Thanksgiving ‘07.

I brought my daughter’s copy of THE GIVER by Lois Lowry on our annual Thanksgiving trip to the east coast. Kai lauds THE GIVER as her favorite book “of all time.” Not a surprise. It sported the worn and tattered look of a well-loved book.

To my delight, THE GIVER was an excellent holiday read. You see, I’ve grown weary of all the holiday hullabaloo pressuring us into a spending frenzy. Don’t get me wrong. One of my favorite things about the season is gift-giving. However, what is the true meaning of gift and giving, especially in today’s culture? These words have been stripped of their true lustre thanks to the bombardment of holiday advertising, spend-now-pay-later deals and other commercial trappings. THE GIVER pulls us in, neck deep, into rushing waters forcing us to tread on the genuine meaning of giving and receiving.

A riveting tale set in a pristine, ideal community, THE GIVER suggests that a smooth ride in life is not without bumpy, disjointed truths, or dangerous consequences, even if things are perfect. I love Lowry’s voice—her expert build-up of tension, clarity of storytelling and poetic description satisfied me to the bone. Although it took me away from my NanoWriMo writing, the story was a welcome distraction. I was inspired and rejuvenated by Lowry’s words, secretly wishing that her gift of language would rub off on me. (Okay, it’s not a secret anymore.) THE GIVER earned the prestigious Newbery Medal in 1994.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 26th, 2007 at 3:32 am and is filed under Recent, Kid Lit, Reading. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.