The Giver (novel)

Imagine a world with no colors. No bright red apples, no green grass, and no blue sky. Everything is just gray, gray, gray. In the world inside my pages, life is very calm and orderly. Everyone knows the rules, and no one ever feels strong feelings like super-duper happiness or deep sadness. It’s all very predictable, which means you always know exactly what’s going to happen next. But even though everything is safe, it feels like something important is missing. There are no surprise birthday parties, no warm hugs that make you feel loved, and no sunshine to make you smile. I am a book, and my name is The Giver. I hold the secret to a world full of colors and feelings that the people inside my story have forgotten. I keep all the memories of the past, waiting for someone special to share them with.

A wonderful writer named Lois Lowry created me. She had a big question in her mind: what would life be like if people didn't have any memories?. What if they couldn't remember happy times, like a fun day at the beach, or sad times, like saying goodbye to a pet?. She thought about this a lot, and then, on April 26th, 1993, she began to write my story down on paper so that everyone could explore this question with her. Inside my covers, you meet a brave boy named Jonas. In his community, when children turn twelve, they are given their special job for life. Jonas is chosen for a very unusual and important role: he becomes the Receiver of Memory. An old, wise man, who they call The Giver, is the only one who holds all the memories of the past. It becomes his job to pass them all to Jonas. Jonas gets to see snow and ride a sled for the first time. He feels the warmth of sunshine on his skin and learns about the amazing feeling of love. But he also learns about pain and loneliness. Jonas starts to understand that all these feelings, the good and the bad, are what make life real and beautiful.

When I was first published, children and adults who read my story started talking. They looked at their own world, full of bright colors and big feelings, and thought about the quiet, gray world inside my pages. I helped them ask important questions, like "Is it better to be safe or to be free to choose?" and "Are sad memories important too?". My story made so many people think that in 1994, I was given a very special prize called the Newbery Medal. It was like getting a gold star for a book. Even now, so many years later, I invite readers like you to wonder about the world. I am a reminder that every memory you make, every color you see, and every feeling you feel is a precious gift. From the biggest belly laugh to the tiniest tear, these things connect us to each other and make our lives worth living. I hope I help you see the magic in your own colorful world.