Winterkill

When a child is ready to understand complex, man-made historical tragedies, this book offers a powerful and humane entry point. Winterkill tells the story of Nyl and Alice, two children trying to survive the Holodomor, a famine deliberately engineered by Stalin's Soviet regime in 1930s Ukraine. It is a story of immense sadness, fear, and injustice, but also of incredible resilience, bravery, and the strength of family love. Recommended for mature readers ages 11-14, this book is an important, age-appropriate look at a lesser-known historical genocide. It opens the door for conversations about empathy, endurance, and the importance of remembering history.