The Giver

Lowry, Lois. The Giver. New York: Random House Children’s Books, 1993.
ISBN: 0440237688 pbk.
$ 6.50

Reader’s Annotation:
A classic utopian tale that follows the actions of one young boy caught in a world that only looks perfect.

Booktalk:
What does it mean to be the Giver? Jonas is about to find out. Jonas has spent his whole life in the community. His life has held no pain, no fear, no war, and no choices. Every part of his everyday is carefully orchestrated so that he never has a disagreeable moment. When Jonas turns twelve he receives his first surprise. Jonas is picked to become the next Giver.

Being the Giver involves pain, it involves fear, and it involves choice. Those choices are plainly illustrated to Jonas with his first communication from the Giver. He is informed that he can lie and that he is allowed to be rude. Yet, the Giver carries a great burden for he may not take pain medication, he may not share his dreams, and above all else he may not apply for release.

But what is that the Giver does? What does he give? Jonas will soon find out the duties of the Giver. He will find that his new duties involve something more than giving. They involve holding a new knowledge. Will Jonas be able to handle his new assignment? He must for he is The Giver.


Awards:
A Boston Globe- Horn Book Honor Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA Notable Book for Children
Winner of the Regina Medal
A Booklist Editor’s Choice
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

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A Wrinkle In Time

L’Engle, Madeline. A Wrinkle in Time. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1962.
ISBN: 0374386137
211 pp.
$21.00

Reader’s Annotation:
This story chronicles the adventures of three children that travel through space and time to save their father.

Booktalk:
Margaret Murray is a misfit. Her parents are gorgeous and smart. Twin brothers Sandy and Denny are liked by everyone. Charles Wallace, Meg’s little brother, is a child prodigy waiting to happen. Calvin, Meg’s new friend, is popular and fits in with everyone. For Meg nothing goes right. Meg Murray does everything wrong. She was dropped down to the lowest section in her grade. She is ridiculed by her classmates. She gets into fights with boys. Meg is convinced that she’s a delinquent.

On top of all this Meg’s dad has been missing for a long time. When he will get back and from where is a big question. No one including Meg’s mom knows where her dad went. Teachers at school are both curious and snide about her dad’s disapperance. Meg’s little brother, Charles Wallace, barely remembers their dad. The only clue to what happened is one word, tesseract.
No one will tell Meg what a tesseract is. She only knows that if there is a hope of saving her dad it will come from this strange unfamiliar word. Three little old women Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which all know about this word. A simple funny sounding word that is about to release a mountain of possibilities and cause a world of trouble. But what if this word has the power to bring Meg’s father back? Will Meg have the courage to learn everything about a tesseract? Where is Meg’s father, is it possible that he is just A Wrinkle in Time away?


Awards:
Flicker Tale Children's Book Award Nominee 1987
Sequoyah Book Award 1965
Newberry Award Winner 1962
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Hans Christian Andersen Award Runner-up

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Watchmen

Moore, Alan, and Dave Gibbons. Watchmen. New York: DC Comics Inc, 1987.
ISBN:9780930289232 pbk.
$19.99

Reader’s Annotation:
This widely acclaimed graphic novel chronicles the adventures of disgraced and retired super-heroes as they struggle to prevent World War III and save their own lives.

Booktalk:
Super heroes are disappearing left and right, World War III is imminent, nuclear holocaust is a reality. What’s an outlawed super-hero to do? Find out in: Watchmen

- Alternate format: graphic novel interspersed with news articles, case files, interviews
- Movie tie-in
- Cold War analogy
- Super-hero versus Law enforcement
- Set in 1980s gives alternate history
- Portrays super-heroes as humans with no real powers
- The hero of the story is the bad guy, redeeming qualities?
- Viewed as most popular graphic novel


Awards:
Hugo Award -1988
Locus Award -1988
One of Time Magazine’s Best Novels - 2005

Image provided by: http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/269468925?referer=di&ht=edition