The Giver

Lowery, Lois. (1993) The Giver. New York:Bantam Books.

The Giver is a very commonly used class novel geared for 7th and 8th grade students. This novel is a science fiction novel that tells the story of an apparent Utopian society through the main character Jonas. Students really love this book. It is excellent to use for students to write essays covering the response to literature writing requirement. The story unfolds with Jonas turning twelve. In his society turning twelve means that you are an adult and you are told what your job in the society will be. Jonas is told that he will become the giver. The giver is the only one in the society who has memories. These are memories of times before they became this secluded, Utopian society. Not long after Jonah becomes the giver's apprentice, the receiver, does he begin to disagree with his societies unique lifestyle. Jonah discovers all kinds of things that he considers wrong, such as murders, people living with adoptive parents and not their own parents, and elimination of some of life's great joys such as love and snow. This is the first book in a trilogy that follow Jonah as he escapes from this Utopian society and begins to see the truth.