Rating: 
Summary: A Good Book! Engaging, brings up thought-provoking q's
Review: Alexandra Y 3/27/03
Reading Response #22
Gathering Blue By Lois Lowry Over the past week, I have been reading Gathering Blue, by Lois Lowry. It is very pleasurable to read. This book is about a girl named Kira. Kira is not very fortunate -- her mom died from a sickness, her house burned down, and the citizens believe she is worth nothing. They expect that all individuals are to plant, weed, or tame the beasts. Since she has a twisted leg, she is not capable of doing their wants and needs. However, it becomes a problem when Vandara, a cruel woman wants her to leave their town. What is in the future for Kira? How will her amazing, beautiful artwork help her?
One reason why I enjoy reading Gathering Blue is because of the intriguing characters. They are entertaining to read about, with their unique personalities. Kira, for example, is very determined, brave, and independent. An example of this is when a crowd of cruel women plan to do anything to get what they want ' even throwing rocks at a harmless little girl, Kira. However, Kira remains confident and defends herself. She is not even tempted to run away! In addition to this, after her mother dies, she is not afraid to take care of herself ' her plan was to build a new home and grow food to survive. I find Kira simply amazing. I enjoy seeing how she handles her tough situations. It helps me realize how great of a life I have ' my life is so simple and hassle-free! It helps me appreciate everything!
In addition to the characters, I also like the fact that Kira's home is so different than our city. Unlike our society, their names are based on how old they are. For example, if they were twelve years old, they would have a name with two syllables. In our world, we choose our names that fit our liking. Not only our their names chosen differently, but the citizens are treated out-of-the-ordinary as well. For example, if an individual's leg was twisted, they were considered useless. In addition to this, many of the mothers kick their children as if they do not care for them. I think it is interesting to see what it would be like if our government wasn't the way it is today in 2003. It could be like Kira's village.
Gathering Blue is a great book. It has engaging characters and it has an entirely unique world, which I find fascinating to read. I recommend this book to readers who fiction and adventure books. If you have read The Giver, By Lois Lowry, you will like Gathering Blue. Both books bring up the subject of the world ' how it could be, how those would handle it, and what pain it would bring. Each makes us aware of our fortunate lives.
Rating: 
Summary: A Wonderful, Awe Inspiring Read
Review: I loved Gathering Blue, it was a wonderful book that opened your mind. Like most, I was appalled apon learning the customs of this people, but still goaded to continue reading. Some customs were those of how the dead were treated, the burning of homes of the ill, and the malicious ways the children were treated. Also, the way Kira, Thomas, and Jo were held captive, in a sense, was discusting, but it was necessary to keep them, in a sense. One would enjoy this read if you loved The Giver, a previous book by Lois Lowry, as this book is semi-related to it, along with anyone that enjoys a tought provoking book.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing parable of difficult choices
Review: Like many readers, I was completely floored by THE GIVER. I had heard Lowry interviewed on NPR, and finding myself in a bookstore not long after, thumbed through the book-- and felt absolutely compelled to buy it. Reading that book I had to look up several times to wipe away tears, and look around at all the beauties of our own world that we so often take for granted-- like the color red-- singing-- and unconditional love. Now, GATHERING BLUE did not have that impact for me. But it's a very good example of a YA novel with a smart, kind heroine in a world that is complex, often brutish, and all to human. Where the world of THE GIVER, we gradually discover, is technologically advanced but emotionally and psychologically regimented, even soul-destroying, the catastrophes have turned the world of GATHERING BLUE to a fierce hunter-gatherer society. It's a world where deformed people are routinely abandoned to death at birth, and where children, or "tykes," are redistributed to other families should one parent die, where parenting is full of shouts and slaps (but also, we see in glimpses, some kisses and handholding) and where those who can't contribute or work in an obvious fashion are ruthlessly discarded. For all that, however, it's a world more familiar to the reader than the world of THE GIVER, and somehow, a friendlier place. Perhaps because family units, however bickering, do exist, or because of the presence of a mischievous child named MATT who even has a pet dog, this world's harshness is less shocking. Everyone in the world is brought up with it, knows about, no secrets there. There are secrets, however. Kira is accused by a Vandara, a woman who wants her land (Kira's cottage was burned after her mother's death from illness), but instead of being kicked out of the community, Kira is promoted to weaver/designer-- she has an unearthly talent for it. As in the world of THE GIVER, there are traces of magic in this universe. She is taken to live in "the edifice"-- a cathedral that has survived more or less intact from the war. Unlike the GIVER, there are clues that this is definitely our world. In the song the singer recites each year at the Gathering, which tells the story of mankind, he lists some names of places that exist no more-- and if you read carefully it's obvious that they are Bogota, Baltimore and Toronto. There is also clearly a cross in the Edifice. Nobody remembers what it signifies, but everyone remembers that it's important. As in THE GIVER, however, being promoted for your talented is a mixed blessing. Just as in that world, having a talent is something that people in power find alluring, and the people in power, even when seemingly protective and kind, may not have your best interests at heart, or be telling you the truth. The title refers to the search for woad, the plant that Kira could use to make blue threads-- blue is a color her own township no longer knows how to make. Despite some startling