This book is Science Fiction ( )

The world Jonas lives in is perfect. Or is it? Lois Lowry creates a world in which everything has been carefully planned. The right career is chosen for you, the right spouse, the right food. The weather is unchanging, but the sky is never blue. When Jonas starts to train for his very special career assignment, The Receiver, he learns that his paradise is far from perfect.

This is an excellent book for students in 6th grade or older. It is the finest type of science fiction, commenting on society and making the reader question important issues such as conformity and the role of government in personal life. ( )

An awesome thought-provoking journey exploring the concept of ideal vs real life. Sad and sweet this tale explores the difficult choices made by Jonah to repatriate human- kind with their memories and true feelings.

Cool young adult sci-fi book. ( )

Jonas resides in a utopian community. When he was twelve during the Ceremony of Twelve he was given the assignment of the receiver which was rare considering that there was only one other receiver of memories. While in his training he learned shocking secrets about his community. In learning the secret, he experiences a more exciting reality.

This is a book that I read when I was in Advanced Reading in the 8th grade. This is a good book but meant for me advanced readers because the language can be very confusing.

1. Students should form discussion groups and talk about the book every 6 or 8 chapters.
2. Each student will write about there favorite memory in their journal.

In this book a boy named Jonas receives powers to see dreams from an old man he calls The Giver. Jonas also has to feel all the joy and all the pain in the communitie's dreams. ( )

The world Jonas lives in is perfect. Or is it? Lois Lowry creates a world in which everything has been carefully planned. The right career is chosen for you, the right spouse, the right food. The weather is unchanging, but the sky is never blue. When Jonas starts to train for his very special career assignment, The Receiver, he learns that his paradise is far from perfect.

The Giver is a provocative young adult novel, well deserving of the Newbury Award it received. A dystopia,it raises complex issues regarding family, equity, government, conformity, and euthanasia. In a middle school classroom, it creates stimulating conversations and encourages serious reflection. It is well-suited to cross curriculum projects with social studies.

From a literary perspective, one of the themes is the use of language and it can be leveraged to make students aware of the power of words. It is rich in symbolism and uses foreshadowing particularly well. Jonas, the main character, is well developed and evolves over the course of the story. An excellent example of the tension achieved is the opening of the 16th chapter:
"Jonas did not want to go back. He didn't want the memories, didn't want the honor, didn't want the wisdom, didn't want the pain. He wanted his childhood..."
The close of the novel is intentionally inconclusive and students are likely to have heartfelt discussions about its meaning. ( )

The Giver is about a boy, Jonas, who lives in a community where everyody and everything are the same. The people do not have choices, everything is decided for them. There are strict rules the people have to follow. When you turn 12 you are assigned a job. Jonas is chosen to be the towns next Reciever. He will recieve memories from the past before sameness, and use the memories to guide the community. During Jonas's training, he realizes what life would be like without sameness. Jonas has an important descion to make.

The Giver has been one of my favorite books for a long time. I really like how it shows another way to live with strict rules and no choices. I don't agree with every rule the community has, but there are some rules and regulations the community does that I think would help with our own lives.

This book would be a great debate book. You can have your class read it and have them discuss the differences of our community and the book's and discuss the advantages and disadvntages of the community in the book and our own community. Have the class discuss which community the prefer and why.

titlewave: http://titlewave.com/search?SID=1f0f9...

Newberry medal winner 1994

Genre: Science Fiction
Age Appropriateness: 5th + (Awesome for adults as well as children!)
Review: This book is a wonderful example of a science fiction for juvenile fiction because of it's ability to look into a future without decisions. The author uses this opportunity to explore free will and love without telling the reader exactly what to think. The reader is allowed to form their own opinion with the picture drawn already of what no free will or love might look like in reality.
Setting: The future! In today's culture we are allowed to make decisions for ourselves (within boundaries) and able to love. This book is set in a future time period when these things are not allowed or available. ( )

Genre: Science Fiction

Review: This is a good example of Science Fiction because it is about a society that lives completely differently from our own. The society believes in sameness, meaning every "family unit" is exactly the same, there is no free will, there are many many rules, there is no color or race, there is no lying or keeping of secrets, no one is allowed to be kept alive who is not perfect, and there are no emotions such as pain, happiness, love, etc. No one is aware of this fact except for the receivers of memory, who get all the memories from the previous reciever. They are then faced with the society that they have created and how unjust it is. The story is mainly about Jonas and how he is faced with these memories and what he does with them in this society.

Media: the cover is a photograph

Age Appropriateness: Intermediate, high school

Character: The protagonist in this story is Jonas. He lives a normal life until he receives the job of receiver, then he is faced with all of the wrongdoings of the society he lives in and does his best to do what's right to fix it and to save the life of a young child about to be murdered.

