question about Lois Lowry's The Giver

[ElaineJ]

I am facilitating a book club for our co-op this upcoming term, and at the recommendation of another mom selected The Giver as one of our books. Now I realize that there are graphic descriptions of killing an infant and some s@xual references, and I am wondering if I am going to end up in trouble with other parents. I know, I know, I should have read it first....:blush: Anyway, I'm wondering if I should change this selection. How would you feel about your 6th to 8th grader reading this book in this context? Would you appreciate me switching to another title even if I had already sent out the book list?

 

Elaine

[Lily_Grace]

That's actually on our list to read this year with the 12yo. It's an important story about what happens when things go too far. I'm comfortable with the descriptions in it and the discussions it will foster.

 

 

That said, I wouldn't mind if another felt uncomfortable with it and changed the selection for a group setting as long as we knew ahead of time. You might want to look at Margaret Peterson Haddix' Among The Hidden (or any of her other books) as a substitute.

[Donna]

Both my boys read this at 12yo.

[Joyofsixreboot]

I really like that book. My kids have read it ranging from 9-12. I would give the parents a heads up as what parents do varies widely.

[ElaineJ]

OK, thanks ladies! That's encouraging. Maybe I'll go ahead and keep it but just send the parents some info on the content beforehand.

 

Any other opinions are also welcome. Thanks for the input.

 

Elaine

[Word Nerd]

You might get complaints. Several parents on a local homeschool group email loop were upset that The Giver was an assigned book at a charter high school some HS families' students were enrolled in. (None of them had read the book.)

 

I read the whole series and wouldn't have any issue with a middle schooler reading it. Can't remember any sexual content at all. Now I'm curious.

Edited July 28, 2011 by WordGirl

[goodgollycr]

You might get complaints. Several parents on a local homeschool group email loop were upset that The Giver was an assigned book at a charter high school some HS families' students were enrolled in. (None of them had read the book.)

 

I read the whole series and wouldn't have any issue with a middle schooler reading it. Can't remember any sexual content at all. Now I'm curious.

 

It talks about him taking a pill to keep the 'stirrings' from coming. About the time they hit puberty. If memory serves he stops taking his pill but I don't remember there being huge sexual consequences.

 

Ahhh, here's a review you could send to the parents:

http://squeakycleanreviews.com/review.cfm?review_id=445

[Word Nerd]

It talks about him taking a pill to keep the 'stirrings' from coming. About the time they hit puberty. If memory serves he stops taking his pill but I don't remember there being huge sexual consequences.

 

Ahhh, here's a review you could send to the parents:

http://squeakycleanreviews.com/review.cfm?review_id=445

 

I vaguely remember that now.

[Starr]

My children really didn't like the book. They found it "disturbing and unsettling". Maybe they were too sensitive.

[Mergath]

I read it in school when I was about twelve, and I didn't find anything in it to be disturbing. From what I remember, the infant killing scene is sad, but not graphic in any way, and the talk about the "stirrings" is so subtle that half my class didn't even get that part, lol.

[Scarlett]

My children really didn't like the book. They found it "disturbing and unsettling". Maybe they were too sensitive.

 

My mom had me pre-read it because she was thinking of doing it as a read aloud for her 5th graders. It distrubed me and I was 30 something!

[KatieJ]

My sons read it at about that age, and both of them found it disturbing.

I would be sure to give a heads up and be fully prepared to switch to another book.

[SailorMom]

My sons read it in 5th and 6th, and I had no issues with it. It is a very well written book.

A good way to study it is to also have your kids read Plato's Republic and compare the two. That will help put the drastic social methods in context.

[Evergreen State Sue]

This book is on the reading list for a literature class my dd is taking. It is a class geared for 12-14 yos. I read the book this summer so I would know what it was about. I think she can handle it, although I was disturbed by it and probably wouldn't normally have her read it. I would give a heads up to the parents and maybe an explanation of how you might deal with the more sensitive subjects.

[micheller1]

My children really didn't like the book. They found it "disturbing and unsettling". Maybe they were too sensitive.

 

:iagree:my daughter HATED this book as well. she has never felt such a strong dislike for a book.

[cuckoomamma]

I have a 5th grader who is in no way ready to read that book. We are definitely on the more sensitive side of things and don't watch most movies, either. It doesn't even need to be a graphic description to be disturbing. The whole idea of killing an infant is deeply disturbing.

 

As full disclosure, while I think Lowry is a fantastic author, I just don't see the value in exposing kids that young to really disturbing themes. There's plenty of time to probe into that later on.

 

Although my dd is younger than the ages you're describing, I'd appreciate her tackling something with literary value that wasn't so disturbing, even when she's older. FWIW, dd wouldn't attend the coop while you discussed that book and just come when it was done. I've also found that many parents do not pre-read and have very little clue of what their kids are reading.

[ElaineJ]

Hmmm....now the response seems to be half in favor and half against. I guess that gives me a good idea of possible reactions from group parents. Now I'm thinking maybe I should just go with something safer. I had a harder time choosing the books for this group than I anticipated. Middle school is just such a transitional age; if it were elementary or high school, the choices would be a lot more clear cut, I think.

