Shades of Gray (Avon Camelot Books) (Paperback)

by Carolyn Reeder (Author) "Will sighed and tipped his hat so the brim shaded his eyes from the late afternoon sun..." (more)
Key Phrases: Uncle Jed, Aunt Ella, Doc Martin (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Orphaned by the Civil War, 12-year-old Ben learns some unexpected truths from his Uncle Jed, a "coward" who refused to fight in the war; PW said, "thoughtfully told, the novel captures the hardships that followed the last war fought on U.S. soil." Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description
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 fight in the war.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 165 pages
• Publisher: Camelot (July 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380712326
• ISBN-13: 978-0380712328
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (44 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,128,123 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 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.

5 of 5 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.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars this book was great, July 16, 1999

By A Customer

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.