Other editions of book The Giver

“It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened.” Thus begins this haunting story in which a boy inhabits a seemingly ideal world: a world without conflict, poverty, unemployment, divorce, injustice, or inequality. It is a time in which family values are paramount, teenage rebellion is unheard of, and even good manners are a way of life. The Giver December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each twelve year-old receives a life assignment determined by the Elders. Jonas watches his friend Fiona, named Caretaker of the Old, and his cheerful pal Asher labeled the Assistant Director of Recreation. But Jonas has been chosen for something special. When his selection leads him to an unnamed man -- the man called only the Giver -- he begins to sense the dark secrets that underlie the fragile perfection of his world. Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs. Lois Lowry has written over twenty young adult novels and has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Newbery Medal for The Giver and Number the Stars. Gathering Blue, the companion to The Giver, is also available from Listening Library. A full-time writer, Lois divides her time between her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and an earlynineteenth- century farmhouse in New Hampshire. Ron Rifkin has appeared in the films Wolf and JFK, starred on Broadway in Arthur Miller's Broken Glass, and has played recurring roles on television in the series The Trials of Rosie O'Neill and the award-winning drama series ER.

It's a perfect world, where everything looks right. But ugly truths lie beneath… Imagine a world without poverty, war or pain. A world where everything is comfortable and familiar - a world where everything is the same. No colour, no music. In such a world, Jonas is selected to be the next Receiver of Memory and is apprenticed to the Giver, an old man who stores memories from the Community’s past. As Jonas learns about violence and sadness, as well as beauty and joy, he discover the sinister truth behind his safe existence. Simply and beautifully written, The Giver is a thought-provoking look at utopian society. It was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1994.

Meet Jonas, an eleven-year-old boy who lives in a rigidly controlled society some time in the future. In his "community," there is no suffering, hunger, war, and, as you will soon see, no color, sex, music, or love. Everything is controlled by "the Elders," right down to who you will marry, who you receive as children, and what you will be "assigned" as a job. Individual identity has gone the way of cassette tapes, and everyone is essentially just like everyone else. It seems that no one has really left the area, except to visit other neighboring communities. To get "released" is a big deal. It only happens to sick infants or really old people, or to people who break the rules.

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.