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Kidnapped from Ukraine #3
Still Alive
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 couldn’t 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.
The thrilling conclusion to this trilogy will have readers reaching for tissues on the edge of their seats.
12-year-old twin sisters Rada and Dariia Popkova couldn’t 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.
The thrilling conclusion to this trilogy will have readers reaching for tissues on the edge of their seats.
320 pages, Paperback
Published April 21, 2026
About the author
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
33 books920 followersMarsha Skrypuch is an internationally bestselling children’s author whose books span a century of wars from a kid’s view, concentrating on those stories that have been erased by oppressive regimes. Her best-known book is Making Bombs for Hitler. Her most recent is the Kidnapped from Ukraine trilogy. She has received death threats and honors for her writing. Marsha lives in Brantford, Ontario, Canada and you can visit her online at calla.com
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 25, 2026
My least favorite in the trilogy but it did piece together the rest of the family story. I found that there were too many characters to keep track of. I also was pondering how in 2024 it had been 1000 days of war already and now we are in 2026 and it is still taking place yet it has taken a back burner to all of the craziness in the world. Now Trump is like Putin and Ukraine still fights for the freedom of the West. It made me feel like supporting all of the kids that have gone through this terrible time and I still hope that the conflict will be resolved and that the Ukraine wins against the aggression. Centuries of it. I am also grateful that Skrypuch wrote about this modern tragedy. I am sure many other stories will come out of the war, but this is so relevant for kids today to read and to understand.
May 17, 2026
Public library copy
Rada and her mother are living in a ski village in the Carpathanian mountains after their harrowing experiences after the Russian attack of Ukraine in Under Attack and Rada's twin sister Dariia's journey Standoff. Her mother is working in the spa, and the two have assembled a small community around them that includes Babushka, who is making drones for the Ukranian army, Alina, Viktor, and Mr. Yani. When they hear from Dariia and learn that she is in Russia with a family, they start making plans to rescue her. They reach out to the family's of the children with her, although Genya's family doesn't respond right away, and there is little information about baby Sasha. Since children can only be reclaimed by official guardians, and it isn't safe for Rada's mother to travel alone, it's important to find family members. Rada's father is still missing, and there is little information about him. When temporary housing is constructed in Prytulok, those living in the ski chalet get units, and move to town. Babushka decides to live near a shop where she can work, but the others are fairly close. Rada, whose hair had to be cropped close after she couldn't wash it for months, is relieved to be in her own space with her mother, and appreciates the community that places like Lydia's Kitchen provides as she and her mother try to heal after their experiences. While there is no imminent danger, the stress of trying to get Dariia back, and of not knowing where her father is, still is difficult. Once Genya's family is located, a reporter, Mr. Semeniuk, offers to go in her mother's place with a power of attorney if he can report on the conditions in Russia. This sounds like a great solution, but there is still a war on, and he is injured. There is some brief contact with Dariia, who is being aided by her foster mother's son, Anton. Anton has seen first hand how badly Russia has treated Ukranians, so is willing to stand up to his mother. Will Dariia be able to make it safely back to Rada in Prytulok, and will their father ever be found?
Strengths: My students don't read a newspaper or listen to the news, so many have no idea what is going on in other parts of the world. Books like the Kidnapped from Ukraine series are essential in helping them to understand that the way they live their lives is very priviledged, and to develop a sense of empathy toward other people. Seeing events unfold from two perspectives gives a wider understanding of the various realities of life in Ukraine; Dariia and her father and Rada and her mother have had very different experiences. Shedding some light on the egregious Russian practice of stealing children and having them "adopted" by Russians is good, because I haven't heard much about this even though I do keep up with the news. It's helpful to see that there are moments of happiness and lightness even in the midst of a war, and I particularly liked the scene where Rada works on psyanky for Easter. There are great notes at the back of the book that help the reader understand what has happened since February of 2022.
Weaknesses: There are a lot of characters to keep straight, so this is a series where reading the books in quick succession works well. Since the storyline is very compelling, this shouldn't be a problem. Again, because of the horror of the war in Ukraine, this book will be best suited to middle schoolers reading independently, or upper elementary students who have good support.
What I really think: This is a good conclusion to this trilogy, although it seems fitting that it doesn't quite seem like an ending. I'll be optimistic and hope that in just five years, the war in Ukraine will be over, and Skrypuch will be able to write a final book to wrap up the storyline, like Deborah Ellis did with the fifth The Breadwinner book, One More Mountain, even though things are still not settled in Afghanistan.
