Book #40

"Son" is the 4th book in "The Giver" series by Lois Lowry.  This is an interesting series.  "The Giver" was written over 20 years ago and at the end you think the story is over, but in in 2000 Lois Lowry wrote a sequel called "Gathering Blue" and a 3rd book called "The Messenger" in 2004.  Again, we thought that was the end, but just last year she released "Son".  Who knows if that will be the last? 

The story starts in the same place as "The Giver" and ends in the same place as "The Messenger".  Claire is assigned to be a birth mother, but there are complications and after giving birth via C-section she is reassigned to another occupation.  By chance Claire does not resume her daily pill taking and therefore has feelings.  She feels attachment to her baby.  If you've read "The Giver" you understand how different this is for people in this community.  Claire's baby is Gabe, the boy that Jonas (from "The Giver") runs away with.  Claire runs away, too, in search of her son and after much adventure, learning and sacrifice she is reunited with him. 

I've mentioned before how much I love reading books from another character's point of view.  The first part of the story is this way.  I thought that we would get to see how the community survived after Jonas left, but was still pleased with the direction the book went.  Maybe Lois Lowry will write another book that watches the people in the community deal with the memories. 

Book #9

The Giver by Lois Lowry is one of my favorite read alouds.  We read it every year and get more out of it every time.  It is a unique story about choices and what life would be like if we didn't have choices and didn't know we didn't have choices. 

Jonas has just been given the assignment of being the new Receiver--a very honored job in the community.  His job is to receive the memories.  As a consequence, Jonas learns that having choices made for you isn't all it's cracked up to be.  He and the Giver decide there has to  be a better way of doing things and come up with a plan to make a change. 

I love seeing the change in Jonas as he processes the new memories.  At one point he learns that there are more colors than just gray.  He wishes that he could choose a different colored tunic to wear.  Then the Giver says that he might make the wrong choice.  Jonas thinks about this.  He later says, "Oh, I see what you mean.  It wouldn't matter for a newchild's toy.  But later it does matter, doesn't it?  We don't dare to let people make choices of their own. . .What if they were allowed to choose their own mate?  And chose wrong?. . .We really have to protect people from wrong choices."  Even as he says this he feels frustrated and doesn't understand his feeling.  Probably he is recognizing the faultiness behind that idea.  It is Satan's way of twisting God's plan and making it look good.  Yes, we don't want people to make bad choices, but making the choice for them is not the right answer.  Jonas now has a tough choice to make and I think he made the right one.