I wanted to comment on one reviewer who didn't like the book's ending because she thought Jonas leaving was very out of character for him. It is a Newberry Medal winner for a reason.
As a parent, if you are upset by the book's content, maybe you need to take some time and read the book so that you can participate in your child's education.
If it's part of a school curriculum, I'm sure the teacher is discussing the issues in the book because this book is a GREAT teaching tool.
However, I first read this book in elementary school. I think it's very noteworthy that the only positive reviews seem to come from parents who have actually read the entire book.Īs for age appropriateness, it obviously depends on the person. Not only was The Giver one of my favorite books growing up, but I continue to reread the story as an adult.Īlthough you, as parents, may be reading a page or two of the book and see only its graphic content, this is an extremely meaningful story with a lot going on. We did, however, learn that deception can be a powerful weapon, and not everything is as it seems.Īs an educator, I'm very disappointed with most of the reviews I've read here. I mean, we grew up with Soylent Green, and I must say, I don't know anyone personally who watched that and started thinking it was okay to use people as food. That's an important lesson, especially at this age.Įveryone should be taught that art has a deeper meaning than what is read or seen at face value.
And I think it's a lesson in opening one's eyes and looking at what is going on around them, instead of just blindly buying into what is being pushed by others. This book is very obviously an example (I think a wonderful example), of how we should not behave. And he has a wonderful sense of right and wrong. If you think it's promoting the horrors of this dystopian society, then you clearly missed the point! I'm all for exposing my child to literature that teaches him how people should not behave, as well as how they should. I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at anyone being incensed and outraged by this book for a middle-school-aged kid.
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