World War II and are now back together again. They cannot believe their luck: Hitler is dead, and the war has ended.
And yet, they are not as safe as they thought. As the sisters settle into their shared bunk with other exhausted refugees in the Displaced Persons camp, a familiar girl steps through the door, claiming to be Bianka, a Polish forced laborer who worked on a farm with Maria during the war.
Maria is outraged. This girl is not Bianka, but Sophie Huber, an enthusiastic member of the League of German Girls. She’s a Hitler Girl.
Before Maria can turn her in, Sophie claims that Krystia and Maria are Nazis, and the Soviet soldiers don’t seem to be terribly particular about whom they’re taking. The girls are taken away, now in a danger they never imagined. Will they be able to prove their innocence?
Reviews
★ “This is ultimately a story of the strength of the human spirit. Krystia and Maria are survivors, and they never give up, drawing strength from remembering their parents’ belief in them as they struggle to stay alive. Gripping, harsh, and superbly written.” – KIRKUS, starred review
“The Ukrainian-Canadian author has based her story on family members who gave their lives to free Ukraine from tyrannies of the right and left in the 1940s. Told from the alternating points of view of Krystia and Maria, this novel for older middle grade is well-paced, with an economy of description that conveys setting without slowing down the action.” – HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY
“A sophisticated approach to storytelling … Nuanced … Morality and the intricacies of geo-politics are among the themes in this fast-moving suspense novel which will have young readers racing through it to find out if, with all odds against them, the sisters can escape their captors. The novel is a good example of what some people call ‘edu-tainment,’ teaching important lessons and at the same time entertaining restless young readers.” – SAN DIEGO JEWISH WORLD
“Powerful, heart-wrenching historical fiction that takes place right after WWII. Heart-pounding action as the sisters learn that they need to rely on each other in order to survive being held by Soviet troops. A very satisfying addition to other Scholastic books in the Making Bombs for Hitler trilogy.” – YOUNG ADULT BOOKS CENTRAL
“Skrypuch has a talent for middle-grade writing. Her ability to set a scene and create tension is admirable, and it makes for exciting reading. Traitors Among Us is a high-stakes look at the ‘after’ part of World War II … Traitors Among Us is a fast-paced read that will appeal to a wide cross section of readers.” – CRACKING THE COVER
“A fascinating read … A harrowing tale of the often overlooked war refugees that were stuck in Soviet areas … A must-read for children who wish to learn more about the people who were focused on putting their lives back together post-WWII.” – THIS BLISS LIFE
From The Children’s War review: I started Traitors Among Us one evening and sat up until about 3:30 AM reading to the end, because I couldn’t put it down and needed to know what Krystia and Maria’s fate was going to be.
From CanlitforlittleCanadians, Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch [is] a master storyteller … [who] takes us to those war-torn countries to travel with the girls as they walk dusty roads with thousands of refugees, toil on farms, hide from dangerous people, and find and offer support, even as they endure hunger, cold, fear and uncertainty. Every atmospheric scene is one of edge-of-your-seat nerves, worry that the next ally they make may not be one, shock at executions witnessed, and solace from a sisterly bond and fleeting memories of home.
“Traitors Among Us” is exciting and easy to read. The moral decisions the girls face are interesting enough that adults can also enjoy the book. This excellent novel is a great choice for parent/child discussion groups. Off the Shelf, Rabbi Rachel Esserman
Lida thought she was safe. Her neighbors wearing the yellow star were all taken away, but Lida is not Jewish. She will be fine, won’t she?
But she cannot escape the horrors of World War II.
Lida’s parents are ripped away from her and she is separated from her beloved sister, Larissa. The Nazis take Lida to a brutal work camp, where she and other Ukrainian children are forced into backbreaking labor. Starving and terrified, Lida bonds with her fellow prisoners, but none of them know if they’ll live to see tomorrow.
When Lida and her friends are assigned to make bombs for the German army, Lida cannot stand the thought of helping the enemy. Then she has an idea. What if she sabotaged the bombs… and the Nazis? Can she do so without getting caught?
And if she’s freed, will she ever find her sister again?
This pulse-pounding novel of survival, courage, and hope shows us a lesser-known piece of history — and is sure to keep readers captivated until the last page.
Lida thought she was safe. Her neighbors wearing the yellow star were all taken away, but Lida is not Jewish. She will be fine, won’t she?
