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Elise Thoron
 
the giver
the giver

 

This Newbery Medal book by Lois Lowry portrays a seemingly utopian community, in which all the difficulties and frictions of life have been smoothed away in favor of "sameness.” There is no memory, no pain, no color, no books. A twelve year old boy, Jonas is selected to be the next Receiver of Memory, the only member of the community who holds knowledge of the past. The Giver, an old man who holds the memories must transmit them to Jonas. In the process, Jonas becomes aware of color, beauty, pain, war; he discovers the horrible truth that under pins their society;  with the help of The Giver he decides to change things and tries to escape. Mara Stephens, (the amazing actress who played Charlotte Salomon, in Life? or Theater?) plays both twelve year old Jonas and eighty year old Giver. 

The Giver is one of the most frequently performed titles and it provokes intense civic discussion among 5th and 6th graders and also is a great multi-generational experience. Click here for more...