Hedges Library Director Julie King, Ruta Sepetyz, Middle School librarian Karen Padilla, and Headmaster Scott Wilson
Ruta Sepetys, author of Between Shades of Gray, visited the Baylor campus Friday and addressed students in Upper School and Middle School assemblies.
Between Shades of Gray, Ms. Sepetys' first novel, is fictional but based on actual events experienced by members of her own family. It tells the story of Lina, a young Lithuanian girl, her mother, and younger brother as they are swept away to a Siberian work camp during the Stalinist repression in the mid-20th century.
Ms. Sepetys spoke of her novel, the story behind it, the research process she undertook to write the novel, and the power of writing, story-telling, and books.
On the recommendation of Karen Padilla, Baylor's Middle School librarian, Between Shades of Gray was the required reading for grades 7-12 this past summer. "When I first read the book right after its release, I knew instantly that middle school students would find it compelling," says Ms. Padilla. "I've been recommending it to middle school students ever since. More than any other book I recommend, students tell me that it's one of the best books they've ever read. Last spring when (former Baylor librarian) Milly Rawlings was working on the summer reading list, she asked me if I could think of any book that might work as an all-school read. I immediately suggested Between Shades of Gray."
Ms. Rawlings, English Department Chair Amy Cohen, and new Hedges Library Director Julie King arranged the visit by Ms. Sepetys.