The Giver
Updated: 12/10/2025, 11:03:24 AM Wikipedia source
The Giver is a 1993 young adult dystopian novel written by American author Lois Lowry and is set in a society which at first appears to be utopian but is revealed to be dystopian as the story progresses. In the novel, the society has taken away pain and strife by converting to "Sameness", a plan that has also eradicated emotional depth from their lives. In an effort to preserve order, the society has a true sense of equality and lacks any color, climate, or terrain. The protagonist of the story, a 12-year-old boy named Jonas, is selected to inherit the position of Receiver of Memory, the person who stores all the memories of the time before Sameness. Jonas struggles with concepts of the new emotions and things introduced to him, and whether they are inherently good, evil, or in between, and whether it is possible to have one without the other. The Giver won the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. A 2012 survey by School Library Journal designated it as the fourth-best children's novel of all time. It has been the subject of a large body of scholarly analysis, with academics considering themes of memory, religion, color, eugenics and utopia within the novel. In Australia, Canada, and the United States, it is required on many core curriculum reading lists in middle school, but it is also frequently challenged. It ranked #11 on the American Library Association list of the most challenged books of the 1990s, ranked #23 in the 2000s, and ranked #61 in the 2010s. The novel is the first in a loose quartet of novels known as The Giver Quartet, with three subsequent books set in the same universe: Gathering Blue (2000), Messenger (2004), and Son (2012). In 2014, a film adaptation was released, starring Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, and Brenton Thwaites and directed by Philip Noyce.
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| Awards | ||
| Preceded byMissing May | Newbery Medal recipient 1994 | Succeeded byWalk Two Moons |
| Preceded byThe Man Who Loved Clowns | Winner of theWilliam Allen White Children's Book Award 1996 | Succeeded byTime For Andrew |
References
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- American Library Associationhttps://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade1999
- American Library Associationhttps://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade2009
- American Library Associationhttps://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/decade2019
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- Bradford, Clare, et al. "'Radiant with Possibility': Communities and Utopianism." New World Orders in Contemporary Child
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- Lea, Susan G. "Seeing Beyond Sameness: Using the Giver to Challenge Colorblind Ideology." Children's Literature in Educa
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- Kyoung-Min, Han, and Yonghwa Lee. "The Philosophical and Ethical Significance of Color in Lois Lowry's the Giver." The Lhttps://doi.org/10.1353%2Funi.2018.0031
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- Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)https://web.archive.org/web/20190614234437/https://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/newberymedal/newberyhonors/1994newberymedal
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- Pittsburgh Post-Gazettehttp://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06122/686601-42.stm
- [1] Archived April 1, 2012, at the Wayback Machinehttp://www.mnopera.org/thegiver
- "Minnesota Opera presents webcast of Susan Kander's The Giver on May 18 and 23"http://www.mnopera.org/wp-content/uploads/transfer/2012-05-12_the_giver_webcast_nr.pdf
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-jonah-platt-q-a-20171213-story.html
- Entertainment Weeklyhttps://ew.com/books/2018/07/27/the-giver-graphic-novel-preview/
- "Film reviews - Giverthe"http://www.thezreview.co.uk/comingsoon/g/giverthe.htm
- "Jeff Bridges and Lancit Media to co-produce No. 1 best seller 'THE GIVER' as feature film", Entertainment Editors Septe
- Ian Mohr, "Walden gives 'Giver' to Neumeier", Hollywood Reporter July 10, 2003http://www.hollywoodreporter.com
- "Lois Lowry Confirms Jeff Bridges to Film The Giver"https://web.archive.org/web/20121229140919/http://www.studio360.org/blogs/studio-360-blog/2012/dec/20/lois-lowry-confirms-jeff-bridges-to-film-the-giver/
- "Taylor Swift is a 'Giver,' not a taker"https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/09/27/taylor-swift-cast-in-the-giver-with-meryl-streep/2883149/
- Entertainment Weeklyhttp://insidemovies.ew.com/2013/09/27/taylor-swift-the-giver-movie/