The Giver

In the not to distant future Jonas brings us into his reality. Drugs, Suicide, Fighter Planes, could this be our future? In THE GIVER you have the oppurtunity to look into and become immersed in a society where breaking "rules" can have life-changing consequences.

The Civil War, World Wars 1 & 2, Sabre tooth tigers, the Vietnam conflict, George W. Bush and energy concerns would be a few of the things you would not know about. They would have all been a part of your community's history, yet only a few would experience the memories of the past or learn about them. Memory is in the eye of the beholder. What are crystals of all different shapes falling from the sky? How about a PA system that would tell the whole community about your snack hoarding?

As I read this book my mind wondered toward the deep questions surrounding our society and personal human experience. Is right and wrong, fundamental good or evil, defined universally or by your experience, environment and spiritual awareness?

Jonas is starting to have "stirrings" towards Fiona. These two young people embark upon a quest of truth and knowledge. Any more and I would ruin the surprises.

Rating
9 out of 10
Some content may be innapropriate for immature students
Suggested Grade 8
Additional Note** Highly Recommend as a book to read with your adolescent. Now that I have read it I plan to read it with my 6th grader. You may want to read the book to prepare yourself for some serious questions.

Initial Course Analysis - Adolescent Literature

Adolescent literature may be the key to ensuring the future of reading for pleasure and being able to read all levels of the written word. This class has immediately begun to identify the cause of symptoms (Teenage Behavior) in adolesents. Talking about the solution rather than the problem is a strategy that I personally agree with. The Front Line investigation was truly intriguing. I learned more about adolescents in the few hours I spent reviewing websites, watching the program and reviewing the Power Point than I have in three years of working in schools amd attending The Urban Teacher Program.

SLEEP! - As a society we do not value this aspect of our lives as we should. This process we spend 1/3 of our lives doing is crucially, especially for the evolving adolescent brain. Patterns and behaviors established during the teen years can have life-long consequences. I learned a lot about myself last night. As a 30 year-old college student I can personally testify to this being true. My teenage behaviors established me a a young adult that behaved in ways that were not always inside the rules. This pattern of behavior does not work as an adult. From the parents perspective it is very challenging to have a positive, productive, and personal relationship with teens. For a matter of 2 or 3 years parents often may feel like they do not know thier own child.

So far so good! Today I will embark upon some remarkeable and hopefully inspiring literature. It is 20 degrees outside, 75 inside and the coffee is ready to go.

As a teacher, former teenager and parent of an 11 year, I am excited to learn and write about my experience in this course.

"You can not dream yourself into character; you must hammer and forge yourself one."

Henry David Thoreau