It’s December, so we are continuing on with our tradition of doing a kid’s book, but this year, the kids are a little older. This is more like a young adult novel. Our book is THE GIVER written by Lois Lowry. It became an instant classic when it was published in 1993. That year, Lowry won the Newbery Award which is given by the American Library Association to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. She also had previously won a Newberry Award in 1990 for her book NUMBER THE STARS. In THE GIVER is set in a dystopian future. It is a sort of speculative work of fiction in which 12-year-old Jonas is selected to become the apprentice of the Giver. The Giver is the protector of memories that have been suppressed in this tightly-controlled community where there are no wrong choices and no competition or conflict and even no war, no music, few feelings, no color. It doesn’t sound like much of a life but this is what they know. Nancy remarks that at first, it seemed like a nice place, but then you start realizing what is missing. Linny says she thinks a message in this book is that knowledge is power that brings us choices and also consequences. When we take away knowledge, such as is found in books, society is weakened. Linny makes an impassioned case for no book banning. Nancy remarks that THE GIVER is a book that has been banned in US libraries. Ironic, right? Nancy was interested in the ways medicine was used by the community. Pills dampen sexual interest, but also seem to make people, overall, very placid and prone to just following orders. Later, we learn that fatal injections are administered to people who don’t fit into the community. Nancy mentioned reading an article (from the NEW YORK TIMES magazine) about how SSRIs dampen sexual drive and numb emotions. She wondered whether Lois Lowry had become aware of them and based the pills in this book on them. But, turns out, SSRIs were developed after Lowry had written this book! Conformity is important. We learn that children all wear the same clothes and hairstyles, based on their age. The biggest shame is to be “released” from the community. Jonas and we don’t understand, at first, exactly what this means, but he suspects it means the person goes to another community, beyond his own. But, being released brings great shame to the person’s family. It is around this time that Jonas learns that being released means being injected with a lethal medicine. Nancy was shocked when she realized, along with Jonas, that his dad was basically going to murder Gabe, who he had spent a year caregiving and that the elderly were also euthanized. Nancy said one of the really wrenching part of the books for her was when Jonas asks his mother and father if they love him, they ask him to be more specific, that the word “love” is meaningless. Jonas experiences a kindling of love during an episode of memory transfer when a multi-generational family is gathered for Christmas in a cozy, fire-lit living room. His love is also growing for the newchild, Gabriel, who is living with his family then it is decided that Gabe hasn’t developed as he should, so he will be “released” from the community. Jonas seems to find a morality deep within him, probably because he decided to stop taking the pills he was given, that he needed to save Gabe. Nancy wonders where Jonas’ morality comes from. Lois Lowry seems to tell us that morality is in-born and that is a hopeful part of the book. Linny says this is a coming-of-age book that tracks the developmental changes that children/teens face. Linny says when she is faced with endings that are ambiguous, she makes up her own ending. She does this with her dreams, too. The ending she created was that they find food, love, and community. Nancy says she thought the ending was Jonas and Gabe’s death. Linny is shocked. Then Nancy said she read the 25th anniversary edition of the book, from her local library, and it included two afterwards, both by Lois Lowry. In the first, she talks about the reaction to THE GIVER. The second, is the text from her Newbery Award acceptance speech for THE GIVER. In the acceptance speech, she said that many of the questions she got about the book were to explain the ambiguous ending. Nancy read some of the letters Lowry presented as possible endings. Lowry reported that she thought about that for 7 years and they decided to write GATHERING BLUE, a sequel, which revealed Jonas was thriving in another community. Four years after that, she wrote MESSENGER, where Jonas has become a leader of his small community, and they also catch sight of the young boy, Gabe, in the community. In the fourth book, SON, Gabe moves to center stage. So, a couple questions for you. Nancy thinks most teenagers would relate to this book and encourages everyone who has a teenager in their life to purchase this book for them. Linny said she enjoyed the book and liked that it was an easy read. She feels it is relevant today.