revelations Kira makes a hard choice to work to improve her own society rather than choose a path that would be kinder to her and her crippled status. This is a great example for kids and for all of us. I really liked this book and found a lot in it to ponder. It didn't sock me in the stomach like THE GIVER-- overall it was a more conventional dystopia-- but I enjoyed reading it. Oddly however some of the brutishness and coldness seemed harder to believe in-- I have trouble believing a society so clearly human would be able to resist forging stronger bonds of love and friendship than this society seems to. While it's true that in the middle ages people were more used to death, for example, it's also true from every piece of literature we have from every society everywhere that the altruistic impulse is very strong, as is the parental urge, and it's hard to believe that Kira's loving mother would have been as unusual as all that. But these are quibbles. This is a worthy successor to THE GIVER. It's different and less timeless--I'd recommend the GIVER to everyone, whether or not they read YA or science fiction-- but I'd probably be more selective in recommending this. But it works quite well as a sort of fairy tale/parable. And I loved the reference to Jonas (not named) at the end. He appears to be in a neighboring town. I'm guessing that Jonas' town, the one he escaped from, is the worst of all the societies in Lowry's futureworld. Looking forward to the sequel which will tie them all together. Someone compared THE GIVER to 1984, and this book to PLANET OF THE APES. Actually I'd say in impact if THE GIVER were PLANET OF THE APES (and it's hard to remember now but the ending of that movie was a huge sucker punch) than this book is more like BENEATH THE PLANET OF THE APES. Less shocking, less horrifying, but still very, very interesting, and a quick read with an interesting heroine.
Rating: 
Summary: AWFUL
Review: YOU'LL HATE IT UNLESS YOUR A FEMAL. ALL MALES DON'T READ IT.
Rating:
Summary: gathering blue
Review: gathering blue is a story about a girl named kira and the difficulties she encounters. the story opens the readers mind to what it would be like to live in a very cruel society with different values than those of many people today. but, the story also has similarities to our current world. many of the people are poor. they bicker often, although to more extent than ordinary people. those who have great talents are rewarded and recognized, but their lives are changed. not unlike proffesional athletes, actors or singers. gathering blue is a story that creates ideas on how the world could change in the future.
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Summary: IF YOU LIKEDTHE GIVER....
Review: If you liked the Giver, you'll love this. A mysterious book, full of questions, some of which you have to answer yourself.
Our heroin is left alone when her mother dies. She has to find a way to save herself and she does when she discovers she has a special gift.
Rating:
Summary: gathering blue
Review: Gathering Blue is a book, that's great, but not for everyone. To start, I recommned that you read this book only if you are ten or older. Someone younger kids would probably not comphrehend the book that well. I also think you should read the Giver before you read this book. You might understand the theme of different communities more. This book is about Kira, a girl born with a twisted leg and fatherless. In Kira's community, fatherless, disabled children aren't useful and must be thrown to the field, a place where beasts supposdedly roam, waiting to gobble people down. But because of Kira's grandfather, a man of great power, Kira is able to stay alive. When her mother dies, Kira is almost killed, for being useless. But since she has a talent for threading, the powerful council of guardians spares her. They give her her own room, and an assingment. While her talent keeps her alive, Kira discovers secrets of the community in this suspensful book. I loved this book, but at the beggining, I was struggling to get through it. It's confusing and boring at the begginning, so if you don't like books with bad begginnings, then this book isn't for you. All in all, Gathering Blue is a great story or love, secrets, frienship and choices.
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Summary: Abi's Review of Gathering Blue by Lois Lowery
Review: Gathering Blue is a book about a girl named Kira who lives in a controlled community where she has power over nothing without any choices. Her father lives in a free community where everybody helps each other out and there isn't any dictator(s). Which world will she choose read the book to find out.
All together I thought this was a very good book. I thought that Sharon Creech has created another beautifully written book. If you loved the Giver you'll love Gathering Blue even more.If your looking for a book you can lose your self in this is your book! I'd rate this book for ages 11 and up.This is a wonderfully written book but readers under 10 would not really understand parts of Gathering Blue.I loved this book and hopefully so will you!
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Companion
Review: Gathering Blue is an excellent book depicting how weakness is often an asset. This book does work off the same concepts that the Giver did. A futuristic society where somekind of a disaster wiped out most of the population. Lowry delves into the culture of the societies that form after the catastrophe. I was not as pleased with this book as I was with The Giver. The Giver seemed to show the beginning of change within the society. While usually I like books that end abruptly I think Lowry should have reconsidered ending the book so shortly after the climax. I really felt unfullfilled after reading the book, it felt like the book ended right when it was becoming exciting. I have heard Lowry is writing a third book that will finish the series lets hope she ties up the ends for us.
Rating:
Summary: Gathering Blue is a shocking story
Review: Gathering Blue is about a girl with a twisted leg. Everyone is the community hates her because she is weak. This story shows how even the weakest person can be the strongest of us all. I extremely recommend this book for all ages. It is a very encouraging book and will give you good thoughts all day.
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