Gathering Blue

Rating:
Summary: I wish it was a longer book!
Review: This is another excellent book by Lowry. I had first read The Giver, which is also very good. This book gives a different perspective of the far future than The Giver but bears a lot of similarities. Where life in the Giver was all pleasant and happy, in this book, life is rough with everyone fighting each other for what they have. In both books, "undesireables," meaning the old, deformed, or infirm are eliminated from society.

As in The Giver, the main character is one who bears a special talent, which is needed to be able to pass on the long ago history of the society. In Gathering Blue, Kira, though born with a clubbed foot, is needed to because she has a special talent for sewing that is beyond what others have. She is tasked with restoring a coat that is to be worn by the singer at the annual gathering. Different sections of the coat depict different stories of society's history.

Kira encounters Thomas, a wood carver, who is tasked to repair the staff used by the singer and Jo, a young girl, who is being trained to eventually be the next singer when the current one will "disappear."

As in The Giver, the world seems to be devoid of color. Kira, spends some of her days visiting with an old woman (Annabella)who has a talent for dying threads. Annabella instructs Kira how to take the dyes from various plants so that Kira can dye the threads to use for the singer's coat. One of the colors that Anabella doesn't teach Kira about is blue. So an important part of the book involves Kira getting the means to make blue and hence the title of the book.

After, Anabelle "talks" too much, Kira learns that she suddenly died and was taken to "the field." where people are brought after they die. Little by little, Kira starts to realize that all that she believed is a lie and she starts to piece together "the truth."

I finished this book in one sitting and my only complaint, as with The Giver, is that the book is too short. Also, it begs for a sequel. The Giver appears that it could take place at the same time as Gathering Blue, but in a different part of the world. Perhaps, Ms. Lowry's intention is to somehow write a sequel book that will bring both books together. I hope that Ms. Lowry continues to write these types of books because I highly enjoy them and see that see has a marvelous talent as a storywriter!

Rating:
Summary: Gathering Blue
Review: Gathering Blue is a book set in the future. It is told in third person through a girl named Kira. Her mother has just died and a woman named Vandara wants Kira to be killed because she is crippled. The two are brought before the Council of Guardians, who will determine Kira's fate. The council decides that Vandara will be allowed to use the space where Kira's home used to lie as a pen for the tykes. The Council also decides that Kira will be allowed to live in the Council Edifice, where the Council members live, to put her skills in weaving to good use - by repairing the Singer's robe. A Council member named Jamison is to help her and check her progress. The Singer wears his robe once a year and uses it to depict the story of olden times. The robe is beautiful and full of color, all colors except blue. Nobody, not even Annabella, who teaches Kira the art of dyeing threads, knows how to make the color blue. Kira begins repairing the robe and while living in the Council Edifice, she befriends the carver that also lives there, Thomas, who is parentless like Kira. Her old friend Matt and his dog Branch also keep her company. Kira and Thomas soon discover a small orphan girl that lives beneath them, named Jo. She is to use her singing ability to become the future Singer. She is being treated poorly and misses her mother. It is soon discovered that Matt is missing, and no one knows of his whereabouts. The climax of the story is when, during the Ruin Song, Matt reappears and shows Kira where he has been - getting blue for her. Matt has also brought Kira's father, Christopher, whom every one believed to be dead. He was injured and blinded by Kira's caretaker, Jamison. He brought plants to her, which she can make blue from. He now lives in a small village, far from Kira, where the disabled live and help one another. He wishes for her to come to the town and live with him where she will be helped because of her twisted leg. Soon after meeting her father, however, Kira realizes the horrors of what goes on in the Council Edifice, where people are held captive, and realizes she must stay and help others like herself.

I liked this book and I thought it was very exciting at parts. The characters were very energetic and full of life. The theme of this book was that a physical weakness does not have to weaken you mentally. Sometimes, a disability can make a person stronger than even the healthiest people. I would recommend this book to others. The only thing I did not like about this book was the ending, because there was not a clear resolution.

Rating:
Summary: If you liked the giver..... it's a must read!
Review: This is the "companion" book to the giver. The world that Kira *the main character of this book* lives in is almost the exact opposite of the world that Jonus lived in in the book the Giver. It shows a great compare and contrast between the two worlds. This is a must read for anyone that liked the giver *see the title of this review*!!!

Rating:
Summary: Gathering Blue, A Good Read.
Review: "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry is an engrossing book. A young crippled, orphan named Kira is chosen to live in the Council Edifice because she is a very gifted embroiderer. Kira is appointed to restore a robe that is worn every year at the Ruin Song gathering. This task will take months, and on the way to completion, Kira has to learn how to dye thread and next she will need to fill in the blank space on the robe with her own work.

There are two other artists featured in the novel. Thomas the Carver and a young girl named Jo who is being trained to become the next Singer. Kira discovers a terrifying yet important secret about the lives the three artists are leading.

A friend of Kira's, named Matt, with the help of his dog discovers a secret of Kira's past and of the community they are living in. Do the rulers of this world keep things so tightly controlled that the people cannot even control their own lives? "Gathering Blue" takes place in a village where all technology has been destroyed and people rely on their own skills to get through everyday life. This is a story of loyalty and friendship. Lois Lowry does an excellent job of telling the story in a third person, limited point of view. She also has a way of making the reader feel connected to the story through the sad and almost piteous tone.

