120th out of 186 books
—
269 voters
A Million Shades of Gray
A boy and his elephant escape into the jungle when the Viet Cong attack his village immediately after the Vietnam war.
Hardcover, 216 pages
Published
January 5th 2010
by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
(first published September 8th 2009)
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May 03, 2013
Book Concierge
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Shelves:
action,
adventure,
animals,
children-s-literature,
coming-of-age,
concierge,
culture,
friendship,
historical-fiction,
library,
nature,
own,
survival,
war,
young-adult
Audio book narrated by Keith Nobbs
Y’Tin is the best elephant handler in his village, a skill that takes courage, patience and intelligence. Still, his mother would rather that he spend more time on schoolwork than on the elephants. He is, after all, only thirteen years old and there will be plenty of time to decide his life’s work. Perhaps he will be like his father, who works with the American soldiers in the war against the North Vietnamese forces. But after the Americans pull out, Y’Tin, his...more
Y’Tin is the best elephant handler in his village, a skill that takes courage, patience and intelligence. Still, his mother would rather that he spend more time on schoolwork than on the elephants. He is, after all, only thirteen years old and there will be plenty of time to decide his life’s work. Perhaps he will be like his father, who works with the American soldiers in the war against the North Vietnamese forces. But after the Americans pull out, Y’Tin, his...more
Dec 04, 2012
Ed
added it
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...more
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...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
*SPOILER ALERT*
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata is the touching story of an elephant handler, Y’Tin’s life during the Vietnam war.
For young Y’Tin, war was all that ever happened. There had been a war raging during his entire life. Even so, the war had always seemed far away from his peaceful village in South Vietnam. All until one frightful day when Y’Tin, his friends and village are captured by the North Vietnamese. Y’Tin is separated from his beloved elephant, Lady, and his family....more
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata is the touching story of an elephant handler, Y’Tin’s life during the Vietnam war.
For young Y’Tin, war was all that ever happened. There had been a war raging during his entire life. Even so, the war had always seemed far away from his peaceful village in South Vietnam. All until one frightful day when Y’Tin, his friends and village are captured by the North Vietnamese. Y’Tin is separated from his beloved elephant, Lady, and his family....more
Thirteen-year-old Y’Tin is interested in one thing: elephants. His goal is to be his village’s youngest elephant handler and to someday open up an elephant trainer school. But the Vietcong and North Vietnamese troops keep harassing Dega villages, and life for both the villagers and the elephants is becoming increasingly dangerous. When Y’Tin’s village is attacked by North Vietnamese soldiers, he must make a choice between staying with his family or saving the elephants. As an elephant handler, h...more
Dec 22, 2010
Juliette
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
multicultural-childrens-literature
This is the first non-picture book that I have added to my "multicultural-childrens literature" shelf, but it does belong there. Though I would obviously recommend it for older students. (Since I use picture books to enhance music education for K-2, this book obviously wouldn't work).
Cynthia Kadohata did a nice bit of research before embarking on this tail of a young Vietnamese boy in the 70's who is a gifted elephant trainer. The characters and settings are believeable, and there is a bit of ex...more
Cynthia Kadohata did a nice bit of research before embarking on this tail of a young Vietnamese boy in the 70's who is a gifted elephant trainer. The characters and settings are believeable, and there is a bit of ex...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Sep 08, 2010
Latricia
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-s-ages-10-12,
tween-ages-12-14
Notes from the catalog: In 1975 after American troops pull out of Vietnam, a thirteen-year-old boy and his beloved elephant escape into the jungle when Viet Cong attack his village.
The Good: This is a historical fiction firmly in the middle grade level which looks at a side of the war in Vietnam that is often overlooked. What did happen in Vietnam after the US left? It's also classic Kadohata. It's tender and the writing solid.
