Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

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The Giver by Lois Lowry cover shows the face of an older, bearded man in top right and a young man in profile on the bottom left. Bare branches of trees extend toward the center from the left side.

The Giver (The Giver Quartet #1)
Lois Lowry
Clarion Books
Published April 26, 1993

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Giver

In Lois Lowry’s Newbery Medal–winning classic, twelve-year-old Jonas lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind his fragile community.

Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce newchildren, who are assigned to appropriate family units. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Everyone is the same. Except Jonas.

Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Gradually Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test—when he must try to save someone he loves—he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?

Told with deceptive simplicity, this is the provocative story of a boy who experiences something incredible and undertakes something impossible. In the telling it questions every value we have taken for granted and reexamines our most deeply held beliefs.

The Giver has become one of the most influential novels of our time. Don’t miss the powerful companion novels in Lois Lowry’s Giver Quartet: Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

My Review

I think this is the third or fourth time I’ve read this book, but definitely the first since I’ve been blogging. I would like to read and review all four books in the quartet. The second book, GATHERING BLUE, is one I’ve read before, but I haven’t read the other two.

One of the things that stood out to me this time reading the book is the way that Jonas’s role in the pivotal moment in the book is to ride his bike for scene after scene. Whereas back at home, the community members are reeling from the presence of Jonas’s memories, and the Giver is busy helping them process the new feelings.

Reading the book again as an adult, I find it an interesting choice that we follow Jonas out of the community and don’t witness the other community members experiencing those memories. Jonas really wanted his family and Fiona to experience the emotions and memories he experienced.

I love the book, though. Jonas journeys from passively following instructions and believing that the rules of the community are all for the best. As he learns about pain and loneliness (both from the Giver’s memories and his new role which mandates that he not speak about his training to anyone) he begins to question the way the community operates. He begins to wonder if the “sameness” which forbids anyone experiencing color, emotions, or individuality actually robs the community of something precious and valuable.

It’s an important idea, especially in the current conversations about book banning and restrictions on conversations about identity. Is there a point at which we harm ourselves by so completely sanitizing books and conversations? Do we diminish or lose the ability to empathize with others or process the existence of pain in the world this way?

Anyway. All that to say that I’m glad I reread THE GIVER. It’s been thirty years since the book was first published, and it still clearly has some important things to say.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Representation
Jonas and the Giver both have light eyes. That appears to be a marker for the ability to receive memories. No other race details given.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Jonas feels attraction toward his friend Fiona.

Spiritual Content
The community celebrate the life of members when they reach a certain age, before a “ceremony of release” in which a community worker euthanizes the member with an injection.

Violent Content
Jonas watches a ceremony of release in which an adult injects and euthanizes a small child. Jonas experiences memories of war in which a soldier on a battlefield dies, crying out for water. He also experiences starvation and grief in memories.

Drug Content
Community leaders instruct Jonas to take a daily medication to stop any feelings of attraction/arousal.

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Review: Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD

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Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting or Self-Involved Parents
Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD
New Harbinger Publications
Published June 1, 2015

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents

If you grew up with an emotionally immature, unavailable, or selfish parent, you may have lingering feelings of anger, loneliness, betrayal, or abandonment. You may recall your childhood as a time when your emotional needs were not met, when your feelings were dismissed, or when you took on adult levels of responsibility in an effort to compensate for your parent’s behavior. These wounds can be healed, and you can move forward in your life.

In this breakthrough book, clinical psychologist Lindsay Gibson exposes the destructive nature of parents who are emotionally immature or unavailable. You will see how these parents create a sense of neglect, and discover ways to heal from the pain and confusion caused by your childhood. By freeing yourself from your parents’ emotional immaturity, you can recover your true nature, control how you react to them, and avoid disappointment. Finally, you’ll learn how to create positive, new relationships so you can build a better life.

Discover the four types of difficult parents:

  • The emotional parent instills feelings of instability and anxiety.
  • The driven parent stays busy trying to perfect everything and everyone.
  • The passive parent avoids dealing with anything upsetting. 
  • The rejecting parent is withdrawn, dismissive, and derogatory.