Fantastic book! About futuristic societies and the importance of keeping our human characteristics. ( )

The Giver is about a community that is based on very rigid rules so that all live equally, and more specifically it is about a young boy and the elder who is training him to take over the position of Receiver. This is a suspensful book that will keep any young reader wanting to turn the pages. It is also an eye-opener about how things work in societies and different communities. When Jonas because to discover things he had never known it is very overwhelming for him as a child, and as someone who has no way of sharing his experience with anyone else. I recommend this book for every library, but especially my library (medium public library). It is an award-winner for a reason. ( )

he's called the giver cuz he gives you shit, get it? ( )

This book has a strange effect on me. I don't have much to say about it beyond that -- I'm sure anything I might say has already been said in the 334 other reviews. ( )

I am haunted by this story. Told thru the eyes of 12 year old Jonas, we learn what it's like to live in sameness. Everyone is expected to conform, a job is bestowed upon you at age 12, there are no colors, there is no sunshine, there are no such things as feelings... until Jonas is assigned to be the new Receiver, whose job it is is to be the keeper of all the memories from way back, and back and back. As Jonas learns the memories that came before him, he learns what it's like to be an individual, to see colors, to feel emotion. He wants these same things for his family and friends, and in the untimate act of unselfish sacrifice he tries to do just that... It is a powerful novel and I am amazed that the words have not lost their power some 15 years after it was written. ( )

From the back of the book:

There was absolutely nothing remarkable about the apple. Jonas had tossed it back and forth between his hands a few times, and then thrown it. And - in the air, for an instant only - it had changed.

It is the future. There is no war, no hunger, no pain. No one in the community wants for anything. Jonas's life is simple, filled with routine and small pleasures. But everything changes on the day of the Ceremony. From the moment Jonas is selected as the Receiver of Memory for the Community, his life will never be the same.

My thoughts:

The easiest way to describe this book is as Nineteen Eighty-Four for children, but that would be selling it short. Although written for children, this book easily engaged me. Jonas is a likeable character, and I couldn't help rooting for him.

One of the rules of the community in which Jonas lives is that all members should speak with a 'precision of language'. This precision of language is refected in the tight, spare prose used to tell the story. Not a word is wasted, and it is a delight to read. The images evoked are vivid and the weirdness of a near-emotion-free community is quite unnerving at times, as is the whole idea of Sameness. The story made me grateful for all the freedom of choice I have, even taking into account all the pain and suffering that can come with it. A world without choice, without colour, without music, without love would not be a world that I would want to live in.

I'll be keeping this book on my bookshelf so that I can pass it to my own children, both for their enjoyment and their education. ( )

Enjoyable book on a utopian society - main theme is sameness vs diversity ( )

I feel as if I've come late to the party on this one, a thought-provoking ‘dystopia’ novel that starts off by showing what seems like an idyllic society, and gradually reveals its dark undertones ...

Jonah lives in a tightly regulated community that seems wonderful on the surface. Parents encourage their children to share their feelings after dinner, and Elders carefully observe the children as they approach the age of 12, and assign them to a profession best suiting their interests and abilities.

Needless to say, all is not as rosy as it appears, and the book raises some interesting themes about memory, and the importance of some of the less pleasant/ more problematic aspects of our lives (pain, conflict, differences, confusion, doubt, and uncertainty).

I wanted to love this story, but found that for me, the implausibility of some aspects of the society at times took me out of the philosophical realm and back into the mundane/ practical. I'm not sure that this is necessarily a fair criticism, though, and the book certainly works very well as allegory.

I certainly did find myself thinking about the issues it raised long after I had closed the pages and put it away ... ( )

Jonas, a twelve, suffers anxiety waiting for his assignment (profession) by the community elders. His assignment will lead to him learning the truth about his community, about his family, about his destiny, and will lead him into conflict with the way things have been "all these generations, back and back and back" (155).

Jonas is a believable youth, above average in most regards, but thoughtful, aware and compassionate. Through his eyes we learn about the realities of his community, share with his reactions and understand as he does -- he grows believably. The side characters, though mostly holding relatively small roles, function well, and in a manner consistant with the story. The plot is solid, and has enough foreshadowing and suspense to keep the reader engaged. The setting, the most critical part in this book, is well constructed, and complete, complementing the plot and characters well. The Giver speaks well of the truth that a life worth living is one of choice, one of both joy and pain, one of love and loss, sacrifice and hope. Lowry's style is accessible to a a forth grader, but is not overly simplistic. She writes with an understanding of the meaning of words (which is important to the plot as well).

