LibGuides: Islington Branch Book Club: "The Giver" by Lois Lowry

About the Author: Lois Lowry

Legacy and Recognition: Lois Lowry is widely regarded as one of the most influential authors in children's literature, known for her ability to address complex themes with sensitivity and nuance. She has received numerous awards for her work, including two Newbery Medals, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, and the Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contribution to young adult literature.

Lowry's books continue to be celebrated for their timeless themes, compelling characters, and thought-provoking narratives, making her a beloved figure in the world of children's and young adult literature.

Lois Lowry is an acclaimed American author known for her versatile body of work spanning various genres, including children's literature, young adult fiction, and adult novels. Here's a brief biography of Lois Lowry:

Early Life and Education: Lois Lowry was born on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to parents Katherine Gordon Landis and Robert E. Hammersberg. She spent her early years moving frequently due to her father's military career. Lowry's family eventually settled in New York City, where she attended school.

Lowry pursued her education at various institutions, including Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where she studied literature and creative writing. She later completed her studies at the University of Southern Maine, graduating with a degree in English literature.

Literary Career: Lois Lowry began her career as a writer in the 1970s, initially focusing on children's books. She gained recognition for her ability to tackle complex themes and issues in her writing, often addressing topics such as family, loss, and social justice.

Some of Lowry's early works include "A Summer to Die" (1977) and the Anastasia Krupnik series, which follows the humorous adventures of a young girl. However, it was her novel "Number the Stars" (1989) that brought her widespread acclaim and won the Newbery Medal for its poignant portrayal of a young girl's experiences during the Holocaust.

Lowry continued to explore challenging subjects in her writing, including in her novel "The Giver" (1993), which is set in a dystopian society and explores themes of conformity and individuality. "The Giver" received critical acclaim and won the Newbery Medal, becoming a modern classic in children's literature. It is part of a quartet of books set in the same dystopian universe.

Throughout her career, Lowry has written numerous other acclaimed works, including the "Anastasia Krupnik" series, the "Sam Krupnik" series, and standalone novels like "Gathering Blue" (2000), "Messenger" (2004), and "Son" (2012), which form a loose quartet with "The Giver."

In addition to her contributions to children's and young adult literature, Lowry has also written adult fiction, including novels such as "A Summer to Die" (1977) and "The Willoughbys" (2008).

Watch "The Giver" (2014)
The story centers on Jonas, young man who lives in a supposedly ideal world of conformity and contentment. Yet as he begins to spend time with the elder, who is the sole keeper of all the community's memories, Jonas quickly begins to discover the dark and deadly truths of his community's secret past. At extreme odds, Jonas knows that he must escape their world to protect them all; a challenge that no one has ever succeeded at before.

Synopsis

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

Discussion Questions

Exploring Themes:
- Identify and discuss the central themes of "The Giver," such as conformity, memory, and the pursuit of happiness. How do these themes shape the characters' experiences and the world they inhabit?
Character Analysis:
- Analyze the protagonist, Jonas, and his journey throughout the novel. How does his role as the Receiver of Memory challenge his understanding of the world, his relationships, and his sense of self?
- Explore the character of the Giver. What role does he play in Jonas's development, and how does his wisdom and memories influence Jonas's perception of society?
Dystopian Society:
- Discuss the society depicted in "The Giver." How does the community maintain control over its citizens, and what sacrifices are made in the name of stability and order?
- Consider the role of the government and the concept of "Sameness" in shaping the dystopian world. How does the absence of pain and conflict contribute to the overall control exerted by the society?
The Importance of Memory:
- Explore the significance of memory in the novel. How does the absence of memories of the past affect the characters' understanding of themselves and their world?
- Discuss the role of the Giver and his memories in preserving the collective memory of humanity. What does the preservation of memories suggest about the importance of human experiences and emotions?
Freedom and Choice:
- Examine the concept of freedom in "The Giver." How do the restrictions placed on individual choice and expression affect the characters' lives, and what are the consequences of challenging societal norms?
- Consider Jonas's decision to leave the community in search of freedom. How does his journey reflect the human desire for autonomy and self-determination?
Ethical Dilemmas:
- Discuss the ethical dilemmas presented in the novel, such as the trade-off between safety and individuality, and the consequences of sacrificing personal freedoms for societal stability.
- Consider the moral implications of the community's practice of "releasing" individuals who do not conform to societal norms. How does the community justify this practice, and what does it reveal about their values?
Symbolism and Imagery:
- Analyze the use of symbolism and imagery in "The Giver," such as the apple, the color red, and the sled ride. How do these symbols enhance the themes and motifs of the novel?
- Consider the significance of the novel's ending and the imagery of the sled ride in relation to Jonas's newfound understanding of freedom and individuality.
Narrative Structure:
- Discuss the narrative structure of "The Giver," particularly the use of first-person narration from Jonas's perspective. How does this narrative choice shape the reader's understanding of the story and its themes?
- Consider the ambiguity of the novel's ending and how it invites readers to interpret the fate of Jonas and the community.
Real-World Connections:
- Reflect on the relevance of the themes in "The Giver" to contemporary society. How do the issues of conformity, surveillance, and the balance between security and freedom resonate with current events and societal debates?
- Discuss any parallels between the dystopian world of "The Giver" and historical or contemporary examples of authoritarianism and social control.
Personal Reflection:
- How did reading "The Giver" impact your understanding of societal norms, individuality, and the pursuit of happiness? Did the novel prompt you to reflect on your own values and beliefs?

