This book is about a girl named Lina, whose family is suddenly taken by soviet troops and sent to a concentration camp. She is also sent to a different camp than her father, so she is separated from him. This book shows how she gets through the concentration camp, along with some trauma on the way. I read this in 4th grade, but I can say this may be considered slightly violent.
Between Shades of Gray
By Ruta Sepetys
| Interest Level | Reading Level | Reading A-Z | ATOS | Word Count |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grades 6 - 8 | Grades 1 - 4 | n/a | 3.6 | 64750 |
“Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both.” --The Washington Post
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.
Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously-and at great risk-documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.
Praise for BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY:
“A superlative first novel. A hefty emotional punch.”--The New York Times Book Review
“A brilliant story of love and survival.”--Laurie Halse Anderson, bestselling author of Speak and Wintergirls
* “Beautifully written and deeply felt…an important book that deserves the widest possible readership.”--Booklist, Starred Review
A New York Times Bestseller
An International Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Book of 2011
A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of 2011
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2011
The iTunes 2011 Rewind Best Teen Novel
The #1 Book on the Spring 2011 IndieNext List
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2011
A Booklist Best Book of 2011
A Kirkus Best Book of 2011
2012 IRA Children’s and Young Adults Book Award for Young Adult Fiction
2012 Indies Choice Young Adult Book of the Year
A Carnegie Medal Finalist
A William C. Morris Finalist
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.
Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously-and at great risk-documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.
Praise for BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY:
“A superlative first novel. A hefty emotional punch.”--The New York Times Book Review
“A brilliant story of love and survival.”--Laurie Halse Anderson, bestselling author of Speak and Wintergirls
* “Beautifully written and deeply felt…an important book that deserves the widest possible readership.”--Booklist, Starred Review
A New York Times Bestseller
An International Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Book of 2011
A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book of 2011
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2011
The iTunes 2011 Rewind Best Teen Novel
The #1 Book on the Spring 2011 IndieNext List
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2011
A Booklist Best Book of 2011
A Kirkus Best Book of 2011
2012 IRA Children’s and Young Adults Book Award for Young Adult Fiction
2012 Indies Choice Young Adult Book of the Year
A Carnegie Medal Finalist
A William C. Morris Finalist
Publisher: Speak
ISBN-13: 9780142420591
ISBN-10: 014242059X
Published on 4/3/2012
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 384
Book Reviews (36)
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It is truly a heartwrenching story, but meaningful. It is truly a beautiful story, I would recommend it to 5th - 8th grade. I don't 3rd or 4th graders would understand the story.
Good book, however, how can the book be at level 3.6? I doubt fourth and third graders would be able to decipher some of the words in the book.
I recommend this book for rising 6th and 7th graders, because it is about a big change in a 15 year old girls life. It is about the soviets war, I really recommend it!
I loved this book it was amazing and hard to put down.It is about a girl named Lina,her mother, and brother they have been taken from their home and have been pushed into a truck and taken far away. To add to that they don't have a clue as to where their father is. Read this amazing story to find out their struggles.
This is a very good serious book to read about a girl taken from her home. It is very intresting and every chapter ends in a cliffhanger.
It was the period when Hitler was killing Jews by the thousands, and was immensely noticed, but another equally tragic story was never noticed until it was too late. Stalin was killing Latvians, Lithuanians, and Estonians, and Lina, part of an unwary and happy family, is Lithuanians. When Soviet troops come and ships them off to kill them, Lina, her brother and mother are seperated from her father. In the tragic story, Lina and her family fights for survival, with death looking them in the eyes.
I really liked that even though lina and andrius did not like each other, they still got married at the end. this is an amazing book and I think that everybody should read it. most people these days are only thinking about crushes, dates and whatever. I liked this book very much. EVERYBODY WHO READS THIS COMMENT.......... PLAESE TAKE TIME TO READ THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!
this was one of the best and greatest books I have ever read in my life. it makes you realize to appreciate what you have before it is already gone. I cried when I was reading this book. shout out everybody....... because every body deserves to read this amazing, beautiful, heart breaking book.
Heartbreaking story of loss coupled with the determination to stay alive