What’s their order? You can read either Making Bombs or Stolen Girl first, but read The War Below last.
Audible edition
Here’s what the books looked like when they were originally published by Scholastic Canada:
The second trilogy should be read in this order: Don’t Tell the Nazis, Trapped in Hitler’s Web, and Traitors Among Us. While there is enough context in each of the novels so that they can be read as standalones, to get a true picture of Krystia and Maria’s experiences in WWII, reading them in the order that I wrote them is best.
Don’t Tell the Nazis was originally published in Canada in 2018 as Don’t Tell the Enemy. After that, Scholastic Books and Scholastic Canada published my books simultaneously, and with the same title.
Winterkill takes place before World War II, at a time in the 1930s when the dictator from Moscow implemented a plan to starve Ukrainians to death so he could replace them with people of Russian and Belarusian heritage. Millions of Ukrainians were killed. This genocide is called the Holodomor (holod = hunger; mor=death). This novel chillingly reflects what is happening in Ukraine now, with Putin trying to repeat history.
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
I am THRILLED that The War Below (Scholastic US) is listed on Amazon.com as a #1 New Release for Children’s Holocaust Fiction, but please don’t be confused by the error on this page. This book is not #4 of my WWII series. This novel is part of a trilogy. This novel was previously published by Scholastic Canada as Underground Soldier in 2014.
