The Giver (1993)

I'm opening my blog with a book post to say this one's as good as any harry potter novel in about 600 fewer pages. Lois Lowry's "The Giver" is a kid's book my 10-year old niece suggested I read and I really enjoyed it. I started reading during my morning commute, actually read a few pages under my desk during the day, and finished it up on the train ride home.

The story is about a 12-year old boy who discovers that love, memories, colors and freedom of activity are more important than a conflict-free utopian existence. Jonas saves a child named Gabriel and as a result recovers humanity. The book introduces familiar sci fi themes to kids and illustrates courage and commitment to self. For some reason The Giver ended up a banned book list (?). The only objection I had was to the method and environment used to transfer memories. Definitely worth a few hours out of your day and more interesting than the Express in the morning.

To find on amazon: The Giver Publisher