Middle-grade novel · Fiction

The Giver

Lois Lowry

About the book

In a seemingly perfect community without pain or choice, twelve-year-old Jonas is selected to receive the community's memories.

Reading notes

Frequently taught dystopian novel; includes a disturbing scene about "release."

This description was drafted with AI assistance and checked by a separate AI review against catalog, publisher and award sources on 2026-11-11. It has not been reviewed by a human editor. Report an error.

Recognition

  • Newbery Medal (1994)

Recognition is listed from the awarding bodies’ published records. How we verify awards.

Book details

Author
Lois Lowry
First published
1993
Suggested ages
Ages 12–16 (editorial estimate — children vary)
Reading mode
Confident reader
Topics
dystopia, memory
Edition shown
ISBN 9780544430785 · Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014 · Hardcover
Catalog record
Open Library work record · edition record

Metadata verified against Open Library on 2026-11-11. Other editions and formats exist; ISBNs differ by edition.

Not independently confirmed by our AI review: the suggested age range against a publisher range. Treat these details with caution.

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