Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely
perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins
receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2.
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted. Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowry’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this
novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The
responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages." I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Hyperlinks: Lois Lowry
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted.
Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowery’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages."
I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Book: Lois Lowry. The Giver. New York: Dell Laurel-Leaf, 1993. (Please link to author and/or publisher’s website.)
Awards: John Newberry Medal.
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Social Fiction.
Summary: Young Jonas lives in a society where everything is absolutely
perfect. That is, until he is chosen as the Receiver of Memories. He begins
receiving memories from people who have come before him. Jonas receives these memories and with the help of the Giver, is determined to share what he has discovered with the rest of his community
Audience: Personally I would use this book in a seventh or eighth grade class.
Themes: One of the biggest and most evident themes in this novel is the importance of memories to ones overall being. Without the presence of memories in ones life, pain and any other emotion is completely obsolete. There is no remembrance of past pain or even past happiness or joy. Throughout the novel, Jonas is given all of the memories of the past, in hopes that he will remember them and the community will never repeat them. He discovers that without memory, there can neither be pain nor true, pure happiness. This is a theme that to some may seem obvious, but when broken down it is evident how important our memory truly is.
A second theme that surfaces throughout the book is that of the individual. The importance of having the ability to create oneself and grow into the person you truly long to be. In this society we see in The Giver, there is absolutely none of this. We as readers discover that if we were not allowed to truly express ourselves, our quality of life would be seriously depleted. We do, however, see the development of Jonas as a character in the novel. He proves to us that although there is a certain way society expects us to develop, we do indeed have the ultimate decision in who we become.
Evidence: "For a contributing citizen to be released from the community was a final decision, a terrible punishment, an overwhelming statement of failure." Chapter 1, pg. 2.
I feel as though this is the first actual jarring statement of the novel. It really pushed me to keep reading...even if it was only two pages into the book!
"You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage." Chapter 8, pg. 63
This quote gives us insight to just how important Jonas was going to be to the community. He really had a large role and the outstanding courage it took for him to accept it should inspire readers.
Connections: This book could be used in connection with a number of different subject areas. An obvious one would be Language Arts. I think a fun activity would be to have students rewrite the ending of the book. Oftentimes people have differing views when it comes to the ending. It would be interesting to see the creativity of the kids in this area. It could also be used to compare governments or governing bodies of different countries. Students could choose a government and compare and contrast it with the one we see in the novel.
Reactions: I first read this book when I was in the seventh grade. I remember it being the best book I had read that year, so naturally it stuck out in my mind. I was excited to get the chance to read it again as a college student. I still really enjoyed this book. Jonas was an extremely easy character to relate to. I enjoyed seeing him develop through the novel. Unlike most people, I was intrigued by the ending of the book. I love that Lowry sort of left it up to the readers imagination to decide what happened.
Reception: "I found this book to be extremely enjoyable, eye-opening, and thought-provoking. It is simple in context but profound in meaning and thought. For this reason, it appeals to both an older and younger audience. The book leaves plenty of opportunities to ponder a different way of life. It really made me think about how I take my world for granted. Towards the end of the book Jonas is faced with death, or comes close to death. Lowry leaves the readers occasion to interpret the ending for themselves. I really liked how Lowry ends the book by making a familiar connection with a memory from earlier in the book. By doing this she ties the beginning with the end. Sometimes when writers leave questions unanswered it doesn’t work. But I found this method to be catchy and memorable, drawing the audience into the story and leaving them with a feeling of wonder. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for an eye-opening storyline and an enjoyable read. I definitely plan on reading more of Lois Lowry’s works. If they are as well written as The Giver is I know I will enjoy them."
This reader brings up great reasons behind reading this
novel.
Review 1
"Required reading by the students at a Middle School where I teach. I decided to read it in order to better assist the special needs students I work with. I wanted to help them understand and I also wanted to be able to answer their questions. The story starts out like any good plot should, but at some point about two-thirds to three-quarters of the way through, you reach a point where you realize that the author must have stopped writing for a considerable period and when she resumed, she had lost her original train of thought and went off on a completely illogical tangent that leads, ultimately, to a fizzled downer of an ending that seems to have been as others have said, a rush job to make it in time to the publishers. The question that I pose to all students who read it is, "If you could re-write the ending of this book, how would you end it?" The
responses are remarkably insightful, despite their middle school ages." I found this an interesting take on the writing found in the novel. I do however agree with the question she posed to the students. I would ask the same thing!
Review 2
Hyperlinks: Lois Lowry