Re: The Giver

["Alice H. Yucht" <YUCHT@ZODIAC.RUTGERS.EDU>]

Lois Lowry has been asked on several occasions (at various conferences):
A) what did she mean by that ending?  does Jonas find a better life, or
does he die?      and
B) is she planning to write a sequel?
To both questions, she always answers, "Hmmmm, what do you think?"
In other words, SHE ain't telling.

I, too, think it is one of the most powerful and important books ever
published for children.  However, I believe that a certain maturity level
is necessary to really "get" the book.  I wouldn't use it as a class
unit with under 6th grade.  Maybe as a readaloud to a great 5th grade
class, with lots of discussion...  I am concerned when I hear that
3rd and 4th grade teachers are using it because," It's a Newbery, isn't
it?" -- as if that award automatically makes any book safe for all grades.

One of the  7th grade Lit classes is reading a "trilogy" of dysfunctional
society books: _ the Devil's Arithmetic_, _Nothing But the Truth_, and
then_ the Giver_.   The discussions comparing the protagonist's role as
 unwilling catalyst in each of the different societies have been fascinating.
When I originally suggested this activity to the teacher, he didn't know any
of the books, and didn't think it would work (and didn't want to do anything
HE hadn't thought of by himself...)  Once he read the books, however, and
we (teacher and I ) discussed them, and I suggested various writing/discussion
topics, he was hooked.  We've even  offered kids the opportunity for extra
credit if they read additional titlessuch as  _Eva_, _The Goats_, Bel-Air Bambi
and the Mall-Rats_, _The Eye, the Ear and the Arm_, etc., and use them for
discussion or writing activities...
The kids are now starting to look at their own cultures: home,
school, and community, with very different viewpoints!   And the writing
and discussion we're getting from these kids is showing evidence of
real critical -- and imaginative -- thinking.
What I'd really like to do is open this up to the parents: have THEM read
and discuss the books, and then discuss them WITH the kids, but I don't
think this teacher is ready for that yet..

Alice H. Yucht
yucht@zodiac.rutgers.edu