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Newbery Review: This was a solid book, bringing historical awareness to events usually eclipsed by the atrocities committed by Nazis. However, I'm not sure what this book says (theme), other than what happened to the victims were terrible and it was the luck of the draw for who survived. Although the main character does survive, I don't think it's a book about hope. All I came away with from that book is more awareness about those historical events, not much of a feeling that it is powerful or moving, which I tend to think that such survivalist books should convey. I think of Night by Elie Wiesel, and how powerful that short book is. The big difference is that Night is a memoir and not fiction, like Between Shades of Gray. This is just me being properly critical, as such is required in placing it among the best of children's literature. The book is well-written and the subject matter different. I would readily recommend it to kids wanting to read historical fiction about that time period.

2023-05-30 10:20