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Read "The Giver" Series

Read "The Giver" Series
The Giver Quartet is a series of four books about a dystopian world by Lois Lowry. The quartet consists of The Giver (1993), Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and Son (2012).[1][2] The first book won the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold more than 10 million copies. The story takes place in the world of The Giver. Each book has a different protagonist, but is set in the same futuristic era.

The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett
Call Number: J FICTION Everett
Eleven-year-old Kemi Carter loves scientific facts, specifically probability. It's how she understands the world and her place in it. Kemi knows her odds of being born were 1 in 5.5 trillion, and that the odds of her having the best family ever were even lower. Yet somehow, Kemi lucked out. But everything Kemi thought she knew changes when she sees an asteroid hover in the sky, casting a purple haze over her world. Amplus-68 has an 84.7% chance of colliding with earth in four days, and with that collision, Kemi's life as she knows it will end. But over the course of the four days, even facts don't feel true to Kemi anymore. The new town she moved to that was supposed to be "better for her family" isn't very welcoming. And Amplus-68 is taking over her life, but others are still going to school and eating at their favorite diner like nothing has changed. Is Kemi the only one who feels like the world is ending. With the days numbered, Kemi decides to put together a time capsule that will capture her family's truth: how creative her mother is, how inquisitive her little sister can be, and how much Kemi's whole world revolves around her father. But no time capsule can change the truth behind all of it, that Kemi must face the most inevitable and hardest part of life: saying goodbye.
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
Call Number: J FICTION Higuera
There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita. But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children - among them Petra and her family - have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race. Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet - and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard - or purged them altogether. Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?
The Memory Index by Julian Ray Vaca
Call Number: TEEN FICTION Vaca
In a gripping and stunning coming-of-age novel, Julian R. Vaca reimagines a 1987 world where memories are as valuable as gold. In a reimagined 1987, mankind's ability to remember has deteriorated. To fight memory loss, men and women rely on artificial recall by storing memories on tapes and playing them back. Society's elite, dubbed recollectors, are able to retain "three-quarter memories" on their own-and they make the rules. Seventeen-year-old orphan Freya Latimore doesn't have time for rules. School and responsibilities take a backseat in her life as she tirelessly works to assemble the gear she needs to become a documentary filmmaker. It's a dying profession in Freya's world, but it could enable her to uncover the truth about her father's mysterious death. Fernando Ortiz couldn't care less about his trust fund or his posh, cushiony life. He just wants to get through his senior year of high school so he can leave home, ride his motorcycle up the Pacific Coast Highway, and "find himself." But his father-a career politician-carries dark secrets that may prove impossible to outrun. Freya and Fernando's lives are both upended when the founder of Memory Frontier, a billion-dollar corporation, announces the forthcoming release of groundbreaking medical technology that will forever change artificial recall. Five hundred randomly selected students will be sent to a prestigious boarding school, where they will trial the new medical technology in pursuit of a "better tomorrow." But when students disappear in the night under the watch of the school's ruthless, militaristic dean, Freya and Fernando begin to question everything-including all they've come to believe about memory loss.
The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron
Call Number: YA FIC Cameron
What isn't written, isn't remembered. Even your crimes. Nadia lives in the city of Canaan, where life is safe and structured, hemmed in by white stone walls and no memory of what came before. But every twelve years the city descends into the bloody chaos of the Forgetting, a day of no remorse, when each person's memories -- of parents, children, love, life, and self -- are lost. Unless they have been written.In Canaan, your book is your truth and your identity, and Nadia knows exactly who hasn't written the truth. Because Nadia is the only person in Canaan who has never forgotten.But when Nadia begins to use her memories to solve the mysteries of Canaan, she discovers truths about herself and Gray, the handsome glassblower, that will change her world forever. As the anarchy of the Forgetting approaches, Nadia and Gray must stop an unseen enemy that threatens both their city and their own existence -- before the people can forget the truth. And before Gray can forget her.
Matched by Ally Condie
Call Number: YA FIC Condie
All her life, Cassia has never had a choice. The Society dictates everything: when and how to play, where to work, where to live, what to eat and wear, when to die, and most importantly to Cassia as she turns 17, whom to marry. When she is Matched with her best friend Xander, things couldn't be more perfect. But why did her neighbor Ky's face show up on her match disk as well?

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