The Giver

Book Information

Publication Date: 1993

Reading Level: Lexile Measure 760L, Scholastic Guided Reading Level Y

Interest Level: Grades 6 - 8

Major Awards: 1994 Newbery Winner

Number of Pages: 240 pages

Approximate Word Count: 42,195 words -- The average reader will spend 2 hours and 48 minutes reading The Giver at 250 words per minute.*

Audible Book Length: 4 hrs and 49 mins

Book Themes: Memory, Being an Individual, Rules and Order, Choices, Isolation, Old Age

Genre: Dystopian Literature, Science Fiction

Setting: An Isolated Community Sometime in the Future

Important Quote: The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.

First Line: It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened.

Point of View: Third Person (Limited Omniscient) from Jonas's Perspective

* This is an estimate from readinglength.com.

 

Free Resources from Gay Miller @ Book Units Teacher

Interactive Notebook Printables on Sumbols in The Giver

Get your free book unit sample here.

Context Clues PowerPoint with 1 Minute Timer (2010 Version)

 

Context Clues PowerPoint with 2 Minute Timer (1997-2003 Version)

 

Lesson 6 PowerPoint

accompany
accumulate
acknowledge
admonition
affectionate
afterthought
anguish
anticipation
appeal
apprehensive
appropriate
aptitude
assimilate
assuage
astonished
augment
awkward
benign
bewildered
buoyancy
carnage
chastise
condemn
crescendo
dejected
destination
diminish
disgrace
distraught
dumbfounded
ecstatic

Discussion Questions

1. What is the Ceremony of Twelve? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of this practice.
2. Children in Jonas's society are scolded for not using exact language. What does the practice of using exact language tell the reader about Jonas's community.
3. What is "releasing?" Do you agree or disagree with this practice? Explain why or why not.
4. Do you think the government should control "stirrings?" Justify your opinion.
5. Define sameness. List advantages and disadvantages of sameness. Which list outweights the other? Do you think sameness is benefical? Explain why or why not.
6. Define the family unit in Jonas's society. What relationship does Jonas have with his family? How does this compare to the relationship you have with your family?
7. Explain the relationship between Jonas and the Giver. Which character has the most impact on the other? Explain how the relationship between Jonas and the Giver is benefical for both characters.
8. How does becoming the Receiver change Jonas's relationship with his family and friends?
9. How did the ending of the book make you feel? Did Jonas really find his "dream" family at the end of The Giver or was it all just his imagination? Use proof from text to justify your answer.

Links to Resources and Teaching Ideas

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