The inspiration for the major motion picture Ashes in the Snow

"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." --The Washington Post

From New York Times and international bestseller and Carnegie Medal winner Ruta Sepetys, author of Salt to the Sea, comes a story of loss and of fear -- and ultimately, of survival.

A New York Times notable book
An international bestseller
A Carnegie Medal nominee
A William C. Morris Award finalist
A Golden Kite Award winner

Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life -- until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive?

A moving and haunting novel perfect for readers of The Book Thief.

Praise for Between Shades of Gray

"Superlative. A hefty emotional punch." --The New York Times Book Review

"Heart-wrenching . . . an eye-opening reimagination of a very real tragedy written with grace and heart." --The Los Angeles Times

"At once a suspenseful, drama-packed survival story, a romance, and an intricately researched work of historial fiction." --The Wall Street Journal

* "Beautifully written and deeply felt . . . An important book that deserves the widest possible readership." --Booklist, starred review

"A superlative first novel. A hefty emotional punch."--The New York Times Book Review

"A brilliant story of love and survival."--Laurie Halse Anderson, bestselling author of Speak and Wintergirls

* "Beautifully written and deeply felt...an important book that deserves the widest possible readership."--Booklist, Starred Review

Binding Type: Hardcover
Publisher: Philomel Books
Published: 03/22/2011
ISBN: 9780399254123
Pages: 344
Weight: 1.01lbs
Size: 8.51h x 5.89w x 1.11d
Award: Virginia Readers Choice Award - Nominee
Award: Young Hoosier Book Award - Nominee
Award: Golden Sower Award - Nominee
Award: Nevada Young Readers' Award - Nominee
Award: South Carolina Childrens, Junior and Young Adult Book Award - Nominee
Award: Iowa Teen Award - Nominee
Award: Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers - Honor Book
Award: Kentucky Bluegrass Award - Nominee
Award: Black-Eyed Susan Award - Nominee
Award: Texas Lone Star Reading List - Commended
Award: Tayshas Reading - Commended
Award: Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens - Recommended
Award: Eliot Rosewater Indiana High School Book Award - Nominee
Award: Grand Canyon Reader Award - Recommended
Award: Volunteer State Book Awards - Nominee
Award: Volunteer State Book Awards - Winner
Award: Colorado Blue Spruce Award - Nominee
Award: Rhode Island Teen Book Award - Nominee
Award: Sequoyah Book Awards - Nominee
Award: Sequoyah Book Awards - Nominee
Award: Beehive Awards - Nominee
Award: Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award - Second Place
Award: Golden Kite - Winner
Award: Evergreen Young Adult Book Award - Nominee
Award: Young Reader's Choice Award - Nominee
Award: Indies Choice Book Awards - Winner
Award: William C. Morris YA Debut Award - Finalist
Award: Cybils - Finalist
Award: Gateway Readers Award - Nominee

Review Citations: School Library Journal 03/01/2011 pg. 170
Voice of Youth Advocates 04/01/2011 - Recommended - Better Than Most
Entertainment Weekly 03/25/2011 pg. 82
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 05/01/2011
New York Times Book Review 04/17/2011 pg. 22
New York Times Book Review 04/10/2011 pg. 16
Horn Book Magazine 05/01/2011 pg. 103
Publishers Weekly 01/03/2011
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2011
Booklist 02/01/2011 pg. 68
Romantic Times 03/01/2011 pg. 52 - Excellent
Publishers Weekly Best Books 11/07/2011 pg. 42
NY Times Notable Bks of Year 12/04/2011 pg. 33
Shelf Awareness 01/01/0001
Kirkus Best Young-Adult Books 12/01/2011 pg. 2223
Booklist Ed Choice Youth 01/01/2012 pg. 12
SLJ's Best Books 12/01/2011 pg. 32

Accelerated Reader Quiz #/Name: 142569 / Between Shades of Gray
Reading Level: 3.6 / Interest Level: Middle Grade Plus / Point Value: 9