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Sidekick Super Review: 83 Days in Mariupol (2023)
- Aug 26
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 24
Page Length: 128
Grade Level: 9+
Goodreads Score: 3.93/5
Buy it here
Setting: Mariupol, Ukraine, February 2022-May 2022
Genre: Non-fiction, graphic novel
Topics: Politics, War, Military, Journalism, Propaganda
Plot: The entire book takes place over the 83 days that Mariupol, Ukraine, was under siege by Russian forces. The foreword provides context for the cultural and political tensions that existed before the invasion. Through harrowing firsthand accounts, it tells the stories of those trapped in the city, struggling to survive relentless bombings and attacks during these three torturous months.
It details where civilians hid, how they foraged for food and water, their desperate attempts to escape, and their fight against disease and starvation. The book also exposes the brutal treatment of Ukrainian civilians at the hands of Russian soldiers—people beaten to death, executed in cold blood, and subjected to horrific acts of violence. It describes the overwhelming sight and stench of bodies strewn across the streets, as grieving families struggled to find safe and dignified ways to bury their dead.
Most of all, the book highlights the empty, hollow promises of those around the world who declared, “We stand with Ukraine”—while real, tangible aid was painfully slow to arrive.
Themes: Consequence of war for civilians, survival and resilience, hope in tragedy, truth in journalism
You might like this book if you like:
Comic books
Keeping up on current events and politics
Journalism, Model UN, Debate
Military/political drama TV shows and movies like Band of Brothers, SEAL Team, or Warfare.
Netflix documentaries like Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom or 20 Days in Mariupol (2024 Oscar nominated documentary)
Other Books Written by this author: The Unwanted: Stories of Syrian Refugees, The Last Fighter Pilot: The True Story of the Final Combat Mission of World War II, Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans, The Great American Dust Bowl ,
Teaching 83 Days in Mariupol As a Full-Class Unit
Content:
Language: mature language throughout
Sex: mentions rape of civilians by Russian soldiers
Violence/Scariness: the whole book is filled with violent war crimes, graphic injuries, military attacks, gun violence, and death
Drinking/Smoking/Drugs: not present
Class Novel-ability: This book contains mature language and mature topics-such as rape, physical violence, and murder. That being said, it is deeply powerful, extremely engaging, and because it's a graphic novel, it's super easy to read! Depending on age-it might make an excellent book club/lit circle option for older high school students or students who have parent permission to read.
The Star Qualities
This book took me only 30 minutes to read cover to cover, making it an excellent choice for students who struggle to finish a book. It’s also great for reluctant readers who have a hard time getting started. Many pages contain only pictures, while the text is concise, powerful, and informative—delivered in short, non-intimidating blurbs that complement the illustrations.
The author, a journalist, presents pure, straightforward truths. Nothing feels embellished or overdramatized for effect. Every quote bubble comes directly from real-life reports of people who were there. This simplicity gives the book a quiet yet haunting power, emphasizing the true horror of the events. At the end, the author includes an extensive bibliography—not only validating his sources but also providing further reading options for students interested in nonfiction.
This book covers an incredibly relevant recent event. I’m not a big news buff, so this was perfect for me—reading it took about the same amount of time as three news articles, yet I walked away feeling significantly more informed. Now, I actually feel confident enough to engage in discussions about this topic when it comes up in political conversations.
This author has written several other nonfiction graphic novels, making it easy to suggest more reading material after finishing this one. He has so many, and they cover such a wide range of topics! From the Flu of 1918 to the Donner Party to 9/11. I think these books would definitely interest non-fiction history lovers who love a short, engaging read with pictures! What could be better?
Book Talk Read Aloud Section
If you have the physical book, read pages 8-18
If you don't, read the prologue through page 10 in the Kindle reading sample here. (pages 11+ are not included in the sample)
*I would recommend displaying these pages somewhere for your students to see. It might also be helpful to display the map pages included before the prologue.
"Reading Like a Writer" Mentor Text
With a graphic novel, it’s important for students to recognize how the pictures and writing work together to tell the story. For this mini-lesson, I recommend including both. The following excerpts feature pictures with no words, pictures with captions, and pictures with quotation bubbles.
*I think this lesson works best after a book talk, so students have some context for the writing lesson. Since some of the pictures contain no words, that context can be very helpful. The read-aloud section I’ve included also contains these pages.
Display the pages for your students to read. Instead of the typical highlight, T-chart, try it method, open up a discussion with your students about writerly craft in this kind of genre.
This last page has no words, only pictures. The author likely did this on purpose—the sequence of images becomes more powerful without text. Even without writing, this is still a writerly choice. Discuss this with students: Why would the author make this choice? What effect does it have? Would it feel the same if captions were added?
You could also display or hand out copies of the page and have students write captions for each picture. Give them options: they could write traditional captions, quotations from the characters in word bubbles, or anything else they choose. Encourage creativity! Have them share with partners and compare: How did their “writerly” choices impact the scene? How did it change the story or the reader’s focus?
Sentences For Combining and Imitation
Since this book is a graphic novel, it’s a perfect opportunity for students to experiment with structure without using any words at all. Let them rearrange the pictures to really drive home the idea that structure changes meaning!
Print out the page and have students cut it into smaller sections.
Then, have them take turns rearranging the order.
Discuss how the order and structure change the story. Reinforce the idea that making writerly choices about structure and order matters—as the author, they have the power to shape the story!
Used this book in your classroom? Tell us how in the comments!
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