Lisa+The+Giver+(Extra+Credit)

** By: Lois Lowry **  Lois Lowry was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on March 20th, 1937, to Robert Hammersberg and Katherine Landis. They moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1939, and then to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1942, when the U.S. entered World War II, and Lowry’s father, an army dentist, was called to duty. The Hammersberg family moved again in 1948 to Tokyo, Japan, where Lois attended a special school for military families. They briefly moved back to Carlisle in 1950, then in 1951, they moved to Governor's Island, New York, where Lois attended Curtis High School on Staten Island. In 1952, Lois entered Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn Heights, New York, where she finished high school. She started Brown University in 1954, where she met Donald Grey Lowry, a naval officer. She left school to marry him, moving to San Diego, California. Lois Lowry's married life included several moves around the United States. She had four children: Alix, Kristin, Grey, and Benjamin. Her first years of marriage were blissful, but her sister Helen died from cancer in 1962 at the age of 28, which was a devastating experience for her and later inspired her first book, __A Summer to Die__. She completed her degree in English literature from the University of Southern Maine in Portland in 1972. Then she pursued graduate studies, and became attracted to the art of photography, especially child photography, becoming her passion as well as profession. She and Donald Lowry; they divorced in 1977. Lowry submitted a short story to //Redbook Magazine// that caught the attention of an editor at Houghton Mifflin, who suggested that Lowry write a children's book, turning into __ A Summer to Die __. And with that, she began her career as a writer for children and young adults. In 1980, Lowry published her most autobiographical work, __ Autumn Street __. Although many of Lowry's books deal with somber issues, she is equally well known for the fun and humor in them. In 1979, she began her "Anastasia" series of books, the story of a quirky ten-year old wanting to become a writer. She still manages to mix some elements of tragedies in these stories, however. Some of Lowry's works have been controversial because of the strong and complex issues that they have dealt with, especially in __The Giver__. Many have deemed this material as inappropriate for children, and therefore it has been banned in some schools. In spite of that, Lowry won a Newbery Medal for this book in 1994, and has since written two sequels for it: __ Gathering Blue __ and __ The Messenger __. Her son Grey was killed in a plane crash in 1995. She calls this the most difficult day of her life, but has stayed strong and gotten through it. Today, Lois Lowry continues to write and speak at appearances. She enjoys spending time with her companion and grandchildren, as long as well as reading, knitting, and gardening.
 * __THE GIVER__ **
 * __Author Biography__ **

For more information about Lois Lowry, go to http://www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Lowry_Lois.html . **__Plot Synopsis__** Jonas, an Eleven, is apprehensive about the approaching Ceremony of Twelve. His friends and family all seem to naturally fit into a certain Assignment, but he has never felt a particular draw to any Assignment. Jonas's community is bound by tight rules, and a violation of these rules result in the community member’s subsequent Release. Also Released are the Newchildren who do not develop as expected and the Old. But Jonas is a good kid and always follows the rules, except one time when he is singled out for removing an apple from the recreation area. At the long-anticipated ceremony of Twelve, Jonas is shocked when the Chief Elder announces that he has not been Assigned, but rather Selected as the community's next Receiver of Memory, a position of great importance. To train for his position, Jonas meets with the community's previous Receiver of Memory. The man calls him the Receiver and and tells Jonas to call him The Giver. The Giver then begins to transmit his memories to Jonas. Jonas sees colors, while all other members in the community only see in black and white. The Giver later begins to transmit memories of hardship, involving war, pain, hunger and death, memories that are kept away from the community so that they do not have to know about such pain. In contrast, there are also beautiful memories of the time before Sameness and of love. Jonas learns about Rosemary, the failed Receiver-in-Training from ten years ago, who couldn’t handle the overwhelming pain of the memories and asked to be released. These memories shape his understanding on community and life. When he witnesses his father Releasing a newborn infant, Jonas realizes it actually means being put to death and is dismayed by this realization. Jonas and The Giver form a plan for Jonas to disappear from the community and release all of the memories back into it the community, but an obstacle gets in the way as Jonas struggles to do what is right.

