I enjoy historical fiction especially about the Vietnam War (maybe because of my personal connection to that war). This story centers around a boy's love for his elephant and the challenges he, his family, and the elephants face when the North Vietnamese raid their village. The author doesn't sugarcoat the horrors of war but doesn't graphically describe them. A wonderful story about how a boy rationalizes his decisions and those of his family and friends in the face of the enemy.I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because there were some rather slow parts that I found myself skimming over. Kadohata, Cynthia. (2010). A Million Shades of Gray. New York: Simon and Schuster/Atheneum. 216 pp. ISBN 978-1-4169-1883-7 (Hard Cover); $16.99.Y’Tin dreams of training elephants but this is Viet Nam and his father has been abandoned by the American Special forces with whom he worked. The Dega people and elephants face massacre by the Vietcong so Y’Tin and Lady, the elephant, begin a long and dangerous journey to Thailand.Kadohata explores Viet Nam with her book Cracker: The Best Dog in Viet Nam. This book, however, is much more effective and interesting. It explores a part of the Viet Nam War that we do not see in print and it asks readers difficult and important questions: How did the United States convince tribal people to help them? Why did the United States abandon the Dega people who had helped them? It also is filled with well-researched historical facts about World War II and the Dega people. Young readers who do not care about historical fiction will appreciate the jungle adventure, infused with elephant, and keep turning the pages without stopping. Purchase this one for middle school and even elementary school libraries.
What do You think about A Million Shades Of Grey (2010)?
Ugh hard to get through and an extreme amount of background knowledge needs to be taught.
—alexandra123