 

Thanks again for your input. Very helpful!

 

Elaine

[goldberry]

This is on my DD's 8th grade list. I haven't read it myself. What was "disturbing" about it to your kids?

 

The "stirrings" thing doesnt sound like it would bother me.

[Karen in CO]

It was assigned reading for my ds when he was in public school for 6th grade.

[Dobela]

In themid 90s I helped teach this to 6th graders in a public school. One of the most conservative Christians I ever knew was the main teacher who decided to teach this book. Yes, the subjects are disturbing. Some of it however very closely parallels our world now: "Releasing" is just a 'politically correct way' of saying abortion and euthanasia. Think how our vocabulary today is sensored to make it more acceptable. The drugs to stop the 'stirrings' are a form of birth control. Other pills are given to the characters so their emotions are always level and even and the same. The society is a form of socialism where everything is the same for everyone - same kids, same house, same income, same foods... The government has all the power and makes decision for everyone - down to job, spouse, family placement, school placement... Borders are closed making it difficult to leave the geographical area and to enter the area. Yes, the Giver is seen as a God of sorts, but because he is misunderstood. He is the historian for the people. Only he knows the truth and the true past and can see what society has lost.

 

So, it is disturbing? Yes,but it also opens up lots of discussion that I feel is healthy. At age 12 many kids are starting to question the world around them and try to make sense of it all. Is the book creepy? Yeah, more to others and less to others. Honestly, we didn't hear many negatives from many kids about it. At least after the finished the entire book and could put it all together. Will I read it to my son? Yes. It is a perfect venue to discussing what I believe as a parent concerning religion, governmental control, and so on.

[Sevilla]

I think a lot depends on how you handle the book and the discussions. I think it is an excellent book and that the themes in it are appropriate for that age group (middle school where they are entering the age of logic). It's a book to be read with guidance and discussion.

 

Now I'm thinking maybe I should just go with something safer.

This is how groups end up with twaddle for literature selections...because 'safe' does not usually equal 'challenging and engaging with life issues.'

 

In all seriousness - the killing of infants is disturbing. In the book it is designed to be disturbing! It's not glamorized or portrayed as something good AT ALL. I think of it this way - if by age 12 my children have been exposed to basic Bible stories that included the killing of infants (such as David's first son by Bathsheba being killed, or the murder of the baby boys in Bethlehem, or the murder of the Israelite babies in Egypt by Pharoah), then The Giver should not be considered too mature for them. They should have learned the basic idea of infanticide by now if they've studied other time periods in history and other cultures (I know I'd studied Greek and Roman civilization in 5th grade and we learned about infanticide and how the practiced that).

 

By 5th grade students know what abortion is, they have probably learned about sex-selective abortion in other countries like India, and they understand that horrible things happen in the world. Reading a book that exposes those things AS HORRIBLE and giving a forum for processing that is important IMO (and it is done without graphic detail - there is no bloody violence, and death scenes are done with euthenasia via an injection).

 

I would be fine with my child reading that book, and would be sure to discuss it with them. I would appreciate a heads-up as a parent along with some articles to read through and maybe start discussion with my child. I would NOT switch out the book though - it's an important work of literature that is read in a large swath of middle schools in this country and understanding it is important for cultural literacy as well. There is a whole group of young adult novels that are knock-offs of The Giver, for example (see "Matched").

[Ferdie]

My dd and I both just read that book. I loved it. My dd enjoyed it but thought it was creepy in parts.

 

The book was on the mandatory summer reading list for the incoming 7th graders at my dd's charter school. During the middle of summer I received an email that due to "difficult content" the students were allowed to read another book, The Wanderer, instead.

[Dobela]

 

This is how groups end up with twaddle for literature selections...because 'safe' does not usually equal 'challenging and engaging with life issues.'

:iagree:

[Jeannie in NJ]

my dd read it when she was 14, it was one of the few fiction books that she enjoyed, she tends to like non-fiction. The killing of the baby was disturbing but probably necessary to show the lack of feelings, emotions in the society and how it impacted Jonas.

[Momling]

My daughter read it at the disturbingly young age of 6.:ohmy: She was at a Montessori school and the teacher felt that kids should choose their own books to read, so I didn't know about it until she told me afterwards. She loved the book... even went on to find the sequels. She felt very close to the character and it was her favorite book for a few years. I wouldn't have offered it to a 6 yr old. 9 is probably as young as I'd suggest.

[Word Nerd]

my dd read it when she was 14, it was one of the few fiction books that she enjoyed, she tends to like non-fiction. The killing of the baby was disturbing but probably necessary to show the lack of feelings, emotions in the society and how it impacted Jonas.

 

:iagree: It's a pivotal scene because Jonas' suspicions are confirmed that the ostensibly utopian society he lives in is really a dystopia.

[Laurie4b]

I think it is the kind of book that you tell parents about and let them decide. If you want to avoid controversy, choose something else.

 

I remember being forced to read Lord of the Flies in either middle or high school and I totally hated the experience. I wish someone had not put the stuff in my head. I wonder how I would feel if I read it now.

 

I don't think the Giver is nearly on the same level as disturbing, but there are kids who are sensitive.

