Pre-service teachers used blogs to discuss award-winning Newbery books using reading roles creativiely adapted from Harvey Daniel's 'Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in the Student-centered Classroom'. Contact Anne Davis at adavis@gsu.edu if you have questions.
These blogs were moved from Manila blogs to TypePad blogs. The author shows up on each post as Anne Davis as a result of the transfer. The original posts were made by students and the instructors Lynne Jordan & Anne Davis. The initials on the post title signify who did the actual blogging of the post.
Wow! What a book. I'm really glad that I read this book. This book has presented so many great discussion topics to think about. There are numerous connections that can be made from this book to real life, other books, or people. After reading this book, I don't think I would use it with children younger than fifth grade. There are a lot of sensitive topics discussed and I don't think young elementary students would be able to relate. As much as the ending really frustrated me, I think it would be useful for students. It would be great for them to come up with how they think the book ended and then to share those ideas. It would be neat to hear everybody's different ideas and thoughts.
"And the nakedness, too. It was against the rules for children or adults to look at another's nakedness; but the rule did not apply to newchildren or the Old. Jonas was glad. It was a nuisance to keep oneself covered while changing for games, and the required apology if one had by mistake glimpsed another's body was always akward. He couldn't see why it was necessary. He liked the feeling of safety here in this warm and quiet room; he liked the expression of trust on the woman's face as she lay in the water unprotected, exposed, and free."
I found this passage to be very interesting. Students might have questions about why it is okay to see a person naked. Children might also have a difficult time understanding why an eleven year old boy is giving an elderly woman a bath. This passage makes me believe that this book is not appropriate for elementary age students.
In Chapter 13, on page 97 Jonas describes his new experiences with color. He says, "...seen in an instant, the flash of brilliant color, but gone again, returning to their flat and hueless shade."
In Chapter 12, on page95 after Jonas tells The Giver about the "change" in Fiona's hair, The Giver says, "...We've never completely mastered Sameness. I suppose the genetic scientists are still at work trying to work the kinks out. Hair like Fiona's must drive them crazy."
Fat Question:
How are the genetic scientists able to stop the citizens from seeing color? Are they creating the children to be colorblind? Can they seeing any colors at all? Are they seing shades of blacks, whites and grays? There was reference to Jonas not having brown eyes. Can they see brown?
In Chapter four, it discusses release of the old and the celebration that incurs because of it. I am very curious about what release really is in this book and how that corresponds to our death.
In addition, I do like the celebration that is given for the life of the person before they are released. It says that everyone is important and has contributed in some way to the community. However, in this community, if you are a birthmother you aren't important in the eyes of the other people. I think to be the perfect society or have everyone the same that would have to change and be different. Doesn't the community in The Giver strive to be perfect or have sameness for everyone?
In Chapter 4, Jonas starts out by discussing what he liked about being the different ages. For example, he says that when he got to the eights, he had the freedom of choice. I like that he is thinking what was good about those years and not what was bad. I feel like we can take a lesson from Jonas. We should all look back at our years and see the good things and make those the most important things we remember.
I find that everyone turns the same age in December very interesting. It seems like yet one more way to make everyone the same. I wonder how it would be if we all turned the same age at the same time. Many people are upset about missing certain date , like getting in school. This idea would solve that problem. But, how would we suffer from it?
