Shades of Gray [Hardcover]

Carolyn Reeder (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 1989

At the end of the Civil War, twelve-year-old Will, having lost all his immediate family, reluctantly leaves his city home to live in the Virginia countryside with his aunt and the uncle he considers a "traitor" because he refused to take part in the war.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The Civil War has left 12-year-old Will Page an orphan, and he is sent to his mother's relatives in the country in Virginia. Prepared to hate his uncle, a "coward" who refused to fight for either side, Will slowly comes to respect the man's position. And as he fits into the hardworking farm routine, the boy discovers, to his surprise, that physical labor (which his parents' slaves used to do) can be rewarding. Will's coming-of-age story revolves around overcoming his prejudices about Yankees and Confederates. Thoughtfully told, the novel captures the hardships that followed the last war fought on U.S. soil. But Will's maturation feels too carefully mapped out, leaving the impression of didactic lessons learned; he seems less a real person than an example of error rectified. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 152 pages
• Publisher: MacMillan; 1st ed edition (November 30, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0027758109
• ISBN-13: 978-0027758108
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #726,491 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good book for boys or girls, May 18, 2004

By 

Taryn Burgin (Mayflower, AR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shades of Gray (Paperback)

Shades of Grey is an excellent book. It is about a boy whose dad and his brothers go to fight in the war and end up getting killed. Also his sisters died because of malnutrition and his mom died of depression. So Will had to go live with his aunt. But he doesn't want to because his uncle refused to fight in the war. One element that I noticed a lot was flashback. Will kept remembering how his life was so different when he lived in Winchester.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shades of Gray, July 6, 2002

By 

J Ward (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shades of Gray (Paperback)

Orphaned, angry, and bitter, twelve-year-old Will arrives in the Virginia Piedmont immediately after the Civil War to live with relatives he has never met. Will's father died fighting for the confederacy and his mother and siblings also died as a result of the war. Now Will's only home is with his Uncle Jed, a pacifist, whom Will considers a coward because of Jed's refusal to fight in the war. But as Will matures physically and emotionally he recognizes his own fears and weaknesses and the battles he fights in the Piedmont are far different from the battle he thought he had come to fight with his Uncle Jed. Recurring conflicts between Will and the other characters keep the book exciting for young readers. Teachers will find Shades of Gray an important addition to their Civil War study materials for its contribution to helping young readers understand the lasting effects of the war on the communities and families divided by the conflict. Ages 9-12.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Shades of the Civil War, May 18, 2004

By 

Sunni (Mayflower, AR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shades of Gray (Paperback)

Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reder is a wonderful book of learning how to respect people. Will's family has died. His mother died of a sickness, as did his sisters. His brother and father died in war. He moves in with the closet relatives he has, his Aunt and Uncle Jed. Will doesn't respect his uncle because he wasn't in the Confederate Army, but he wasn't in the Union Army either. Will thinks of his uncle as a traitor and doesn't want anything to do with him. As time goes by, Will learns that just because you weren't in the war, doesn't mean you aren't brave.