The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry
The John Newbery Medal
1993

Reader: As a reader I did enjoy this book. I wouldn't have chosen this book off the shelve to read because it isn't in my typical genre of reading but I was pleasantly surprised. The author wrote the book in a way that made all the unbelievable believable and that is what I enjoyed the most. Getting to know the characters was a bit of a struggle for me. I wanted to know everything about each character but I felt I only got to know a little about Jonas. The author left me wanting more information. Also, the ending was difficult to me. I want Jonas to live happily ever after but I wasn't quite sure how to read into that.
Teacher: As a teacher I would have this book in my classroom. I would also use it within my curriculum. It would be a good lit circle book are a whole class read. Within this book we could discuss perspective within the characters or alternative lifestyle that they live. I think it would be very interesting to have students write the next chapter to this book. What happens next? How they perceived the ending? Could they alter the ending by adding the last chapter? I would have this book in a 7th or 8th grade class. I feel that if younger students read then they won't understand a lot of the book. This was the case when I read it in 5th or 6th grade. This book would also be good for younger gifted students who could read into this story more. I would also use this book within a lit circle at a 5th or 6th grade level if I had advanced readers who were up for a challenge.