The Giver is an amazing novel that lays out the details of a whole world in only 192 pages. It is so well crafted that every sentence and section work together not only to explain this strange world, but also to create an emotional impact upon the reader.

Jonas seems like any normal boy from our day and age, but the main difference lies in his surroundings. But not all is as it seems, and one by one the reader's assumptions of what is normal are stripped away as different aspects of the society are revealed.

At first those differences don't seem that strange. Things like yearly ceremonies where each age group advances to the next level of learning are similar enough to modern graduation ceremonies that they wouldn't raise an eyebrow. Other aspects (which I won't list here because I don't want to spoil it for anyone) are more surprising.

What I liked the most about this book was that it encompassed a whole world in such a short span of pages, and it made me feel deeply about the people of that world. I was hopeful for Jonas and his friends, and heartbroken over the lot of the Giver.

There were some aspects of the story that were not fully explained and so the reader is left to wonder how certain processes work (such as the transfer of memories). As long as you are able to accept that some things work a certain way without having an explanation of why they work that way, then it is no obstacle to enjoying the plot.

I highly recommend this book to everyone! It is going on my list of all time favorites. When I finished it I found myself thinking about it for days; pondering the ending and what it really meant. I found out that there are two sequels called Gathering Blue (which is a story with all different characters) and Messenger (which ties all of the books together) that clear up some of the ambiguity about the ending. I'm sure I will read them at some point, but right now I'm still mulling over and savoring the story of The Giver. ( )

first read in when I was 8. Would recommend it! ( )

Newberry Medal Winner. Suitable for a variety of age levels and reading levels. Goes well with other units.

I can see why this book is a favorite for literature teachers. The tale is well crafted, engaging, and thought provoking. There are so many hot topics: education, euthanasia, surrogate pregnancy, designer babies, adoption, arranged marriage, and governmental power and control. It is hard not to find comparisons to the educational system, childhood, society with the world Lowry creates. Her society has perfected the practice protecting itself from itself, embracing "sameness" while apologizing for free thought. ( )

Jonas lives in a world that many of us have longed for. There is no war, poverty, or family turmoil, and so no fear, no hardship, no everyday discontent, no long-term terror. Jonas lives with his father, who's a Nurturer at the childcare center; his mother, who works at the Department of Justice; and his sister, Lily, who is a Six.
Jonas himself is soon to be a Twelve, an important age because each year at the annual Ceremony all the 12-years-olds in the community receive their life assignments from the Elders. Jonas is named to the most prestigious and unusual job in the community--the Receiver of Memory. There is only one Receiver, and when he grows old, he trains his successor.
Jonas is both puzzled and frightened by his job, which requires him to receive all the memories of their world and the land that lies beyond their community. What the former Receiver, now the Giver, has to tell Jonas rocks the boy's sense of self and turns inside out the life he has known.
Jonas had always thought Release simply meant going Elsewhere, but now he knows what the term's real meaning is. The baby their family has been raising will be (released) killed. So to save Gabriel, and with the Giver's help, Jonas decides to flee to Elsewhere. the tension heightens as Jonas and Gabriel dodge search parties and airplanes, face starvation, and become weaker seeking a better place. Jonas and Gabriel, freezing, starving, very near death, finally see the lights and hear the music of Elsewhere. But have they arrived? Or, have they died? ( )