Chapter Book #3 - Newbery Medal

Title:  The Giver

Author:  Lois Lowry

Illustrator:   Lois Lowry

Genre:  Juvenile  Fiction

Subgenre:  Science Fiction and Science Fantasy

Themes: communities, living in black and white, supernatural powers, family life, adolescence, exploring the beyond, age

Primary and Secondary Characters:  Jonas, The Giver, Jonas's family (Mother, Father and Lily), Asher, Gabriel, Fiona, the community people, the Elders

Awards:  1994 Newbery Medal Winner

Date of Publication: 1993

Publishing Company:  Houghton Mifflin Company

Summary:

Jonas is just a young Eleven when he is chosen to become the next "Receiver or Memory."  Not knowing what his chosen job assignment meant, he was terrified.  The community in which Jonas lived in could be considered a "pleasantville," in which everything and everyone was perfect.  Very seldom did anyone get into trouble, and everyone used proper grammar and respected each other.  Everyone's feelings and emotions were controlled by a pill, but everyone could feel compassionate for their families and jobs.  Instead of dying, people were "released."  Their community was small yet big enough and everyone had a job.  Children had names but were mostly categorized by their ages (Sevens, Eights, Tens, etc.) until they reached Twelve.  After Twelve, you were chosen for your job assignment within the community and you were then trained until you became sufficient enough to work on your own.  Well, this was now Jonas's time.  He had gotten his new job and was scared to know what would become of him.  He went to his workplace and met The Giver.  This was who Jonas was replacing.  The Giver would transfer memories, good and bad, to Jonas that included snow, warmth, love and warfare.  Overwhelmed by these new memories, Jonas questions the being of his own community and becomes to view it as hypocritical.  He decides to flee the community with the help of The Giver and journeys through the night.  He takes Gabriel along, a One that he grew close to whom his family raised in their dwelling.  Together they escape what little they had known and discover "elsewhere" after a challenged journey.

How it will be used in the classroom:
This would be an incredible book for students in either 5th or 6th grade to read.  This book requires so much imagination, and best of all, it makes you think.  I would love to read this book in my classroom if I taught 5th or 6th grade because I truly think that the students would engage in the story line.  It would be a great opportunity for students to share what type of community they would like to live in if they could.  Or, to be given such an honorable job like The Giver, and to know what memories they'd like to share with someone.