My Review

I came across this book while I was browsing on Twitter. Someone I’m close to was going through a challenging conflict with a parent, and when I saw this book, I thought, hey, maybe this could be a good resource.

I started reading the opening pages, and it was like… all of a sudden, some of the relationships I’ve had deep struggles with in my life started to make sense. Things clicked. Some of the descriptions of emotionally immature behavior were absolutely spot-on for some of the people in my life. So I bought the book, thinking maybe it would give me better insights on those relationships, too.

Easy to Read, Broken into Three Parts

Here’s my favorite thing about this book: it’s broken down into three parts. The first part pretty much breaks down common behaviors of emotionally immature people. The goal is learning to see the person from a more objective view and recognizing patterns, especially those that hurt.

The second part of the book turns the magnifying glass on the reader. How have we responded to the emotionally immature people in our lives? Basically, she breaks this into two big categories which she terms our healing fantasy (what we keep doing to try to “fix” the relationship) and our role-self (unnatural or unhealthy ways we’ve changed our behavior to try to make these relationships work).

Then, the last part of the book puts it all together. Now that we understand what’s happening in this other person and how we are responding, we look at dismantling the unhealthy responses. Changing our expectations. And setting up new ways to interact with this person that stop us from diving headfirst into the potholes we’ve been falling into.

There’s also a chapter that looks to future relationships and how to stop ourselves from pursuing the same harmful relationships over and over as well as how to look for signs of emotional immaturity, especially in a potential partner.

Best Relationship Book I’ve Ever Read

The writing is straightforward. Practical. Clear. I can’t think of another book on relationships that spelled things out as well as this book does. It pretty much blew my mind. I wanted to contact every person I know who has had challenging relationships with a parent and be like, “Stop what you are doing and READ THIS NOW!”

Normally I read nonfiction really slowly, but I couldn’t put this one down. Honestly, it felt so eye-opening, both in understanding behavior in others that was harmful and also in taking a hard look at myself and how my own behavior was harming me, too. Just, wow.

I liked that the book is really empowering and focuses on healing and healthy boundaries. Honestly, I can’t recommend it enough. If you find yourself having the same kinds of hurtful experiences over and over with people in your life, even if they’re not your parents, definitely check out this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Representation
No race details given about the case examples.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Some brief references to verbal, emotional, or physical abuse.

Drug Content
References to addiction.

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Review: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

The Tale of Despereaux
Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick Press
Published September 9, 2008

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Tale of Despereaux

A brave mouse, a covetous rat, a wishful serving girl, and a princess named Pea come together in Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Medal–winning tale.

Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish.

These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other’s lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.

My Review

This one is a hard one for me to review. Let me start by saying that I’ve read several other books by Kate DiCamillo, and I loved all of them so far. I think FLORA & ULYSSES is my favorite. So I went into this book expecting to absolutely love it.

Which is maybe part of my problem.

I think there are a lot of really cool elements to this story. There are some interesting themes about light versus darkness, and what happens to people who are forced to live in darkness, separated from any light. I liked the whimsical elements, like the king with his bizarre proclamations, such as making soup illegal. I liked that Despereaux and his love for the princess drove the story forward, too. And I liked the way all the individual stories of the characters, including Miggery Sow and Roscuro came together.

But. The story was a lot darker than I was expecting. The dungeon was so creepy. And the fact that Despereaux’s own family essentially sentences him to death. Miggery Sow endures some pretty awful abuse, and those experiences are related to us in a pretty frank way. I think that can sometimes be an effective way to tell the reader something shocking, and it works here. I couldn’t help feeling shocked and horrified for this girl (who has a terrible name on top of everything else).

But then I felt like there was no sympathy from the author later when Mig finally does get free and begins living at the castle as a servant. I guess that was supposed to set up how we feel about her going into the main conflict in the story, but I had a hard time with that.

On the whole, though, I did like some of the characters and the way the pieces of the story fit together. I did find myself wishing it wasn’t such a dark story. If I were to opt for a read-aloud from the books I’ve read by DiCamillo, I think I would still choose FLORA & ULYSSES.

Content Notes for The Tale of Despereaux

Recommended for Ages 10 to 12.

