"The Giver" | Book Blog 5

Title: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

Illustrator for the cover art: Cliff Nielsen

Genre: Science Fiction

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Copyright: 1994

Pages: 240

                                                 

     This story follows a boy named Jonas who lives in a seemingly perfect world. In Jonas's wold there are no memories of war, or fear, no sickness, no pain, and ultimately no choice. In this world, when children turn 12 they are assigned a job for the rest of their lives, and Jonas is tasked with being the next Receiver of Memories. Once Jonas begins his training with The Giver he discovers all kinds of secrets about the world he lives in and the world before him that everyone else has forgotten. What will Jonas do with this new information he has been given? Pick up a copy of The Giver and join Jonas on his journey to find out.

     The only illustration in this book is the cover art done by Cliff Nielsen. I think that the cover art does a good job of foreshadowing the idea that there is something hidden before you even start to read the book.

     

     I would like to use this book with sixth grade students. The ending of the book is very unresolved, so after we have finished it I would ask questions like "Did you like the way the story ended?" "What do you think happened?" (The ending can be interoperated different ways.) "Why do you think Lois Lowry chose to end The Giver this way?". After students have had time to think on those questions I would give them a chance to rewrite a new ending for The Giver.