The Giver By: Lois Lowry

I first read this Newberry Medal book as a sixth grader.  I absolutely loved it!  The conversations and discussions created in my sixth grade classroom through this book were much more mature than a typical sixth grader's thoughts.  However, our teacher guided our discussions allowing us to gain so much from the novel.

The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry - Lois Lowry attended Brown University in Rhode Island.  Marriage and her children ended her first college career.  One resettled, Lois Lowry attended the University of Southern Maine.  As Lois Lowry explains, her motivation in writing The Giver was to educate her audience on their dependence on the environment and other parts of the world.  Lois Lowry Biography

Genre: Fiction

Grade Level: 6 +

Theme/Skill: Science Fiction

Brief Synopsis: Chapter one begins with Jonas explaining his fright when the aircraft flew by.  He goes on to say how everyone abandoned their bicycles and hid inside.  The cause of the aircraft was announced to be “released”.  Jonas then tells a personal story about telling a friend he was “released” and the repercussions he faced for it.  He then explains the rituals of the evening in which some of the rules are introduced.

Pre-Reading Activity: What is a utopian society?  What characteristics do you associate with a utopian society? What differences do you imagine in a utopian society compared to our present society?  Until you get into this book fully, students may be confused by chapter one.  Please know that this is expected and your confusions will clear up as we continue the book. There are a few vocabulary words used in this story that you may want to clarify with students before reading.  Aircraft? “Stomach-sinking terror”? What emotion does apprehensive describe?

Post-Reading Activity (Chapter 1): What rules are outlined in chapter one?  What does everyone ride around in throughout town?  What do you imagine “released” means?  Who do you believe are the nurturers in the society?  Discuss the main points of chapter one with a partner. In partners, write a summary of chapter one.  As a formative check, listen to the student’s summaries.  On the back of their summary, instruct students write down any questions they may have.  Are there any immediate questions they need to have answered now?

Lowry, L. (1993) The Giver. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Grades 6+