The not so good: Lets start with those notes in the catalog. The atta...more
The Good: This is a historical fiction firmly in the middle grade level which looks at a side of the war in Vietnam that is often overlooked. What did happen in Vietnam after the US left? It's also classic Kadohata. It's tender and the writing solid.
The not so good: Lets start with those notes in the catalog. The atta...more
Y'Tin lives in South Vietnam after the Americans have pulled out from the Vietnam conflict. Because several of the men in Y-Tin's village helped the Americans, they are in jeopardy of being targeted by North Vietnamese and the Vietcong. Y-Tin's family is fortunate enough to own an elephant and Y-Tin's dreams are to one day open a training school for elephants. Y-Tin's village is attacked and while trying to get away with Lady, his elephant, he notices what looks like his younger sister standing...more
In the Central Highlands of Southern Vietnam live the Dega tribes, Vietnamese village farmers and elephant keepers. 13 year old Y'Tin is the youngest animal trainer of his kind and his charge is his beloved elephant named Lady.
Set soon after the Americans pull out of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese are still soldiering in to combat the Southern Vietnamese, breaking the established Paris Peace Accord agreement. Y'Tin's village is ambushed, threatening the lives of...more
Set soon after the Americans pull out of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Vietcong and the North Vietnamese are still soldiering in to combat the Southern Vietnamese, breaking the established Paris Peace Accord agreement. Y'Tin's village is ambushed, threatening the lives of...more
I was really excited to read this book for two reasons: it was written by a Newbery Award winner and it centers around a young adolescent boy in rural Vietnam immediately following the Vietnam War. However, I do not think either of those qualities of the book lived up to my expectations.
The plot and character development are scant--even for a novel of only 200 pages. I really wanted to connect with Y'Tin, the main character. I wanted to feel his anger and resentment toward the American soldiers...more
The plot and character development are scant--even for a novel of only 200 pages. I really wanted to connect with Y'Tin, the main character. I wanted to feel his anger and resentment toward the American soldiers...more
"Sometimes, without even thinking about it, you step over a line, and on the other side of that line you find you've stepped into a situation you didn't want."
—A Million Shades of Gray, P. 175
I always eagerly await any new literary offering from Cynthia Kadohata, and following on the heels of her fantastic 2008 book Outside Beauty, my anticipation for A Million Shades of Gray certainly was high.
Cynthia Kadohata takes us back to a time in Vietnam just a couple of years after American involvem...more
—A Million Shades of Gray, P. 175
I always eagerly await any new literary offering from Cynthia Kadohata, and following on the heels of her fantastic 2008 book Outside Beauty, my anticipation for A Million Shades of Gray certainly was high.
Cynthia Kadohata takes us back to a time in Vietnam just a couple of years after American involvem...more
In Cynthia Kadohata’s new novel, A Million Shades of Gray, Kadohata reveals the story of Y’Tin, a 13 year old boy who dreams of becoming an elephant trainer, and the hardships that he faces in his remote Southern Vietnam village. Y’Tin’s story takes place a few years after the Americans left South Vietnam and focuses on the trepidation and fear the villagers face. Y’Tin’s main focus in life is to become the youngest elephant trainer and maybe one day open his own training school. The effects of...more
What happened after the United States left South Vietnam in 1973? What happened to the people who were left behind, the locals who helped the American soldiers and fought against North Vietnam? The very people who thought the Americans would protect them, the very people that we promised to take care of, in exchange, for their assistance in fighting the War.
This is the story of thirteen-year-old Y'Tin who is an elephant trainer and dreams of someday opening his own elephant training school. Afte...more
This is the story of thirteen-year-old Y'Tin who is an elephant trainer and dreams of someday opening his own elephant training school. Afte...more
Y’Tin’s dream is to someday run a school for training elephants in Vietnam, so it only makes sense that he learns to become an elephant handler. Lady, his elephant, is Y’Tin’s companion and was able to be trained without use of a training hook! When the North Vietnamese infiltrate his village, things begin to change for Y’Tin regarding his family, his friends, his elephant, and his own relationship with himself.
