The Giver (by Lois Lowry)

first of all, if you have not read this book entirely, you shouldn't have an opinion about it. this book is simple and direct. the storyline is that you need to find out the truth and make your own decisions. freedom is prohibited in Jonas's society which is why he runs away at the end. HE RUNS AWAY. the book does NOT glorify the slightly communistic dystopian ways of the society. the whole point is to reject the mechanical and heartless world that is portrayed. yes, Jonas has somewhat sexual dreams, but that is natural for everyone and the society gives him pills to suppress the urges which adds to the inhuman methods that rule the community. and yes they kill a baby by lethal injection. this is the last straw for Jonas and the main reason he decides to leave the only place he has ever known, saving another baby named Gabriel in the process. you may think this is inappropriate for some, but children see murders, child abduction, rape and killings on the news and in newspapers everyday. at least The Giver can contrast our society with the fictional one created to let readers see the differences and appreciate that what they have been given is the same thing Jonas is fighting for.

This book beautifully illustrates why God gave us freedom of choice. Yes, our freedom has resulted in a world full of people who, at times, have and continue to make bad choices that have caused pain and suffering. Yes, through our freedom we have slowly destroyed the incredible world the Lord has created for us. But the alternative which is skillfully portrayed in The Giver, is terrifying. This is a book that every christian child 10+ should read and discuss with their parents. It is a very thought provoking book and a lot can be gleaned from it. There are some disturbing scenes, but isn't life a little disturbing at times? I would recommend that this book be saved till your child can fully understand it and will be able to handle some of the disturbing scenes

I can't belive how shallow the parents on this website are being. I am a 13 year old in my 8th grade year, and I appear to be more understanding than these adults are about this book. The Stirrings are NOT sexually inappropriate-remember that this book is for teens, who are going through puberty. My amazing 8th grade teacher explained the reason why the releasing of unfit children is understandable. "I worked in a Special Ed. class for about 3 years, and throughout that time, I met a child. He was disfigured and nobody liked to be around him. Everyday, he would ask me 'Why? Why would they let me live?' and I realized that he was in intense pain. It would be better to have killed the child, rather than selfishly having him live through life, unable to reproduce, unable to make real friends or live a normal life and constantly in pain." Although I don't agree with killing children, I can understand certain circumstances. Another point she brought up was: "If you saw an animal on the side of the street, it's legs squished to the ground because of being ran over by a car and its stomach bleeding, which of these would you do: Try to save the dog, or put it out of it's misery?" After discussion, our class ended our discussion, most of us deciding to save the dog. She wisely told us, "I would kill the dog. You know why? Because that animal is in PAIN. Even after surgury or whatever, it would still live with that constant pain, for the rest of its life until it died a painful death." This all applies to The Giver. This book is not 'Sick' or 'Inappropriate', its REAL. This book shows us dehumanization-when killing babies is a matter that is disreguarded as important and just a lifestyle. Birthmothers not given any glory is also understandable. In this 'perfect' society, they are taught about things at a young age and they believe it. Lois Lowry is not implying that giving birth is a job meant for the unintelligent, she's just saying that in this 'perfect' society, that is just how people think about it because of false facts. For the parents out there that believe that this book is teaching us children that it is ok to stick a needle in children who are unfit for society, THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Do you parents honestly think that after reading about releasing, we went to our next periods saying that all of the Special Ed. kids should just go die? Of course not. Please open your eyes and give this book the chance that it deserves. Don't be so foolish as to let your children miss out on this literary treasure. This novel is truely my favorite, and I'm sure that many more will come to love it. Keep on writing, Lois Lowry. <3

This book more than alludes to sensitive social issues such as genocide, euthanasia, suicide, and self medicating for the supression of "feelings". Although this book can lead to some very intense discussions and interpretations, children age 10/11 have not had enough life experience and formal education to knowledgebly and conscientiosly express their own moral and ethical ideals when discussing the sensitive issues brought forward in the book. Very graphic scenes of a man injecting a baby with a poison solution and watching it die, while speaking lovingly. Graphic and detailed description of a suicide of the previous "reciever" as her escape from pain. If made into a movie, it would be rated "R" because of the graphicness of these events as portrayed in the book.

I do not have children, however I am a nanny to 3. The oldest is starting 5th grade and will read the book, among others, for me this summer. This book has violence. It has sexual content. It is about a supposed utopian community that has some of the most horrible values that it makes you want to rip it apart in anger. That is exactly why we should let these kids read it. So there's violence. What 5th grader hasn't seen harry potter, transformers, iron man, or any other movie? Kids these days love action movies and shows where the good guy conquers over evil and does a little butt kicking while he's at it. But 5th graders also need to figure out things on their own, for example: what is good? what is evil? how can something that was supposed to be good turn out to be evil? The Giver helps them discover for themselves what they believe is right as they discover more about how the book's society works. As far as the sexual content, its a boy going through puberty. Kids know what that's like. They know the confusion and the uncertainty that comes along with it. Parents say this book steers kids away from talking about puberty, but if parents are open and available yet not pushy then their kids shouldn't have a problem just because of this book. I didn't think twice about how it affected my life when i read it...i only ever thought about how strange the parents in the book were to close puberty discussions. And those horrible opinions i mentioned before? Killing unneeded babies, treating birth mothers as lazy, killing the old when they are no longer of use. These are all ideas similar to our own world: abortion, euthanasia, the modern working woman v.s. june cleaver. kids discover these all on their own soon enough, with the world telling them what to think on this subject and that. but with The Giver, as i said before, they are able to make their own decisions and feel their own feelings.

This book is not for kids. It is a communist storyline. The members of the society murder infants and the elderly, called releasing. Children bath alert, elderly people in the bathtubs.Boys with women and girls with men. I was horriified that my son read this book and then went to see the play. Luckily, I saw the play, and I am dumbfounded that this story is for kids. My husband and I are going to the principal to discuss this book. Who could possibly award this author ?

This is the best book I have ever read. Really, this book has a deeper meaning. Lois Lowry has crafted a beautiful novel, and given us something all to think more deeply. :) <3

I loved this book but younger kids may find the scene where jonas witnesses his dad kill an unwanted infant disturbing. The characters are victim to a world with no choice or freedom. Citizens are rejected(executed) for unfair reasons such as being a twin or getting too old. Book shows that a "perfect" world is not really perfect though it may appear to be at first

Great book. I read this when I was in sixth grade (i'm in seventh now) and i expected it to be boring, but it was great, with positive messages.