# The Giver

**Author:** Lois Lowry
**Lexile:** 760L
**Grade range:** Grades 6–8
**Age range:** 11–14
**First published:** 1993
**Page count:** 179
**Genre:** Dystopian Fiction
**ISBN-13:** `9780544336261`
**ISBN-10:** `0544336267`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/the-giver
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

Twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a community that has eliminated pain, conflict, and choice. When he is selected to receive the memories of the world as it used to be, he begins to understand what his society has given up. The Newbery Medal winner is a standard middle-school introduction to dystopian fiction and a frequent Common Core grade 6–7 text.

## Themes

- conformity vs individuality
- memory
- utopia and dystopia
- coming of age
- freedom of choice

## Content notes

- euthanasia (implied and described)
- infanticide (implied)

Common Sense Media age recommendation: 12+

## Where this book is assigned

### Common Core State Standards (ELA)

- **recommended** · 7th grade — [source: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 exemplar](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)
- **recommended** · 7th grade — [source: Common Core aligned summer-reading list — rising 7th grade](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · California — [source: CA CCSS ELA grade 7 aligned reading](https://www.cde.ca.gov/)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · New York — [source: NY Next Gen Learning Standards grade 7 aligned reading](https://www.nysed.gov/)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · Texas — [source: TEKS grade 7 frequently taught text](https://tea.texas.gov/)

## Banned / challenged record

Documented removals or formal challenges in at least one school district in 3 states: TX, FL, MO. Source: [PEN America's Index of School Book Bans](https://pen.org/banned-book-list/) 2022-2024.

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