I had high hopes for this book, especially since I really liked “Cracker”. This book...more
I had high hopes for this book, especially since I really liked “Cracker”. This book...more
This is actually a young adult or children's book but I think any adult would enjoy the story as well.
Y'Tin is a young boy who lives in a Vietnamese village. He wants nothing more than to be chosen to train elephants. Finally he gets his wish and is selected to work with a wild elephant named Lady. In truth, Lady probably teaches him more than his assigned mentor.
The North Vietnamese attack his villege because the villagers had worked closely with the Americans during the war. Once the Americans...more
Y'Tin is a young boy who lives in a Vietnamese village. He wants nothing more than to be chosen to train elephants. Finally he gets his wish and is selected to work with a wild elephant named Lady. In truth, Lady probably teaches him more than his assigned mentor.
The North Vietnamese attack his villege because the villagers had worked closely with the Americans during the war. Once the Americans...more
I didn't know there were tribal agrarian peoples in Vietnam who were not officially involved in the war. I don't think I'm especially ignorant about these things, so I admit I was surprised to learn about the Rhade people, a tribe in the southern part of that country, some of whom helped American Special Forces to navigate the Vietnam jungles.
This is the best thing Cynthia Kadohata's A Million Shades of Gray has going for it. The story of Y'Tin, a young elephant handler who longs to quit school...more
This is the best thing Cynthia Kadohata's A Million Shades of Gray has going for it. The story of Y'Tin, a young elephant handler who longs to quit school...more
I didn't want this book to end! I want to know if Y'tin became an elephant trainer and started a school. I want to know what happened to his family and the village people. I want to know what happened to Lady and her baby. So much is unfinished about this story, yet the ending was satisfying.
Perhaps I care more about these questions because I am also listening to Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin who was discussing giraffe relationships as I finished this book. Then someone told me someth...more
Perhaps I care more about these questions because I am also listening to Animals in Translation by Temple Grandin who was discussing giraffe relationships as I finished this book. Then someone told me someth...more
Historical Fiction - 2010 I found this book to be an incredible read. As with many historical fiction books I've read, I couldn't help thinking if I had been encouraged to read a text like this in high school, I may have been more engaged in history and may have even passed the AP History test! :) Y'Tin is a young boy/man in South Vietnam at the close of the Vietnam war. He is a elephant handler in his community. As the American special forces leave his village, the North Vietnam soldiers take t...more
Y'Tin is a South Vietnamese boy who must escape from his village when the North Vietnamese invades and captures it.
Passage
page 93
paragraph 5
"Y'Tin wished that he had seen Joseph's family as well, but all that he could remember from those early moments was the kick on his nose. He gingerly felt his nose now. It hurt to touch.
His mind began racing. He was scared to sleep. Someone might kill him while he slept. It wasn't logical, but it was posible. Why else had the soldiers herded them all into...more
Passage
page 93
paragraph 5
"Y'Tin wished that he had seen Joseph's family as well, but all that he could remember from those early moments was the kick on his nose. He gingerly felt his nose now. It hurt to touch.
His mind began racing. He was scared to sleep. Someone might kill him while he slept. It wasn't logical, but it was posible. Why else had the soldiers herded them all into...more
I felt immersed in this story. The jungle setting felt very atmospheric and vivid, and I liked all the details about tracking, elephants, and Rhade community life - the world evoked felt real and true to me. The writing is deceptively simple -lots of shorter, declarative sentences- but it felt crafted quite deliberately, with much care. The main character grows and develops quite a bit over the course of the book, ultimately questioning much that he had either assumed to be true or never even co...more
I don't know who the audience should be for this book. It looks like an elementary book, but the subject matter is too difficult for elementary. This book is about the "Dega" people who lived in the Central Highlands of South Vietnam. It took place after America left Vietnam and the Dega people were left to fend for themselves. Y'Tin, a 13-year-old boy, experiences the horrors of the Vietcong takeover. My favorite character was Y'Tin's elephant Lady. The redeeming value of this book is the expla...more
The story of Y'Tin's love of elephants, especially Lady, in the midst of war-torn Vietnam seemed surreal. Y'Tin's village was burned, half the people were killed, and he was separated from his family, not knowing if they were alive. Shortly after finding his family in the camps Y'Tin decided to try to make his way to Thailand so he could work with elephants. The backdrop of the war, and Y'Tin's decision to leave his land and his family did not seem believable to me.
