The+Giver

Summary:
An intriguing story set in a society that is uniformly run by a Committee of Elders. Twelve-year-old Jonas's confidence in his comfortable ``normal'' existence as a member of this well-ordered community is shaken when he is assigned his life's work as the Receiver. The Giver, who passes on to Jonas the burden of being the holder for the community of all memory ``back and back and back, teaches him the cost of living in an environment that is ``without color, pain, or past. The tension leading up to the Ceremony, in which children are promoted not to another grade but to another stage in their life, and the drama and responsibility of the sessions with The Giver are gripping. School library Journal 5/1/93

Lexile: 760

Book Talk from Booktalks Quick and Simple:
Jonas has a very functional family in a very safe community. He is waiting for the Ceremony of the Twelves, when the children are assigned their vocations by the Elders of the Community. Some will be Doctors, some Food Preparation workers, and some Birth Mothers. Jonas is assigned to be the Receiver, a very honored assignment. He is given a list of rules to follow and begins to train with the former Receiver, who is now the Giver. The Giver begins to give Jonas memories, memories of all the people back and back for many generations. The people in Jonas' community have only the memories of their own generation; it is safer that way. They cannot handle the memories of war or hunger, so the Receiver keeps these memories for everyone. The Giver gives Jonas memories of joy and of pain, memories of snow and of love and of colors, which the others can no longer see. Jonas in turn gives some of his soothing memories to the young male Gabriel his father has brought home to nurture and with the memories succeeds in helping Gabriel to sleep well when nothing else works. Jonas and the Giver decide that they must return the memories to the people of the community, so they create an elaborate plan of escape. Their plan, however, is shattered when Jonas learns that Gabriel will soon be released from the community.

More info:
Student Book Trailer (sound isn't very good--but a good representation of the book) media type="custom" key="5755947"