[mcconnellboys]

We saw it as a play and I found it disturbing. I got the book from the library and read it to see if there was any saving grace there that got left out of the play. No, still disturbing. I'm not saying that it's not thought provoking or has no value for study - it's just not the typical sort of book we generally read....

[TXBeth]

We saw it as a play and I found it disturbing. I got the book from the library and read it to see if there was any saving grace there that got left out of the play. No, still disturbing. I'm not saying that it's not thought provoking or has no value for study - it's just not the typical sort of book we generally read....

 

That's so interesting. I can't imagine The Giver as a play. How did they portray the kid learning to see in color? I've always wondered how that would work in a movie.

[tntgoodwin]

I read it when I was in 3rd grade or so...loved it!

[mcconnellboys]

It was the 2008-09 season when we saw it, so I'm sorry, but my old pea-brain just doesn't remember. Our children's theatre does really cool things with lighting, so I suspect they used colored lighting. On TV, I suspect they could just do a "Wizard of Oz" sort of shot, cutting from b/w to color. Our theatre also uses fabrics in very innovative ways throughout their plays, so that may have come into play, too, I just can't recall....

[BeckyFL]

I am facilitating a book club for our co-op this upcoming term, and at the recommendation of another mom selected The Giver as one of our books. Now I realize that there are graphic descriptions of killing an infant and some s@xual references, and I am wondering if I am going to end up in trouble with other parents. I know, I know, I should have read it first....:blush: Anyway, I'm wondering if I should change this selection. How would you feel about your 6th to 8th grader reading this book in this context? Would you appreciate me switching to another title even if I had already sent out the book list?

 

Elaine

I'm a Christian and this is one of my very favorite books. I love the topics that are brought up for discussion.... abortion, euthanasia, etc. When you see it in the setting of the book it just seems so wrong. Then you stop and think.... is this what we're doing in our society as well?

[datgh]

My 7th and 8th grader read this book and loved it. We had fabulous discussions. It really made them think. I had read it before hand and did read it out loud with them. It is the only time my kids have not come kicking and screaming when it is time to do literature in the past two years. I would give the parents a heads up. Total Language Plus, whose study guide we used, warns that it is a controversial book. Is there anyway you can do this book later in the year so you have time to get to know the kids and decide if they could handle it or not?

[Nestof3]

My sons read it at about that age, and both of them found it disturbing.

I would be sure to give a heads up and be fully prepared to switch to another book.

 

Aaron was older than 12, and I could tell the book made him uncomfortable. I didn't read it, but I think he found it disturbing.

[MeaganS]

The Giver is one of my favorite books. I read it first in 5th grade. I was VERY sensitive to death, especially infants and things like that, as a child and I still loved the book. I wouldn't watch anything scary or read anything scary, but The Giver was fine with me. It is the first book I remember reading that got me to really think.

 

As for descriptions, they are very matter of fact and sad, but I wouldn't say they gratuitous or anything.

 

I wouldn't have ANY problem with a high schooler reading it, and I think most middle schoolers would be fine, but if you think there are some parents that have issues with things like that, it might be worth mentioning.

[AngieW in Texas]

My oldest read it in ps in 7th grade and loved it, although she would have preferred for it to have had a less open ending. I read it and enjoyed it all the way up until I got to the open ending. Then I read the two sequels and was thoroughly confused because they made absolutely no sense at all (especially the final book). My middle dd read it in 8th grade and though it was good up until the open ending.

 

I prefer The Sky Inside and its sequel, The Walls Have Ears.

[Carol in Cal.]

I liked this book, but chose not to use it for my DD in either 7th or 8th grade. I didn't mind if she wanted to read it, but I just didn't want to put that much time into talking about that particular dystopian idea. It's not that it's a bad book, but there are so many good books, and so many good things to talk about, so why pick this one? I do like the author, and I had her read "Gathering Blue" instead, which is disturbing as well but not nearly to the same extent.

[ZooRho]

My oldest read it as a high schooler. He came to me in tears over the book. But he can be sensitive that way. Also he lost an orphan baby buddy while we were in Uganda. He saw too much of the reality of that book in the survival of the fitest.

 

Yeah a younger child could read it but honestly I wouldn't want a middle school child to read it.

[HeidiKC]

I think definitely either switch it or send info to parents ahead of time. It sounds like there are many people who either wouldn't choose it for their child at that age or else have children that were bothered by it.

 

I would not like it if my child was in a book club and a controversial book was assigned that I didn't know about ahead of time (that it was controversial, etc.). Also, I don't think the issue is whether or not any particular person (on this forum or elsewhere) believes the book is good for kids that age. The issue is whether a number of parents of your book clubbers might be bothered by the book choice. Not up to us to judge what they feel is appropriate for their kids, we don't know their kids, etc. But based on responses here, there is a good chance some of them will not feel it is an appropriate choice.

 

If you do go with it (and send info to parents), maybe you could do it as the very last book of the year so that those kids who opt out of reading it don't feel funny about missing the meeting(s) in the middle of the year, and can just finish the co-op a book early (which might be nice in April/May anyway).

 

Good luck with the book club - love that you're doing it!