Newbery Books discussion

This has always been one of my favorites - and usually has been a book club choice wherever I have lived (LV, Iowa, Idaho, etc.). So I think its popularity is deserved. After the last reading I must admit how hard it would be to create a utopia / dystopia for 9-year-olds to read about. Amazing. I think a lot of literature (esp YA) coming out now has a lot of roots in this book, so definitely influential and timeless, can't get better than that.

I agree with Kristine that a lot of literature has roots in this book. The Giver was one of the first books I read that was describing a different/better world in the future. I was completely fascinated by the whole concept and thus this book remains one of my favorites! I do see the concept come up a lot in fiction now days and even though The Giver will always hold a special place in my heart, I am really glad for the influence it has had on the literary world and some of the other books I have read and loved too.

If you haven't read the books that follow this one in the series I highly recommend those too.

In my world this book gets 10 stars. It's been on my bookshelf for several years and somehow, without knowing anything about the story, I knew I would like it. I don't analyze books very well. I just know when I've finished that I either liked it or I didn't. I don't usually think, "What did the author mean by this?" But I looked up websites to find out what Lowry was thinking and where she got her ideas. I was blown away by the fact that color was the first thing that Jonas realizes that his world is missing. What a simple but major life changing idea. I can't wait to read the others in the series. ps If you want to read about a dystopian society, please read The Giver and not The Hunger Games. Unfortunately, a friend has loaned me the second in that series and I'm tempted to read it.

So I have a question for us all to chew on. Did he die at the end? What do you think?

I vote NO.

As an eternal optimist, I choose life at the end. He is sailing down that hill into a new, better life. The related titles by Lois Lowry, Gathering Blue and the other title I've forgotten are not as good as The Giver.

I agree - definitely life.

Me too!

I think he lived. I might be mistaken and will need to go back and reread but I thought he was mentioned in one of the following books. Now you got me thinking but I still say I have to be positive and think he didn't fight that hard to die...so he lived.

If you read between the lines in Messenger, the third 'worlds' book, it almost answers some questions at the end of The Giver...
I think Messenger might have been my favorite of the trilogy. When I discovered Gathering Blue and Messenger, it had been a while since I had read The Giver. I know that I need to reread it, because I didn't really appreciate it the first time through. I liked it, and knew it was important, but I didn't really want to read it, and had to for a class, so I didn't give it my full attention. I did really like it though, and it sparked my interest in the genre of dystopian literature, which is now one of my favorite genres.
I would say that all three are very much worth the read.