The Giver (Grades 6-8)

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0544336267/ref=nosim?tag=beyondwordsle-20

Overview:  The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is the iconic novel that ushered in the age of dystopian novels. Students are still fascinated by Jonas, the boy who begins to suspect that his "perfect" community harbors a dreadful secret.

At the age of 12, Jonas is assigned to take over the job of “Receiver of Memory”, becoming the only member of his community who can remember history.  At the same time, the outgoing Receiver of Memory, an old man now known as the Giver, has communicated some of the truths about the community that no one else knows.  What will Jonas do?  This novel remains hugely popular and now has star-studded movie as well. 

Included:

·       35-question test over whole novel, multiple-choice and matching with Key

·       Vocabulary List: 20 Vocabulary words with definitions and example sentences

·       Study Questions: 80 Study Questions over whole novel with Key

·       Six chapter quizzes, each covering 3-5 chapters, multiple choice with Key

Age Level and Length: The book is 208 pages long.  The difficulty level is grade 5, but the recommended age is grade 6 or higher.  It is usually read in grades 6-8.  The book should take 3-4 hours for the average 7^th grader to read.  The test will take 30 minutes or less, and each chapter quiz will take 12 minutes or less.  The study questions should be broken into four sessions and should take about 15 minutes each.

Maturity or Political Issues: Although the vocabulary of the novel is an easy read, The themes in this novel are complex. They touch on death, sacrifice, and memory.  Although there are no sexual scenes, there is a mention of a special pill that adolescents must take when they begin to feel “stirrings”.

Additional Considerations: A high-budget, star-studded movie was made of this book; cast members included Meryl Streep, Jeff Bridges, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skaarsgard, and Taylor Swift (in a small role.) The movie is reasonably faithful to the book. It is recommended that students read the book before seeing the movie.