What I enjoyed about this book...more
What I enjoyed about this book...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I loved the main character and the writing was so outstanding that I can still almost smell and see and hear the setting. I almost wish it had been written for YA so the author could have gone deeper. I wouldn't stop my ten year old from reading this one if she really wanted to, but I'm not offering it to her, either. The war horrors are a little to horrific for me to pass on to her just yet. I would be more comfortable sharing this story with middle schoolers who were ready for this level of de...more
Feb 27, 2010
Jenny / Wondrous Reads
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
for-review
Before reading A Million Shades of Grey, I didn't really know a lot about the Vietnam War. I didn't know the politics or reasoning behind it, or the extent of the horrors that people experienced. Kadohata ended up giving me a history lesson of sorts, and for that reason alone, I'm glad I read this book.
Y'Tin's tale is one of bravery and hope, and is as much a coming of age story as it is an adventure. Nothing makes a boy grow up like being in the middle of a war and, as horrific as it is, the wh...more
Y'Tin's tale is one of bravery and hope, and is as much a coming of age story as it is an adventure. Nothing makes a boy grow up like being in the middle of a war and, as horrific as it is, the wh...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
The play on words in the title refer to the protagonist’s name, his “shade” that travels and interacts with another shade (spirit of a young man hanged unfairly in the late 1790’s) while the 17 year old protagonist is in a coma, and also the “shades of gray” of his character, as he does things he knows to be unethical and downright wrong because he is infatuated, though he is a sensible, honest, caring person. Good story that moves well and explores tough moral choices and repentance (though the...more
Kind of dissapointed by this one. Great start and a unique setting for YA lit. The Americans have left South Vietnam and the North are invading. Y'Tin's villiage must flee to the jungle in fear for retribution for their assistance to the Americans. Y'Tin flees with his elephant but learns that the jungle can make things seem crazy. Didn't like the way it ended abruptly. I would have like to read more about his village's struggles in the jungle. Did like the way the elephants were described and s...more
Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Dec. 1, 2009 (Vol. 106, No. 7))
Growing up in a remote Dega village in South Vietnam, Y’Tin is as close with his beloved elephant, Lady, as he is with his father, who works with the American Special Forces. After the Americans leave, Y’Tin, 13, flees the Vietcong massacre of his village and tries to find his family and friends while surviving in the jungle and caring for Lady. For a story so packed with action, this novel reads very slowly. Kadohata has done her research–...more
Growing up in a remote Dega village in South Vietnam, Y’Tin is as close with his beloved elephant, Lady, as he is with his father, who works with the American Special Forces. After the Americans leave, Y’Tin, 13, flees the Vietcong massacre of his village and tries to find his family and friends while surviving in the jungle and caring for Lady. For a story so packed with action, this novel reads very slowly. Kadohata has done her research–...more
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Cynthia Kadohata is a Japanese American writer known for writing coming of age stories about Asian American women.
She spent her early childhood in the South; both her first adult novel and first children's novel take place in Southern states. Her first adult novel was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Her first children's book, Kira-Kira, won the 2005 Newbery Medal. Her first published s...more
More about Cynthia Kadohata...
She spent her early childhood in the South; both her first adult novel and first children's novel take place in Southern states. Her first adult novel was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
Her first children's book, Kira-Kira, won the 2005 Newbery Medal. Her first published s...more
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