Rada and her mother are living in a ski village in the Carpathanian mountains after their harrowing experiences after the Russian attack of Ukraine in Under Attack and Rada's twin sister Dariia's journey Standoff. Her mother is working in the spa, and the two have assembled a small community around them that includes Babushka, who is making drones for the Ukranian army, Alina, Viktor, and Mr. Yani. When they hear from Dariia and learn that she is in Russia with a family, they start making plans to rescue her. They reach out to the family's of the children with her, although Genya's family doesn't respond right away, and there is little information about baby Sasha. Since children can only be reclaimed by official guardians, and it isn't safe for Rada's mother to travel alone, it's important to find family members. Rada's father is still missing, and there is little information about him. When temporary housing is constructed in Prytulok, those living in the ski chalet get units, and move to town. Babushka decides to live near a shop where she can work, but the others are fairly close. Rada, whose hair had to be cropped close after she couldn't wash it for months, is relieved to be in her own space with her mother, and appreciates the community that places like Lydia's Kitchen provides as she and her mother try to heal after their experiences. While there is no imminent danger, the stress of trying to get Dariia back, and of not knowing where her father is, still is difficult. Once Genya's family is located, a reporter, Mr. Semeniuk, offers to go in her mother's place with a power of attorney if he can report on the conditions in Russia. This sounds like a great solution, but there is still a war on, and he is injured. There is some brief contact with Dariia, who is being aided by her foster mother's son, Anton. Anton has seen first hand how badly Russia has treated Ukranians, so is willing to stand up to his mother. Will Dariia be able to make it safely back to Rada in Prytulok, and will their father ever be found?
Strengths: My students don't read a newspaper or listen to the news, so many have no idea what is going on in other parts of the world. Books like the Kidnapped from Ukraine series are essential in helping them to understand that the way they live their lives is very priviledged, and to develop a sense of empathy toward other people. Seeing events unfold from two perspectives gives a wider understanding of the various realities of life in Ukraine; Dariia and her father and Rada and her mother have had very different experiences. Shedding some light on the egregious Russian practice of stealing children and having them "adopted" by Russians is good, because I haven't heard much about this even though I do keep up with the news. It's helpful to see that there are moments of happiness and lightness even in the midst of a war, and I particularly liked the scene where Rada works on psyanky for Easter. There are great notes at the back of the book that help the reader understand what has happened since February of 2022.
Weaknesses: There are a lot of characters to keep straight, so this is a series where reading the books in quick succession works well. Since the storyline is very compelling, this shouldn't be a problem. Again, because of the horror of the war in Ukraine, this book will be best suited to middle schoolers reading independently, or upper elementary students who have good support.
What I really think: This is a good conclusion to this trilogy, although it seems fitting that it doesn't quite seem like an ending. I'll be optimistic and hope that in just five years, the war in Ukraine will be over, and Skrypuch will be able to write a final book to wrap up the storyline, like Deborah Ellis did with the fifth The Breadwinner book, One More Mountain, even though things are still not settled in Afghanistan.
April 25, 2026
Still Alive is the last of the three-book series Kidnapped from Ukraine. As in the earlier books, the story is both heart-rending and hopeful. Through highly relatable characters, we follow and feel the effects of the war in Ukraine, including loss of home, family separation, fear, and the power of taking action to fight back in unexpected ways. I highly recommend this book for young and adult readers. Like the earlier ones, it’s well written, highly engaging, and equips the reader with important context when viewing or reading news accounts of war.
June 4, 2026
Still Alive, the third book of the Kidnapped from Ukraine series by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, is another excellent read from this author. This series is to be commended for helping to bring awareness to the Russian aggression against Ukraine and, more particularly, to the kidnapping of Ukrainian children during the war. As a second-generation Ukrainian-Canadian, I pray every day for the safe return of the children and for the end of this genocidal war.
April 24, 2026
What a masterpiece of a read! Skrypuch has out done herself once again on her 3rd book of the trilogy Kidnapped from Ukraine - Still Alive. This 3rd addition brings the Ukrainian culture, landscape of the Carpathian Mountains and the meaning of how Pysanky came to be in this gripping from beginning to end. Her research and accuracy is nothing but the best.
BRAVO
BRAVO
April 6, 2025
I can honestly say that I was the first person to read this book.
May 19, 2026
Incredibly brave and resilient.
May 25, 2026
This is an interesting way to get young readers to understand what it happening in Ukraine. I have read all 3 stories in this series. This one felt the least "story"-like and more "informational."
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews