Synopses & Reviews
Y'Tin is brave. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;No one in his village denies thatand#8212;his mother may wish that heand#8217;d spend more time on school work than on elephant training, but still she knows that it takes a great deal of courage and calm to deal with elephants the way that Y'Tin does. He is almost the best trainer in the villageand#8212;and, at twelve-years old, heand#8217;s certainly the youngest. Maybe heand#8217;ll even open up his own school some day to teach other Montagnards how to train wild elephants? That was the plan anywayand#8212;back before American troops pulled out of the Vietnam War, back before his village became occupied by Viet Cong forces seeking revenge, back before Y'Tin watched his life change in a million terrible ways. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Now, his bravery is truly put to the test: he can stay in his village, held captive by the Viet Cong or he can risk his life (and save his elephantand#8217;s) by fleeing into the jungle. The Montagnards know their surroundings well. After all, this is why Y'Tinand#8217;s village had become loyal US allies during the war, having been tapped by Special Forces for their tracking skills and familiarity with the jungle. But that also means that Y'Tin knows how unsafe it can beand#8212;and how much danger he is in if he chooses to head out with no destination in mind. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;At once heartbreaking and full of hope, Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohataand#8217;s exploration into the depth of the jungle and the not-so-distant past brings us close to a world few people know aboutand#8212;and none will ever forget. Y'Tinand#8217;s story is one of lasting friendships, desperate choices and all that we lose when we are forced to change.
Synopsis
Y'Tin is brave.
No one in his village denies that his mother may wish that he d spend more time on school work than on elephant training, but still she knows that it takes a great deal of courage and calm to deal with elephants the way that Y'Tin does. He is almost the best trainer in the village and, at twelve-years old, he s certainly the youngest. Maybe he ll even open up his own school some day to teach other Montagnards how to train wild elephants? That was the plan anyway back before American troops pulled out of the Vietnam War, back before his village became occupied by Viet Cong forces seeking revenge, back before Y'Tin watched his life change in a million terrible ways.
Now, his bravery is truly put to the test: he can stay in his village, held captive by the Viet Cong or he can risk his life (and save his elephant s) by fleeing into the jungle. The Montagnards know their surroundings well. After all, this is why Y'Tin s village had become loyal US allies during the war, having been tapped by Special Forces for their tracking skills and familiarity with the jungle. But that also means that Y'Tin knows how unsafe it can be and how much danger he is in if he chooses to head out with no destination in mind.
At once heartbreaking and full of hope, Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Kadohata s exploration into the depth of the jungle and the not-so-distant past brings us close to a world few people know about and none will ever forget. Y'Tin s story is one of lasting friendships, desperate choices and all that we lose when we are forced to change."
Synopsis
Y’Tin is known throughout his Vietnam village as being brave, possessing the calm and courage needed to expertly train wild elephants. But when American troops—who Y’Tin’s people, the Dega, have been helping—pull out of the Vietnam War, his village is attacked by North Vietnamese forces seeking revenge. Thirteen-year-old Y’Tin watches his life change in a million terrible ways and his bravery is put to a new test: He must choose between staying captive or saving his elephant’s life by fleeing into the dangerous depths of the jungle. At once heartbreaking and full of hope, A Million Shades of Gray brings young readers close to a world few know about—and none will ever forget.
About the Author
Cynthia Kadohata is the author of the Newbery Medaland#8211;winning book andlt;Iandgt;Kira-Kira, andlt;/Iandgt;the National Book Award winner andlt;Iandgt;The Thing About Luckandlt;/Iandgt;, the Jane Addams Peace Award and Pen USA Award winner andlt;iandgt;Weedflowerandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;Cracker!, Outside Beautyandlt;/iandgt;, andlt;iandgt;A Million Shades of Grayandlt;/iandgt;, and several critically acclaimed adult novels, including andlt;iandgt;The Floating Worldandlt;/iandgt;. She lives with her son and dog in West Covina, California.