Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.

This is considered a teen book because the story is told from the point of view of a teenager. However many adults would find this a tough read because it deals with some horrific circumstances. Although the story is fiction it is clearly based on the experiences of thousands of Lithuanians who suffered under Stalin's iron-fisted rule of the Soviet Union. It is a harrowing read but Lina's courage shines through and it is a gripping story. A 5/5 star read and a book recommended by the Wrappers. 

Reviewed by Carolyn

The Wrappers Recommend

Books recommended by the Wrappers at the October meeting:

Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix

Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard

Charlie Parker series by John Connolly

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Carpet Wars by Christopher Kremmer

Volunteens Opportunity

Want to gain some work experience?
Do you have a couple of hours or so to spare each week in January?
Are you aged 15-18?
Would you like to help with our children's Summer Reading Programme?

We need volunteers to help children report in for the Summer Reading Programme. It's an opportunity for you to get some work experience (we supply a letter of reference acknowledging your commitment), contribute to your community and hopefully have some fun as well!

More information and the application form is available on the Volunteens page of the library website or email Carolyn at carolyn.knight@kapiticoast.govt.nz

Answer a Question and Win

If you are participating in the Reading Challenge you'll know there are ten categories of books. Some are probably easier than others to complete. Take a look at the list below. Even if you're not doing the challenge think about which category is the hardest/least appealing/biggest challenge for you. Perhaps you've put one or two in the too hard basket and are reading more than one from another category. It's a personal challenge, not a test, so it's OK to do that. 

Indicate in the survey form below the most challenging category (or categories) for you.
Open to Kāpiti District residents only. The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on Friday 8 October. 

The Reading Challenge - the Wrappers Recommend

The Reading Challenge is on now for all readers aged 13-99 who would like to be involved in an easy library run challenge that simply involves choosing, reading and reviewing books. Even the reviewing part is optional but you could win a basket of goodies if you submit a review. 

The Wrappers are encouraging readers of all ages to read teen books and there are many that appeal to adults as well as teens. The list of top recommended books from the last Wrappers meeting is below. The photos and reviews from the meeting are on display in Paraparaumu Library as are books for people to borrow and the list in paper form.  

I am Not Esther  /  Fleur Beale  (NZ author)

The Hunger Games  /  Suzanne Collins (became a movie)

One  /  Sarah Crossan

The Maze Runner  /  James Dashner  (became a movie)

The Fault in our Stars  /  John Green  (became a movie)

Dear Vincent  /  Mandy Hager  (NZ & Kapiti Coast author)

The Giver  /  Lois Lowry (became a movie)

Tomorrow When The War Began  /  John Marsden (became a movie)

Wonder / R J Palacio

Northern Lights  /  Philip Pullman (became a movie)

Divergent  /  Veronica Roth (became a movie)

Between Shades of Gray  /  Ruta Sepetys

The Raven Boys  /  Maggie Steifvater

Black Butler  /  Yana Toboso (gaphic novel—manga)

The Book Thief  /  Marcus Zusak (became a movie)

Winnie Wins Teen Category of Poetry Competition

Congratulations to one of the Wrappers, Winnie Van't Hof-Pacheco, who won the teen category of the 2016 Kāpiti District Libraries Poetry Competition.  The theme was winter and/or Matariki and Winnie has beautifully combined the themes to produce the wonderful poem below called Statues.

Glistening from cold

the Seven Statues of ice lay frozen

Skin as blue as the glassy lake

their hands danced upon

they lay still and cold

Eyes like pools of hopes

Drowning in the snow

The cold of their hearts begin to thaw

their icy glare softens

as they see their snowy white image

stretching before their eyes

day by wretched day

they would lay being vain

begging the sun for

just one more minute of the day

until the sun went away

and the moon came to play

behind the clouds he would hide

In fear that his mind

Would fall in love with these girls

And their selfish eyes

Until the day came, he would play this game

Once every new year till they melted away

Answer a question and win

The Reading Challenge starts soon! It's a fun personal challenge to read a variety of books and it's open to everyone from age 13 and up who use Kāpiti District Libraries. One of the categories is to read a book recommended by a librarian or Wrapper. If you could recommend one book from the teen collection that you think adults would enjoy as well as teens what would it be?

Fill in the title of the book in the Google Form below and be in to win a brand new book. Open to Kāpiti District residents only. The winner will be drawn at the next Wrappers meeting on Friday 2 September.