I enjoyed reading this book because it was interesting to read about the other extreme of technology--when it has completely wiped out everything. This novel was also filled with interesting characters, each with different personalities and characteristics. All of the children are very diverse but all of their qualities link to one another in some way.

Rating:
Summary: not "the giver" but very good
Review: A sequel to "The Giver" not as powerful but still worthy of attention. A young girl with the gift of weaving is given a home after her mother passes away and leaves her (she thinks) an orphan. As she meets other children in her position, and begins to realize that something sinister is going on, the girl starts to think about her gift, how it is being used, and why. Toward the end, she receives news that her father may be alive after all. The book can be read as an examination of what bargains we make with ourselves in order to nurture our gifts, and how what can further them can also take away from our pleasure in them. Recommended.

Rating:
Summary: WOW!! By: Grace D.
Review: After I read The Giver, I decided to read the next book, Gathering Blue. It has many similarities to The Giver but her community is not as enclosed, but still has many rules and boundaries for the villagers to follow. This book also shows that many people take advantage of others talents.

Gathering Blue is about a girl named Kira. with a twisted leg, whose mother just dies. She is left with no one because it is said he father was taken by beasts. Usually when a villager was wounded or is born with a defect, they would be sent to die because they are no assett. But Kira is allowed to stay because of her mother. Now, she is assigned to create very important details with thread; her talent with threads in her fingers. Even though she is young and only two syllables, she works on this extremely important work, and is treated very well with many advantages. But Kira starts to unfold secrets about her community further into the book. Read this book to see about Kira's great new life, her friends, and secrets and mysteries that she is soon to uncover about this perfect little community.

Rating:
Summary: gathering blue
Review: I think Gathering Blue was an okay book. It seemed sort-of boring at times, but exciting at others. Its about a girl named Kira who becomes an orphan when her mother dies. She decides to build a home, but was taken to court. At court the council of guardians notice her talent for sewing, so she was asked to stay with them. She was to sew a robe for a singer, Jo. For help, she visits a woman named Anabella, who helps her make colored thread to make the robe beautiful. Kira learns to make many colors excepr blue, which she must learn to make on her own. Along the way many interesting things happen, but to find out what they are, you need to read the book yourself.

Rating:
Summary: AS GOOD AS THE GIVER
Review: In my opinion Gathering Blue IS as good as The Giver. The Giver is one of the best books I've ever read. I feel that way about Gathering Blue as well. Lowry has such a wonderful way of using alternate realities to help the reader come to terms with the reality in which we live. My favorite line in Gathering Blue is: "We're the ones who fill in the spaces. Maybe we can make it different." This obviously makes it perfect for young adults who need to know that it's ok to feel like they can change the world. As in The Giver, Lowry touches on the the definition of "family" and finding acceptance with what life deals you without settling. I've just started The Messenger, Lowry's sequel to The Giver and Gathering Blue. I can't wait to see where Lowry will take me next!

Rating:
Summary: Gathering Life
Review: "Gathering Blue" is an amazing book! This book kept me hooked. It never had a boring page. You were always wondering, what next? The main character was interesting, and always had me smiling. All of thr characters were funny in their own little way. This is an amazing book that I could read again and again.

A girl named Kira has lost her mother. Her father, as her mother has told her, was taken by beasts. Now she is alone, in a town where the neighbors aren't kind to the weak. Kira's foot is twisted, and has been like that ever since birth. Only a boy named Matt, and his dog with a twisted tail offer to help. When Kira is summoned to a trial to see where she will go now, she preapes to defend her life. She only has the talent kindness, and her knowledge of the threads. She discovers new friends along the way, her way in this challenging wolrd.

I recommend this book to anyone. It isn't confusing, and it keeps you interested. Because I know how it is to be in fifth grade, and not want to be reading long chapter books, or get confused, this book isn't boring, or confusing. Lois Lowry is a great author, and this is a great book. An amazing book by Lois Lowry.

Rating:
Summary: If you liked The Giver, you'd like this
Review: Like a spotlight review, i was in 8th grade english and the teacher gave us The Giver to read to end a unit. i loved it so much. i wanted more to do with jonas, but with no sequal, that would be impossible. Anyway, later, my friend said that Gathering Blue was the companion to The Giver. thinking companion meant sequal, i bought it right away. i loved it so much, even though it isn't the sequal to The Giver at all.
Kira, with her crippled leg, isn't much use in the village. her mother dies, and kira is left alone. her house was burned down, so she starts to make a new one, when a Vandara (a lady in the village everyone is frightened by) says she can't because they want to build a play area for the tykes. When Kira says no, Vandara takes her to court, or rather the council of gaurdians. the council knows about Kira's gift of weaving, an let her stay in the Council Edifice. There is also a boy there named thomas who lives there. he carves the singer's stick, while Kira has to weave the singers robe. kira doesn't know how to make colors for the thread, so she goes down to Annabella's house. Annabella is very wise because she has a 4 syllable name. later, while thomas is sleeping, he hears a little thing crying. they find out what it is, and much more.
i would tell you the ending, but then i would spoil the whole book for you, so i am going to end my review here, and hope you go out and buy the book to read it for yourself!