The Giver

1
The Giver

• A Challenged Book Defense
• by Melissa Meserall

2
The Giver, in brief

• Jonas is the main character, living in a utopian
  society run by a Committee of Elders in which
  there exists no pain, war, poverty, fear, or
  hardship. Jonas is selected to be the receiver
  of memories for the community he learns that
  their world has been ordered so that while the
  negative qualities of life have been eliminated,
  this has happened at a cost. The elderly,
  flawed, or unneeded members of the society are
  released, meaning that they are euthanized. As
  Jonas understands the implications of this
  information, he plans to escape and return the
  memories to all the people. The ending is
  ambiguous, leaving the reader unsure of what has
  become of Jonas.

3
Issues/ Reasons for Challenges

• Violent and sexual passages are inappropriate
  for children
• Offensive language and objectionable themes
  (Wrenshall, MN)
• Concerned with murder, suicide, and the
  degradation of motherhood and adolescence
  (Franklin Co, KS)
• Mature themes (suicide,euthanasia, infanticide,
  and sexual awakening)
• References to death (Pickens Co. SC)
• Portrayal of suicide, euthanasia, and
  infanticide in a neutral to positive light
  (Denver)

4
Results of Challenges

• Removed from elementary library, available for
  classroom use at teachers discretion (Franklin
  Co, KS)
• Retained, parents will receive list of books to
  be studied during the year (Wrenshall MN)
• Retained in high school section of K-12 library
  (Johnson Co, MS)
• Retained in elementary school library teachers
  allowed to read aloud (Denver)
• Remove from elementary library classrooms
  allowed in higher grades remain in school
  libraries ( Pickens Co, SC)
• Overturned superintendents decision to pull the
  book from middle schools after hearing from
  supportive parents/teachers (Union Co, FL)

5
Principles of Intellectual Freedom Legal
Protections

• While the issues that are tackled in this book
  are not always comfortable, they are protected in
  our democratic society.
• First Amendments clause Congress shall make no
  lawabridging the freedom of speech, or of the
  press is traditionally interpreted by the
  Supreme Court to cover the freedom to read.
• Further, the Island Trees case (1982)
  acknowledged that the freedom to read does exist
  under the first amendment.
• The Library Bill of Rights states that Libraries
  should provide materials and information
  presenting all points of view on current and
  historical issues
• National Council for Teachers of English (NCTE)
  document Students Right to Read notes that
  Censorship leaves students with an inadequate
  and distorted picture of the ideals, values, and
  problems of their culture. Writers may often
  represent their culture, or they may stand to the
  side and describe and evaluate that culture.
  This is the case with Lowrys allegory The Giver.
  

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Awards/Reviews

• 1994 Newbery Award Winner
• Booklist starred review (4/15/93)
• Publishers Weekly (2/15/93)
• School Library Journal (5/93)
• Book Links (5/1/04)

• Horn Book starred review (9/93)
• Kirkus starred review(1993)
• New York Times Book Review (10/31/93)
• Amazon Barnes Noble customer reviews Average
  rating 4.5/5 (3/10/05)

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Highlighted Review Comments

• The story is skillfully written the theme of
  balancing the values of freedom and security is
  beautifully presented (Horn Book, 9/93)
• Wrought with admirable skillthe emptiness and
  menace underlying this Utopia emerge step by
  inexorable step a richly provocative novel
  (Kirkus, 1993)
• Lowry is once again in top formraising many
  questions while answering few, and unwinding a
  tale fit for the most adventurous readers
  (Publishers Weekly 2/15/93)
• This tightly plotted story and its believable
  characters will stay with readers for a long
  time (SLJ, 5/93)
• The Giver, a powerful and provocative novel, is
  sure to keep older children reading. And
  thinking. (NYT 10/31/93)
• Thoughtful, thought-provoking

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Conclusion

• The Giver provides students with a safe context
  against which to talk about difficult topics
  which are already introduced in the media.
• The dichotomy between freedom and security is a
  timely one in our post-9/11 world.
• The freedom to read is a hallmark of our
  democratic society. If we prohibit access to
  information and ideas that are controversial, we
  will end up living in the same world that Jonas
  struggled against.

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Works Consulted
Doyle, R.P. (2001). Banned books resource.
Chicago American Library Association. Lowry
novel frequent censorship target. (2001).
Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom, 50(5).
Retrieved 10 March 2005, from Library
Information Science database. Hastings, W.
(2004). Challenges to The Giver. Childrens
Literature Reference Pages. Retrieved 10 March
2005, from http//www.northern.edu/hastingw/Giver.
html Library Bill of Rights. (revised 1996).
American Library Association. Retrieved 10 March
2005, from http//www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspo
ls/statementsif/librarybillrights.htm Review of
The giver. (15 April 1993). Booklist. Retrieved
10 March 2005, from Titlewave Library
Resources. Review of The giver. (September 1993).
Horn Book. Retrieved from 10 March 2005, from
Titlewave Library Resources. Review of The giver.
(1993). Kirkus. Retrieved from 10 March 2005,
from Titlewave Library Resources. Review of The
giver. (15 February 1993).Publishers Weekly.
Retrieved from 10 March 2005, from Titlewave
Library Resources. Review of The giver. (1 May
1993). School Library Journal. Retrieved 10 March
2005, from http//reviews.schoollibraryjournal.com
Students Right to Read. (nd) National Council
of Teachers of English.Retrieved 10 March 2005,
from http//www.ncte.org/about/over/positions/leve
l/gen/107616.htm