The Giver by Lois Lowry
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Book Reviews of The Giver
Book Review: A remarkable idea reminding us that memory is useful
Summary: 4 Stars
This story made me think of the old movie "green sun". It should make everyone react at his/her level without any age distinction but mostly teenagers. No robot in the futurist story, just human conditioned and controlled (by who?) at the extreme. It is wonderfully explained how one ends up not questioning the system and how he/she can escape it. The end is splendid except for a "prop" which appears from nowhere. This excepted, the book is beautiful. I strongly recommend it to everyone over 13. I warranty parents they won't hear "I'm bored" or "I have nothing to do" the time of this book reading and may be thinking of :). For grown ups, it is a fabulous and clear reply to Finkenkraut's "Vain memory".
Claude
Book Review: a must-read - for adults too!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best books I've ever read. It's just as capable of inspiring adult readers as yound adults. I've been buying copies of this for my younger family members. I've read many, many books as an English teacher and a lover of books, and this one is one of the best. Read it. You won't regret it.Book Review: bought it for my child, ended up being for me...
Summary: 5 Stars
I did buy this to read to my daughter but I couldn't wait to finish it and had to finish it before I could read the rest of it out-loud for my daughter....(also, she was too young for it-she was only 6). I will read it to her for the first time soon (she's almost 9)....anyway....the story is amazing, intensely thought provoking like 'brave new world' and '1984'.
Read it first, then to your child if she's 9 and up. Children can be strongly affected by the mature themes and the conversation & questions that follow...
a wonderful book, highly recommended...
Book Review: A Beautiful Book
Summary: 5 Stars
The first time I read this book I was 10 years old, sitting in a library in my elementary school. I can honestly say, this book has the same impact on me today, as it did thirteen years ago. This beautifully written dark narrative on a Utopian society only becomes more relevant with time. It lacks the seriousness of "Brave New World" but somehow manages to be taken more seriously. Perhaps because the future described, could easily happen with today's technology. You will love it if you are 10 or 50, highly recommended. Book Review: WOW.
Summary: 5 Stars
If the ultimate goal of book club is to develop deep comprehension and critical thinking skills, then this book is the perfect tool. There is so much for students to pour over in search for meaning. It is unsettling at several different levels, and I would expect a fairly mature book club to find their way into conversation without much prodding from the teacher.
I would not start book club rookies out on this for their first book. I think the group would need to be fairly comfortable with each other and have a high level of trust and acceptance - students (and even teachers!) would need to feel confident to try out ideas without judgement and be able to sort out their thoughts in an open, caring atmosphere.
In my experience, many book club books often have very superficial themes that students grasp and extract connections from. I don't think such books propel them to higher levels of thought and understanding. I often hear something like, "This book is about a brother and sister fighting, and I sometimes fight with my sister too." There just isn't anything for them to take their ideas a step futher. When the book clearly presents thought-provoking themes that students grab onto and want to discuss, it is a wonderful thing. Book clubs are for books that MUST be discussed and CANNOT be read and understood (quite as fully) by yourself. This is exactly the type of book that is made for book club.