This is an award winner and an instant classic for a reason. Any library collecting media for youth should have at least one copy -- it will circulate. A lot. ( )

Review by ERAC
http://www.bcerac.ca/Resources/Evalua... ( )

I've waited a few weeks before reviewing Lois Lowry's Newbery Award-winning book, The Giver, because my first inclination is to say: read it. It's awesome. The end. I am not a big reader of science fiction, although on the off chances I do read the genre, I usually find myself enjoying it. One reason I fear I don't venture into science fiction too often is that it's hard to read reviews about the books without learning too much about them, and I like to know as little as possible going into books. With that in mind, I'll try to review this brilliant book giving away as few details as possible.

The Giver is told from the point-of-view of Jonas, an almost-twelve-year-old boy. As the story unfolds, it becomes more and clear Jonas lives in a very different world than we do. Details of when and where are scarce, as it is all Jonas knows. The reader is along for the ride as Jonas learns more and more about the community he lives in.

One of the things I've loved most about my immersion into children's literature this semester has been the coming of age story. I don't think it's a coincidence so many narrators of children's books; it's the magical age of intellectual awakening it seems. Jonas is a great narrator. He's thoughtful, kind, and increasingly skeptical. Lowry does a marvelous job of telling the story through Jonas's eyes but leaving clues for the reader to pick up on before even Jonas himself does. This layering of knowledge provides suspense on two levels: the reader wonders what really is going on in this strange world and when and if Jonas will fully realize it as well.

I cannot recommend The Giver highly enough. It's a fascinating novel, and although it's intended for upper-elementary students, it's appropriate for teenagers and adults too.

(Yes, I also realize most everyone with even a passing interest in children's literature read this novel fifteen years ago, and I am ridiculously late to praise it, but I am anyway). ( )

The setting for The Giver is an Orwellian society in which there is no crime, pollution, war, or pain. It has been said that all great literature is controversial, and this book is no exception. Ms. Lowry understands that violence is a necessary and integral part of any utopian society. Rather than avoid this distasteful aspect of an ideal world, Ms. Lowry’s novel portrays in shocking detail the violence inflicted on children to force their compliance; it even describes the ultimate violence, “release,” a euphemism for murder. From the first page, language controls the thoughts of Jonas, the book's 12-year-old protagonist, and prevents him from getting help or even discussing problems with his parents or friends. He is faced with the choice to either escape or stay and be a silent witness to the “release” of his beloved, yet cranky, baby brother. The Giver is the only one willing to help Jonas, and he also chooses self-sacrifice over the continuation of a life that is a lie. The ending leaves many questions and much for readers to think about. ( )

A sort of 1984 for the tween crowd, The Giver is the coming of age story of Jonas, a citizen of a community that embraces Sameness. The Sameness means that everyone can live a safe, comfortable life but making choices is impossible and breaking the rules deadly -- not that anyone has much interest in doing either of these things anyway. Joseph is a model citizen until he is chosen to become The Giver, the one person in the whole community who carries memories of the world's real history and emotion. The more he learns of the truth -- both good and bad -- the less idyllic his homeland seems.

The first 120 pages of the book are the strongest. Each chapter offers a few tantalizing revelations about the community that propel the reader eagerly forward, and the end result is an impressively detailed imaginary universe that presents surprisingly complex themes for a book aimed at young readers. Even though I sometimes felt bored by the simplistic (but age-appropriate) writing style, I appreciated the way this book made me think.

This is why I felt so disappointed when the book faltered into cliche near the end. In a formula common to nearly all young adult literature, Jonas embarks on a quest that tests his courage, his determination, and his ability to live without a beloved mentor. The ending seemed abrupt, as if Lowry didn't quite know what to do with the complicated world that she created. Not only was the climax of the book sudden, it felt unsatisfying. Although I like ambiguous endings, I think a good author leaves enough clues for readers to guess what happened, but here, I felt the vague resolution was just an excuse for the writer not to make hard decisions.

Still, I recognize that in my complaints, I am evaluating the book by adult criteria. As a piece of young adult literature, The Giver is outstanding, and parents or teachers would find it rewarding to share with middle school aged children. However, I don't think adults would find it a satisfying read on their own. ( )

There's nothing wrong with the themes explored within The Giver as there isn't anything, at least particularly, wrong with the way Lois Lowry explores them. The book could easily be labeled a success -- it's sincere, reasonably easy to grasp, and potentially the stuff of very profitable discussion. But it's a familiar song all the same: Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Brave New World... if there's an anti-utopian book out there that doesn't spring to mind as you read The Giver then you haven't read that anti-utopian book. Given the sophistication of the themes presented I'd recommend The Road (McCarthy) over this; it's just as readable and doesn't have the barely perceptible coating of sugar that Lowry uses to keep those pages turning. ( )