__**What Worked**__

Many qualities of __The Giver__ combine to make it a great story. It features a remarkable world very different from ours which can be confusing at times. But the author did a great job of keeping the balance between telling the reader enough for them to follow the story, yet leaving some things out for later in the story to keep the reader’s interest and curiosity. __The Giver__ is extremely suspenseful, and that is one of the best things about this story. Also, it is described so vividly that it feels like the reader is there experiencing everything along with Jonas, and allows one to feel the same strong emotions that Jonas feels. One example of this brilliant description is this: "There would be a glimpse of green - the landscaped lawn around the Central Plaza; a bush on the riverbank. The bright orange of pumpkins being trucked in from the agricultural fields beyond the community boundary - seen in an instant, the flash of brilliant color, but gone again, returning to their flat and hueless shade" (Lowry 97). Another thing that worked well in the book was that there are no lulls. There are no slow and boring parts and it keeps the reader interested the entire time. Also, the characters are always relatable even though the circumstances are not, and that is definitely one of the most important qualities of books. "If everything's the same, then there aren't any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! A blue tunic, or a red one?" (Lowry 97). It is easy to see Jonas' point-of-view even if the reader is not in nearly the same situation.

**__What Didn't Work__**  The only real weakness that is found in the book is the ending. It feels very incomplete and although the author is trying to let the reader come to their own conclusion, it is missing a sense of closure. The suspense builds and builds, then cuts off all of a sudden at the end, leaving the reading hanging in mid-air. After all of this suspense, one would want to know how the story ends. The reader deserves some closure, which the author does not provide at the end of the book.

__**Literary Information**__ Title: The Giver Author: Lois Lowry Type of Work: Novel Genre: Young adult, science fiction/fantasy, dystopia Date of First Publication: 1993 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Point of View: Third person limited (only sees what Jonas sees) Tone: Direct, simple language (precision of language is demanded by Jonas’ community), somewhat elevated, some irony present Tense: Past Setting: An unknown time in the future in a utopian community on Earth Themes: Memories, pain, pleasure, community, individuals

**__What Makes This Book So Outstanding__** The Giver is obviously a very outstanding book. It has won numerous awards and plenty of recognition over the years, winning the Newberry Medal in 1944 and also Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book, ALA Best Book for Young Adults and ALA Notable Children's Book and is on the Outstanding Books for the College Bound.

It is technically well-written, to the point of flawlessness. It is written at a fast pace with no lulls. The descriptions are very vivid and the characters are all three-dimensional. There are no plot holes in the story. Technically, it is almost perfect. What more could the reader ask for?  "The simplicity and directness of Lowry's writing force readers to grapple with their own thoughts" ("RandomHouse").

It is also outstanding because it deals with issues that surround us today, but in a unique and fascinating, yet subtle way. Diversity and conformity are issues everywhere, in the news, in our neighborhoods, in our schools, in government and politics, and in the courts. The author really puts an interesting perspective on these issues through The Giver. The reader gets to take a look at a different world, where some of these issues of diversity and conformity are resolved, yet new problems appear. It proves that there are no simple solutions to these problems.   There is also a lot of symbolism found in __The Giver__, which really strengthens the book. One example is the river in the story. The river, which runs into the community and out of it to Elsewhere, symbolizes escape from the confines of the community. Everything that happens in the community is under strict discipline. There are not many surprises because there is not much room for choice under the strict rules. When a child drowns in the river, it is one of the few events that the community cannot predict or control, the only thing that was out of the community’s grasp. It was the only thing that escaped the community. I would recommend this book to anyone with a big imagination who is looking for an exciting, suspenseful read. One who likes to get out of their own world and explore other themes will like this book. It is an especially interesting read for those who like to ponder how things work in the world, and those who like drama and excitement will love __The Giver__. "Lowry is once again in top form...a tale fit for the most adventurous readers" ("Book Information"). Anyone over the age of ten should be able to read and understand this book because of the simple language that it uses, and although it is aimed at kids, people of all ages should be able to enjoy this book.
 * __ Recommendation __**

**__Index__** Jeffery, Steven. "Book Information: Giver, the". Internet Book List. 7 Nov 2008. .

"The Giver". __Sparknotes: The Giver__. 2008. Barnes and Noble. 7 Nov 2008. < http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/giver/facts.html >. Lowry, Lois. __The Giver__. New York: Houghton Miffin Company, Sept. 2002. "Lowry, Lois Ann (Hammersberg)"**.**  Lowry, Lois. 7 Nov. 2008. < http://www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Lowry_Lois.html >.

__RandomHouse.ca | Books | The Giver by Lois Lowry__. Random House. 7 Nov 2008. . __** Other Outstanding Books **__

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