The Giver

The Giver
By Lois Lowry
An all time favorite of mine! This book is truly fantastic for everyone from 4th-5th graders to adults. It depicts a world that appears to have developed into the ultimate utopia, where no one has pain, war, or fear. But they also do not have choice, differences, or love... In The Giver Lois Lowry actually illlustrates a distopian society. I have always had a fascination for prognosticative fictions--books that predict the future as bleak, completely altered from the present, and society as having regressed for one purpose or another. The Giver, The City of Ember, and Anthem are just a few that I have read that seem to fit this category. The Giver is a lot more positive, in my opinion, though. I found it more heartfelt, insightful, and hopeful than some of the others. It closes completely open-ended with room on the reader's part to explore the possibilities. Especially touching is the lesson that it teaches us all about life--enjoying it, learning from it, not taking things for granted. Yes, we may want war and pain and hatred to disappear forever, but what are we willing to give up in order to experience this? Loving one another? Freedom of choice?
This is very popular among literture teachers and, I believe, for good reason. I suggest this book to EVERYONE.