New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys will speak to students in grades 7 and 8 on Feb. 3 at 9 a.m. in Morris Chapel. Parents are also welcome.
“We are so fortunate to be able to have such a celebrated author come to work with our children,” said Liz Koehler, Middle School librarian. “We strongly encourage all students in grades 7 and 8 to read her debut novel ‘Between Shades of Gray’ so that they might get the most out of her presentation.”
“Between Shades of Grey” chronicles the story of 15-year-old Lina Vilkas, who is arrested by the Soviet Secret Police in 1941 and deported to Siberia with her mother and younger brother. Her father is sentenced to death in a Soviet prison camp. Lina fights for her life, vowing that if she survives, she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by burying her complete story in a jar on Lithuanian soil. Lina’s writings chronicle her experience as well as her struggle to accept help from a kind Soviet guard she’s supposed to hate and retain her dignity without losing all faith for mankind.
“In writing ‘Between Shades of Gray,’ Ms. Sepetys wanted to give a voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives during Stalin’s cleansing of the Baltic region,” Koehler explained. “The story focuses on historical events that aren't often discussed in history classes in school.”
Published in March of this year, “Between Shades of Gray” has already received numerous accolades. Among other honors, it has been named a Top 10 Historical Fiction Book for Youth, one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books for Children 2011, one of School Library Journal’s Best Books of 2011, one of Amazon.com’s Best Young Adult Books of 2011, a New York Times Notable Book of 2011, and it has been nominated for the 2012 CILIP Carnegie Medal, an incredibly prestigious award for children’s authors. It has also already been translated into 27 languages.
“Because the story is told from the point of view of a teenage girl, readers are able to really understand what young Lithuanian refugees experienced during this time period,” Koehler said. “It’s my hope that students will relate to Lina and reflect on her situation. While heartbreaking, it’s also inspiring to see the resilience of the Lithuanian refugees. Lina, in particular, perseveres through strength, determination and creativity.”
Following Sepetys’ presentation in the chapel, she will conduct her writing workshop, “Story Sparks,” with all eighth-grade students.
“I find that some students are interested in writing but others feel that they’re not creative or could never do it. So, I use a series of visual prompts via PowerPoint and guide the students through story building exercises,” said Sepetys. “At the end of the workshop, each student has seven or eight unique story ideas/plots that they developed on their own. Generally, the students who didn’t consider themselves writers end up with some of the best ideas!”
Copies of “Between Shades of Grey” can be purchased in the Middle School Library for $12 each; checks should be made payable to Darlington School. The novel can also be purchased at Barnes & Noble, BN.com or Amazon.com, and downloaded on Nook, Kindle or other e-readers.
“This book will make a great holiday gift,” Koehler said. “I encourage you to read it alongside your children and to find opportunities to discuss some of the issues and situations in the book. The strength and endurance of familial love is a strong message in this book, and it is a powerful read for adults as well as young people.”
Students wishing to have their book signed by Sepetys may drop them off in the library prior to the visit.
For more information on Sepetys, visit www.rutasepetys.com.
