Between Shades of Gray

Here's a Thinglink I created when I read Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys back last year.  I love using Thinglink! I think it could be a great tool for students to create an interactive book report, similar to the example below.  See what you think!

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

I've just finished reading Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. And oh, my!  This one will stay with me for a while.  You know, there are the books you read, enjoy and then move on. Then there are books that you inhale and breathe the lingering fragrance for long after. Some books just do not end when you close the cover on the last page, but linger long past. Salt to the Sea is one of those for me.  

The heartbreak of war and the casualties that are not limited to the battlefield but include the innocent - the old, the young children, the expecting mothers, the young women - are highlighted in this powerful novel of hope, survival and love.  The novel is told from the different viewpoints of four characters - a young Prussian man with a secret past, a young Lithuanian nurse who has been repatriated to Germany because of her German mother, a young Polish girl, and a soldier assigned duty aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff. Though distantly connected to the author's novel Between Shades of Gray, Salt to the Sea tells a different story of the heartbreak of the largest maritime disaster during World War II - the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff.  

I love the detail and descriptive style of Ruta Sepetys' writing: "War had bled color from everything, leaving nothing but a storm of gray."  The cruelty of humanity, the injustice of war, and the cost to the innocent were primary themes reflected in the struggles of these characters.  An old shoemaker, traveling with the nurse, told the young Prussian, "There's a saying, 'Death hath a thousand doors to let out life; I shall find one.' But the children. That's what I struggle with." He shook his head. "Why the children?'" 

I was fortunate to meet Ruta when she spoke at the Arkansas Association of School Librarians' Conference in 2014 about her research and publication of Between Shades of Gray.   It astounds and amazes me the level of research that she does to publish her historical novels. This novel alone took her three years to research, and there is an appendix at the end of the book describing her research.  

Though sometimes historical fiction is a tough sell to students, this is one worth sharing.  I would love to hear comments about how you or your students like the novel.  Please share below.  

Here's a video of the author sharing about the novel:

AAIM 2016

I've just returned from sharing at AAIM 2016.  If you haven't attended an AAIM Conference, you are missing out. The annual AAIM conference is one of the best professional development opportunities in the state of Arkansas and such a great way to collaborate, learn and build connections.  This year I presented three sessions including Basic Google Forms, Advance Google Forms and 2016 YA Must Reads.  We had some awesome keynote speakers, and the conference committee and chair did a wonderful job.  I'm already looking forward to next year!  

Presenting the YA Lit session

Had a great time with my library peeps!

Welcome!  I'm looking forward to sharing about books, technology, and library happenings in this space.  Please feel free to comment.