A Reading Guide to the Giver (Scholastic Bookfiles)

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Summary: The Giver Review
Review: The Giver, by Lois Lowry, was an excellent book. It gave a lot of insight into what the world would be like if there was no love, and a rule and role for everyone in the community. The main character, Jonas, is a young boy at the age of 12. He is a typical boy, who loves to play with his friends, and is very bored of school. When he gets chosen for his specific job in the community at the Ceremony of Twelve, it was no surprise. Jonas's best friend, Asher, is a very loveable, carefree character; so much so that it almost makes the reader sorry for him because he cannot love. I would recommend this book to people of all ages.

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Summary: Deep thoughts
Review: Jonas lives in a world without choice. Everything is cared for. No one goes hungry. No one feels pain. To live in this world, the people have given up all their choices and emotions. The Giver details how Jonas becomes the reciever of memory for his community. He learns about the pain and the emotions of their past, and he and the giver take action.
I found that the book was well written, and rich with symbolics. If you were to look into it deeply you could see what it was telling you. I did not like however, that the actual story did not seem to have a real solid plotline. There was no real cause and effect. There was no reasoning. It seemed like a bunch of random incidents tacked togeather to create a meaning.
Overall though, it is a good book that will wrap you around it's finger for a few hours and leave you wanting more. Just wanting a bit too much more for my liking.

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Summary: The Giver
Review: What would it be like to live in a world where everything is exactly the same for everyone? "The Giver" by Lois Lowery is a truly extraordinary book that ponders this very question. Jonas, a young boy, never gave much thought to the way things were until the day he was chosen to be the next Receiver. The Receiver is the one person who holds all the memories of the way things were, "Before" A decision has to be made. Should he allow things to remain as they are, or should he attempt, against impossible odds, to change them.
I greatly enjoyed the book. It made me realize how great it is to have a world of diversity. Pain is not always bad, it is what makes us stronger. Lowry thoroughly explored the concept of good vs. evil, and pleasure vs. pain. I recommend this book to anyone who wonders what it truly means to be your self in a "follow the leader" kind of world.

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Summary: The Giver: Awesome book!
Review: The Giver is an awesome book. It took me two days to read it, and when I read a book it usually takes me weeks. Its a great book that always makes you question certain things. It makes you think as your reading. I also think this book is great because it is not made for one certain age group. Anyone from junior high to adults could read this book and still enjoy it.
Lastly, the book teaches a good lesson. When you think about it, it shows how much you take advantage of the little "differences" in life. If we all of a sudden had to change into the world where the Giver lived, our whole mind set would have to change. Therefore, once I read this book and I thought about what it would be like to be a part of that community, it made me realize how important different things are, even colors.

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Summary: Wicked writing, awesome plot
Review: I first read this book back in 5th grade, along with a few of Lowry's other books, and it still holds the same amazing results as it did that first time I read. Why? Because of the picture she paints with her words, asking you kindly to imagine her world, a terrifying world of equality. Imagine a world without colors, music, smell, anything at all that makes life enjoyable now. You're not allowed to date, not allowed to do what you want, and not allowed to have hopes and dreams of your future, as your future is already chosen for you. It's scary, yet thrilling all at the same time. To imagine this is amazing, to think of it is ingenious. The idea is purely terrifying, the idea of such an equalized world that it would take out everything that makes it worth living, makes it exciting. I fear a world like this, yet it sparks my imagination.

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Summary: SMSpringCreekHigh-Book Report Review
Review: I thought that The Giver was definately a good read. Although it wasn't particularly difficult to read, it was thought-provoking. The tale of a new community in "sameness" is one that I have not yet heard. It was totally original and gave new meaning and depth to my memories and of what I think of as my community and my way of life. In never having thought of the lessons learned in everyday life the way that this book proclaims them to be, I sat in a pure state of thought after completing the selection. The only books that I could think of that could possibly compare to this are Madeleine L'Engle's- A Wrinkle in Time, George Orwell's- 1984, and William Gerald Golding's- Lord of the Flies. All in which people are set apart in some way and begin taking on their own culture and ways of life.

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Summary: A good read...
Review: When I was assigned to read "The Giver" by Louis Lowry, I was having to actually do it. I usually hate reading for school and tend to put it off until the last minute but I had a snow day and decided to start it. I read the entire book in one seating. I really enjoyed it! Some parts were kind of unnerving but I liked the concept of a "perfect" world. It's very interesting to think about. It makes you imagine how the future will be. I would definately read this book again. It's short but has a powerful message behind it.

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Summary: A Challenging and Intriguing Book for Today's Young Adults
Review: The Giver is certainly an intriguing book that would most certainly challenge the perception and knowledge of any young adult who reads it. Through a young man named Jonas' journey into self-discovery and such profound incidents as seeing colors for the first time and feeling the horrid sting of true fear and pain in a world, which is so controlled and monitored that the people around him will never understand unless he finds the strength to share it with them. Showing us that a world of ignorance and perfection is by no means what it should be and forcing readers into considering their own reality and how the world around you must always be questioned, even presenting us with parallels into our current state of the world. Hopefully showing some young readers what it means to analyze the society around them and the barriers that societies build up, which sometimes must be broken.
However, this is a mature book, even though it is a middle school reading level it deals with complicated situations and emotions, which some young readers may find upsetting and confusing. This doesn't mean it isn't a great book, but best for a mature young adult. A great discussion tool and definitely a book some kids will never forget.

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Summary: The Giver
Review: 'The Giver' has been my favorite book ever since 8th grade. This is the type of book that really makes you wonder about the world. Will we live like the Jetson's in the future? Will we still live on earth? Will there be life on other planets? How will our world be run? All these questions run through my mind while reading a book like this. 'The Giver' is an excellent book and is also a very easy read. I read this book when I was in 8th grade and I loved it, and now that I have read it again as a senior I still love it!!

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Summary: The Giver: a new classic
Review: I really enjoyed reading The Giver. I thought that there were new twists to the story with every chapter. As Jonas goes through his training and journey to new discoveries we learn as he learns, about the community and beyond. I thought that every detail of the community life and the citizens was well thought out. I liked the fact that the society had a Utopian shell and corrupt internal workings. It showed that people go throw great lengths to take away all of the hurt and pain but it also takes away so many of the joys of life that can become complicated. I liked the deeper meaning and the overall picture that the story lays out. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!