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

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Modern Fantasy chapter book. The Giver fits into the Modern Fantasy genre in the science fantasy category. There are unusual situations in which a scientific explanation is offered to leap into things that are unknown, although they are not necessarily possible. Lois Lowry does a remarkable job at making the culture and lifestyle of this book seem believable.

This book is a person-against-society conflict. The main character, Jonas, is assigned the very honorable position of "The Reciever". As he goes through his trainings, he becomes very aware of all of the choice and originality, as well as pain, that the citizens of his community are deprived of. As the story progresses and Jonas becomes closer to the Giver, they become very upset with the community and the Elders and how they choose to make the choices for the people, keeping them all the very same.

The story takes place in an integral setting. The story would not be the same without it. It is the fictional characteristics of the community that Lowry has created that gives the story its entire meaning and conflict.

The theme of this book is a very deep one, possibly too deep for many students younger than high school. It is based on morals and ethics and really makes the reader think. Would it be better to have every decision made for you- and be void of pain, or is it experiencing pain that makes living worthwhile?

The point of view of this book is third-person-omniscient. The narrator can see into the minds of all of the characters, bringing us closer to their feelings and emotions. Jonas goes through lots of pain and confusion and frustration during his training experiences as The Receiver. Without this third person point of view, we wouldn't be able to understand the depth of this evolution.

This book relates to students, specifically teens, because they have all been at a point in their lives where they think "I wish I didn't have to decide" or "life is too hard"or "I don't want to feel any more pain". However, this book helps them think that perhaps the hard decisions and the pain are what help you grow and develop and appreciate life when it is easy and painless.

Jonas may have tweeted:
"I am seeing everything in a new way- color is a beautiful thing! #youallaremissingout"

BIG QUESTION:
Choose a side. Would you rather live in a community where you did not have to experience pain, all decisions were made for you, and everything was the same or live in a place where you had choice, got to experience all of the wonderful things, but had tough decisions to make and had to experience pain. Support your answer.

-Haley