Home › Books for Ages 9–12 › Swimming with Spies

Swimming with Spies

by Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger

Dolphins, communication, and conflict in Crimea

Regular price $17.08 USD
Regular price $28.47 USD Sale price $17.08 USD
Save 40%

Hardcover New

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

Dolphins, communication, and conflict in Crimea

Set in Sevastopol in February 2014, the story places Sofiya’s everyday worries—bullying and her mother’s absence—against the escalating conflict in Crimea. Her father trains dolphins in sign language, and the military’s demand for the dolphinarium’s animals brings that world into direct contact with the occupation. The dolphins and their communication skills connect the book’s personal story to its larger themes of war, division, and the possibility of understanding across barriers. The publisher describes the novel as based on the 2014 annexation of Crimea, giving its fictional account a specific historical context.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • For readers ages 9–12 interested in historical fiction about conflict.
  • For readers curious about dolphins, animal training, and communication.
  • For readers interested in stories set amid the 2014 events in Crimea.

Themes

War and occupationCommunication across divisionsBullying and family separationDolphins and animal training

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

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.

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews