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The Giver by Lois Lowry

Start date: January 1, 2010

Finish date: January 31, 2010

Discussion: 2010 Book of Month

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Sheila

(page 178 of 208)
— Oct 27, 2008 11:25AM

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Oct 10, 2007

Fenixbird SandS rated it:

bookshelves: newberry-award-honors, science-fiction

Read in March, 2009

recommended to Fenixbird by: Ms Raines Middle school teacher
recommends it for: Students Youth Philosophical

Recommended on this site (by Lisa, Sarah, Matt & Keely) Nobel prize winner...Found it at our local used bookstore/media store (Bookman's)! Bought it both on tape AND paperback!...PLOT THEMES (FROM WIKIPEDIA..)The critical reception of Lowry's work has been polarized. On the one hand, one finds critics like Anita Silvey, whose 100 Best Books for Children calls The Giver one of the 1990s' greatest science fiction novels for children and young adults.[2][3] A review in the Christian Science Monito...more Recommended on this site (by Lisa, Sarah, Matt & Keely) Nobel prize winner...Found it at our local used bookstore/media store (Bookman's)! Bought it both on tape AND paperback!...PLOT THEMES (FROM WIKIPEDIA..)The critical reception of Lowry's work has been polarized. On the one hand, one finds critics like Anita Silvey, whose 100 Best Books for Children calls The Giver one of the 1990s' greatest science fiction novels for children and young adults.[2][3] A review in the Christian Science Monitor says, "Lowry's powerful book, simply and directly written, offers an inspiring defense of freedom. Both adventurous and skillfully plotted, this book is recommended for young readers 8 and up."[4]

The Giver has become something of a canonical work among educators who believe that young adult audiences respond best to contemporary literature. These teachers postulate that "teenagers need a separate body of literature written to speak directly to the adolescent experience [...] and plots that revolve around realistic, contemporary topics". (Of course, Lowry's futuristic setting means that this particular young adult book can only address "contemporary topics" in an allegorical fashion, a point which raises questions of its own.) In this view, a "classics-only" curriculum can stunt a developing reader's appetite for words; there are naturally teachers who argue the opposite side of the argument, and press to keep older works on the reading lists.[5]

Lowry's most celebrated and controversial novel has also found a home in "City Reads" programs, library-sponsored reading clubs on city-wide or larger scales. Waukesha County, Wisconsin and Milwaukee County, Wisconsin chose to read The Giver, for example, as did Middletown, Connecticut; Bloomington, Illinois; Valparaiso, Indiana; Rochester, Minnesota; Central Valley, New York; Centre County, Pennsylvania; Montgomery County, Maryland and others.[6][7]

Some adult reviewers writing for adults have commented that the story is not likely to stand up to the sort of probing literary criticism used in "serious" circles. For instance, 50 children are born each year by the group of "birthmothers" who each have 3 children — therefore 17 new "birthmothers" are required each year, even though this profession is looked down upon in the book. Karen Ray, writing in the New York Times, detects "occasional logical lapses", but quickly adds that the book "is sure to keep older children reading. And thinking".[8] In a similar vein, Natalie Babbitt of the Washington Post calls Lowry's work "a warning in narrative form", saying:

The story has been told before in a variety of forms—Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 comes to mind—but not, to my knowledge, for children. It's well worth telling, especially by a writer of Lowry's great skill. If it is exceedingly fragile—if, in other words, some situations don't survive that well-known suspension of disbelief—well, so be it. The Giver has things to say that can't be said too often, and I hope there will be many, many young people who will be willing to listen.[9]

Another recurrent theme was the very fragile balance between utopia and dystopia. At the beginning of the book Jonas has entire trust in his community. But then a change provoked by his new-come knowledge made him see how very deprived the Community and its members were of all "real" life. Throughout the book the reader is led to wondering whether an actual utopia exists....
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Oct 20, 2007

Fenixbird SandS rated it:

(review of isbn 055347359X)

Read in September, 2008

recommends it for: Youth Sci Fi Newberry Medal Winner

1994 Newberry Medal Winning author Lois Lowry for this book and for Number the Stars....Actor Ron Rifkin narrates (reads I mean) this fiction book for youth.

Required reading in Texas when he was in Junior High School near El Paso (& he is in perhaps his late 20's)...

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Oct 20, 2007

Fenixbird SandS rated it:

(review of isbn 0440237688)

Read in September, 2008

recommends it for: Youth Sci Fi

required in the 7th graders' class!

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