Book Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Bantam Books
Copyright Date: 1993
Genre: Science Fiction
Brief Annotation: We meet Jonas, the story’s main character, as he approaches his twelfth birthday. In this society, turning twelve is met with much anticipation, excitement, and uncertainty. You see, when children turn twelve they are given their assignment – the work they will do for the rest of their lives. Twelves take some comfort in knowing that the Committee of Elders has been studying them closely to determine the most appropriate assignment, but the ceremony where assignments are given cannot come faster enough or be further away. Jonas lives in a society of “sameness” – there is no individuality or choice. There is no pain or fear in this society. Through the journey of Jonas and his assignment, many questions will stir inside you, challenge you, and perhaps make you see your own life a little differently.
Your Rating (1-5) and why: 5 – This class has made me aware of and given me the push to read so many fantastic books, and The Giver is one of those books. This is quite the page-turner. I found it to be creative and thought provoking. It’s so interesting to think what it would be like to live in a world as described in the book. There is so much wonderful content in here for discussion with students and it would be fun to hear their insights and reflections on this book. Plus, I loved the moment (because I didn’t see that answer coming) when you find out what’s going on with the apple – I gasped out loud and had quite a reaction to that aspect of their life. That was just the beginning of reveals and reactions to come.
Readers who will like this book: I think this book would be enjoyed by a broad range of early teens and teens (and adults). Even someone who typically doesn’t gravitate towards science fiction-type stories (like myself) will be captivated by this story.
Question to ask about this book before a read aloud: What if you could choose to live without pain and fear, would you? What if that also meant giving up knowing the feelings of love and joy?
Interest Level (age): 11-14
Grade Level Equivalent (grade): 5.9
List awards: Newbery Medal Book, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Notable Children's Book
I apprecaite teh way your summaries of books often also incude your in-the-moment reaction--like this summary does. There are a lot of "wow" moments when reading The Giver. The whole idea of standardizing a society to create fairness will naturally give rise to an author's vision of what the consequences would be. Kids like to answer this question, too--what would your utopian society look like?
ReplyDeleteI'm curious: What did you think of the ending. It's rather ambiguous, yes? Does Jonah live? Does he arrive in a new and better world? Kids love to debate this question, and asking them to provide evidence for their opinion is a great way to promote using evidence in a text to support an opinion.
Your pre-reading suggestions promise to spark conversation about what we're willing to give up in exchange for making life better in some ways. There's a theme building here, that's for sure. Something around the lines of "be careful what you wish for!" or "we need rainy days to help us appreciate the sun". Do you see where I'm going here?
I can see The Giver as part of a textset on dystopian societies, couldn't you? This theme is all the rage right now, with The Hunger Games, City of Ember, The Maze Runner . . . these are all series set in a futuristic, not pleasant society.