A Million Shades of Gray

by Cynthia Kadohata
J Fiction
Atheneum Books 2010
216 pages

Setting: south Viet Nam, 1973

All Y'Tin wants is to take care of his villages' elephants. Lady, in particular, is his charge. He sees no purpose for school since his future is elephants. He plans on living in his peaceful village, with his father, mother, and two sisters, and being Lady's keeper and perhaps training others to take care of future elephants. But the ongoing war, which until now had stayed away from his remote village, changes his well laid plans. Y'Tin and his people must abandon their homes and hide in the jungle from the coming North Vietnamese. For the first time, Y'Tin knows fear and real uncertainty. His circumstances require him to quickly leave childhood behind and become a man.

Well researched and written, Kadohata shows us life in Viet Nam during the war after the Americans leave. Y'Tin is a strong boy character, devoted to his family. Most admirable is his relationship with his father. This story portrays a culture and language different from what we know in the United States, but A Million Shades of Gray teaches that family love, friendship, loyalty, and desire for peace are universal and that the travesties of war can destroy them all. A good read, quite interesting with descriptions and details about Vietnamese culture and beliefs. I recommend about 4th grade and up.

Comments

An ABC of Flowers

An ABC of Flowers by Jutta Hilpuesch New York, NY : Philomel Books, [2019] It turns out there really is a flower for every letter. This sweet book has a photograph of every flower and a sweet cartoon illustration to go along with it. All your favorite flowers are here (forget-me-nots, mums, and sunflowers), along with some you probably haven't heard of before (billy ball, kalanchoe, xeranthemum?). This is a perfect book for reading together, and readers of any age will enjoy every page. Don't miss this great springtime alphabet book.

From Story Time: The Letter "B"

From Monday Book Babies Bird, Balloon, Bear By Il Sung Na Alfred A. Knopf, 2017. Picture Book. Bird is new to the forest, and he’s looking for a friend. Bear could use a friend, too. But Bird is too shy to introduce himself. Just as he musters the courage to say hello . . . it’s too late! Bear has already found a friend: a bright, shiny red balloon. Has Bird missed his chance? From the acclaimed Il Sung Na comes a charming and beautifully illustrated story about courage, kindness, and friendship. --Publisher From Monday Cuentos El primer día de un colegio Texto de Adam Rex Ilustraciones de Christian Robinson Traducción de Teresa Mlawer Editorial Corimbo, 2017. Spanish Picture Book. Aquel verano, cuando terminaron de construir la escuela Frederick Douglass, el edificio comenzó a hacerse muchas preguntas: ¿Cuál será mi destino? ¿Quién vivirá entre mis paredes? ¿Para qué me utilizarán? Através de sus conversaciones con el conserje y t...

Display: Out of this World Books Found Here

Hello By Aiko Ikegami Berkeley, CA: Creston Books, 2019. Picture book. In this wordless picture book, an alien visits Earth, makes friends with a little girl, and returns to his home planet to share his experiences. - Publisher We Are Definitely Human By X. Fang Toronto: Tundra Books, 2024. Picture book. When three mysterious visitors from "Europe" crash-land in Mr. Li's field, he does what any good host would: he invites them back to his farmhouse and offers to help fix up their "car". No, there's nothing strange about these guests at all. Just like other humans, they "make business", "play sportsball" and "wear hat". As the townsfolk also come to the aid of the visitors and the gathering turns into a little party, interplanetary relations reach an all-time high. - Publisher Greetings Floof! Written by C.J. Hong Illustrated by A.J. Smith Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2024. Picture book. Floof from planet Ploof has landed! And it...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog