Review: The Giver: The Gift Edition by Lois Lowry

The Giver: The Gift Edition by Lois Lowry.

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: October 2011
List Price: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9780547424774

Review: Few books will touch the heart and stimulate the mind like The Giver by Lois Lowry. The Giver is one of those books that is cherished by its readers and honestly alters the way the reader views everything they once believed to be true in the world. Now, after nearly ten years, Houghton Mifflin has released The Giver: The Gift Edition which is bound to inspire and intrigue readers everywhere.

Jonas lives in a world where becoming twelve is a turning point in an individual's life. At age twelve, Jonas receives his life assignment chosen for him by the Elders. Unlike his friends who are granted assignments such as Caretakers for the Old or Street Cleaners, Jonas is granted a mysterious assignment that requires utmost secrecy. Jonas goes on spending his days with a mysterious old man who has inexplicable knowledge that he imparts on Jonas. As his friends go on living as usual - without feelings, without fear and without choices, Jonas is on sensory overload. He soon realizes that his utopian society has deep hidden secrets that would bring chaos in a world of order if they were ever revealed.

The Giver, originally published in 1993, was awarded the 1994 Newbery Medal. This new Gift Edition provides what every reader of The Giver has hoped for - illustrations. The Giver is one of those rare books that evokes such powerful visualizations that readers are excited by the imagery and symbolism within the text. Bagram Ibatoulline has added exceptional illustrations that capture the essence of the story, and the illustrations can be instrumental in developing the symbolism within the text. Although the depth of The Giver has typically been appreciated more by advanced readers, the new gift edition will help bring home the essence of the book to all readers. The Giver is an amazing book - one that can be read over and over again, and the Gift Edition not only creates a fresh new look on a classic for a new generation, but it also touches the hearts of all fans because what we've imagined has finally been given life. Lowry fans will be thrilled to know that The Giver is in development for a movie premiere possibly in 2013.

Review written by Margo Nauert (6th grade teacher).

We would like to thank Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing a copy of The Giver: The Gift Edition for this review.

Have you read The Giver: The Gift Edition? How would you rate it?