Customer Reviews

Shades of Gray

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder is fiction.Nevertheless, it shows the untold hardship that war can inflict on innocent people. The civil war between the Yankees and the Confederates has ended. But it has created a vacuum in the life of Will Page, a 12-year-old boy. He has lost his entire family in the war. his father and brother have been killed by the Yankees, his two sisters have died of typhoid, and his mother of heartbreak and grief. A sad picture indeed!!Without any hope of support, Will finds himself in a state of quandary. His animosity is directed not only to the Yankees but also to his uncle Jed for refusing to fight in the war. He has lost the very thing he adored most in life- his family. In accordance with his mother's death wish, he is to be sent to Uncle Jed, a man he despises for his 'cowardly' action to join the Confiderates. However, he has no choice. The battle for survival transcends certain boundaries and contingencies. Therefore, he condescends to live with Uncle Jed and his family, always struggling to adjust from the urban civilization he's lived with to his uncle's rural way of life.Acceptance of the generosity of his new family has its own toll on Will. He must learn the skills of rural life to eke out a living and justify the board of hospitality offered by this lovely but poor family. He learns really fast and bears himself upright. With time the civil war becomes 'ancient history' to Will. His attitude to Uncle Jed changes gradually; he is right for not fighting in the war. His family has suffered for staying out of the war as much as Will's family for fighting. Although the book is fiction, the message is quite vivid. People should fight for what they believe and not be led by the nose.Will's decision to live a rural, rather than an urban life later on, demonstrates his acceptance of this truth. He's been exposed to the stark realities of life. Uncle Jed is not the coward or traitor he once thought him to be.He rather admires Jed for his wisdom, courage, and conviction. The conflicts of this book are really challenging.Every young person who reads it has a lot to learn about the ups and downs of life. This text refers to the paperback edition of this title.

This is a great book. Will Page has to live with his uncle, aunt, and cousin after the rest of his family died in all different kinds of ways due to the Civil War that recently occured. Will in the beginning was acting too selfish, but towards the end, he appreciated his uncle after he didn't before because his uncle refused to fight against the Yankees. The Yankees killed Will's father and brother. Will decided to stay with his uncle, aunt, and cousin even after he got a letter from Doc Martin (an old friend) and said he could go and live a better life with him, but it was Will's choice.

this book was great it helped me to see that even though people didn't fight in a war they could of it dosen't mean they 're a coward. No matter what kind of war it is.

The Civil War may be over, but not for twelve-year old Will Page. Everyone in Will's family has abundant him. Both of Will's brothers went off to fight for the confederacy, his mother died or amonia and his father died when he was three. Will is the only member of his family that has survived, but now where will he make a living with no family? Will has to leave his comfortable home in the Shenanadoah Valley and live with his aunt and uncle in Virginia, people struggling to make a living themselves. But the worst of it is that Will's uncle Jed had refused to fight for Will's side of the war. The confederacy. How will Jed and Will get along when Jed doesn't believe in fighting for the confederacy? At first Will regards his Uncle as a traitor, or atleast a coward. But as they work side by side, Will begins to respect him. And when he sees his uncle stand up for what he believes in, Will realizes that he must rethink his thoughts of honor and courage. Are Will and his uncle goin to work things out? To find out the answer read this excellent book. It's an encouraging book with lots of action. If you like stories that took place during the Civil War,with lots of entertainment, and a historical fiction book this is your type of book.

Shades of Gray, by Carolyn Reeder, is an exciting historical fiction book about the Reconstruction Era. The story takes place in a small town in Virginia, in the first years following the Civil War.

Will, a twelve year old shy city boy, just recently lost all of his family. His father and brother were killed by the Yankees, his sisters died of typhoid, and his mother of grief. He has to go live with his Uncle Jed in Virginia, who refused to fight for the Confederacy. Will considers him a traitor and refuses to call him Uncle Jed. When Will gets a letter from Doc. Martin, an old family friend, saying that Will can come and live with him now, he leaps at the chance.

Is Will going to leave to live with Doc. Martin? Or will he stay with Uncle Jed? How will he resolve his feelings about Uncle Jed? Find out in Shades of Gray.

The author is good at making suspense in this book, which makes it hard to put down. The author really paints a picture in your mind. She also uses very descriptive words. She brings you back to those days in her writing. I give this book four out of five stars. I would recommend this book for all ages. Reading this book will enhance your understanding of the Civil War.

Death, sickness, anger, and war are really causing Will Page to go mad in Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder. The story revolves around Will Page taking place in Shenandoah Valley in the 1800's. Will is being ached by the death of his family during the Confederate War. Will has now moved to his Uncle Jed and Aunt Ella's house along with his cousin Meg. Will has now found out that his Uncle Jed did not serve in the war along with his father which is really bothering Will. Will William Page be able to get along with his new family and Uncle Jed?
My opinion is Shades of Gray is a good book because of the information the author gives to the reader and its enough to explain to the reader what's going on in the book. The author shows letters, a lot of dialogue and also when the characters say things to themselves which the author makes descriptive thoughts by the characters. You should get this book because it's a book with morale to it. The author shows the main goal for the character which is the character is trying get over the fact that his family died and he's struggling and trying to get use to a new family and a new lease on life. I recommend this book a great book to read and enjoy.

Part of SonLight homeschool curriculum. My daughter enjoyed reading this. By the comprehension questions I could tell it had some wonderful insights I had never considered. Many times she didn't even wait for the questions to tell me what she read.