Swimming with Spies

As war escalates between the Russians and Ukrainians in the port city of Sevastopol, can one girl and a pod of dolphins prove that communication is the greatest weapon of all?

It's February of 2014 in the seaport city of Sevastopol in Crimea. Sofiya Oleksandrivna only wants two things: to figure out a way to get Ilya Ilyich to stop bullying her, and to convince her mother to come back home. But as battleships come to populate the waters around their city and Russian forces, including Ilya's father, start to make their presence known, an even greater threat takes over Sofiya's life.

The only escape Sofiya has is the dolphinarium where her father is a trainer at the forefront of teaching sign language to a pod of dolphins. And now the Russian military has ordered the dolphinarium to hand over its animals for military use. As armed Russian troops invade Crimea and conflict and tension continue to rise, Sofiya will do everything she can to keep her pod safe. And what she knows better than any of the soldiers occupying her city, is that the most powerful force is communication.

Based on the true events of the 2014 annexation of Crimea, Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger depicts a familiar world where divisions are sown by hate, but where love can make a world of difference.

Author: Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Published: 12/03/2024
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.86lbs
Size: 8.60h x 5.87w x 0.98d
ISBN: 9781339012469
Audience: Ages 9-12

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.4
Point Value: 8
Interest Level: Middle Grade
Quiz #/Name: 551931 / Swimming with Spies


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/09/2024
Kirkus Reviews 10/15/2024
Booklist 10/15/2024 pg. 55
School Library Journal 11/01/2024 pg. 68

About the Author
Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger is a Ukrainian-American historical fiction writer. She started her writing career with short stories and travel narratives. She has won several awards for her short stories and novels and now primarily writes historical fiction. When she's not writing, she works as a business communications trainer, consultant, and coach.