Representation
Human characters are white. Miggery Sow has some deafness as the result of abuse.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
When Despereaux meets Princess Pea, he falls hopelessly in love with her and vows to serve her as her knight.

Spiritual Content
A couple characters experience moments of decision where they may choose to forgive someone who harmed them or continue on the path toward revenge. They recognize that forgiveness will give them one kind of result internally and revenge a different one.

Violent Content
A mouse gives birth, but only one of her babies survive. A mouse is sentenced to death and thrown into the dungeon, where the rats who live there are predicted to eat him. A man wallows in guilt after having sold his daughter to another man. A man beats a girl so terribly that her ears become deformed and she can barely hear. She’s later described as having become fat and lazy, which seems like a pretty harsh thing to say about someone who’s endured the trauma this girl has. Additionally, I didn’t even notice her being lazy.

Some scenes reference prisoners in the dungeon being lost and teased or tortured by the rats who live there.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: The Stonekeeper’s Curse by Kazu Kibuishi

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Graphic Novel or Adaptation, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

The Stonekeeper’s Curse (The Amulet #2)
Kazu Kibuishi
Graphix
Published September 1, 2009

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About The Stonekeeper’s Curse

A MYSTERIOUS WORLD FULL OF NEW ALLIES… AND OLD ENEMIES!

Emily and Navin’s mother is still in a coma from the arachnopod’s poison, and there’s only one place to find help: Kanalis, the bustling, beautiful city of waterfalls. But when Em, her brother, and Miskit and the rest of the robotic crew aboard the walking house reach the city, they quickly realize that seeking help is looking for trouble…dangerous trouble.

My Review

I feel like this series is really growing on me. I liked the first book, but I think this one was a smoother read. The first book had a lot to set up and introduce, but this one picks up right where the first one left off and immediately throttles forward.

I’m starting to feel like I’m getting to know the characters better, too, which is fun. I like both Em and Navin, and I’m really interested to see where each of their storylines take them. This seems like a series that would be the most enjoyable if you read them all in order, but I think there are enough clues to what happened in the first book that you could probably enjoy this one individually.

Will I continue with this series? Yes, I think so. I can get the books from my library pretty easily, and I am enjoying reading them. My nephews have already read this one, so I’m really just reading them for my own enjoyment at this point, and to broaden my experience with graphic novels.

I think these are great books for fantasy readers and anyone looking for a compelling fantasy story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
I think Emily and Navin are white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Emily battles the amulet for control of its power. As she uses it more, the stone’s power grows and so does its desire to take over and control her.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Cartoonish battle scenes.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Forest Feast for Kids by Erin Gleeson

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Forest Feast for Kids: Colorful Vegetarian Recipes That Are Simple to Make
Erin Gleeson
Abrams Books for Young Readers
Published February 16, 2016

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Forest Feast for Kids

The first children’s cookbook from New York Times bestselling author and popular food blogger Erin Gleeson, The Forest Feast for Kids, serves up kid-friendly vegetarian recipes that are quick, easy, and fun to make. This unique cookbook showcases the rustic simplicity of the fare through vibrant colorful photography of Gleeson’s beautiful home in the woods and of children cooking the dishes themselves.

Each meal is simple and full of fresh and lively flavors that will appeal to kids. The natural beauty of Gleeson’s surroundings and the abundance of local produce serve as the inspiration for recipes such as:

Pesto Pepper Pizza
Rainbow Chard Quiche
Kale Tacos
Watermelon Smoothies

In addition to its recipes—which span meals, party food, snacks, and beverages—this nonfiction book includes ideas for crafty table decoration, party ideas, an illustrated guide on kitchen safety, and a glossary of culinary terms. The recipes are complemented by a mix of stunning photographs and art, including Gleeson’s own fanciful watercolor illustrations and hand lettering.

This beautifully designed children’s cookbook is perfect for foodies and parents looking for healthy recipes for children. It will also appeal to fans of Erin Gleeson’s blog and The Forest Feast.

My Review

This is the first time I’ve ever reviewed a cookbook on my blog! Here’s how this happened: I did some research looking for cookbooks for kids because I wanted to get one for my daughter for Christmas. She enjoys making banana bread and some other things like that with me, so I wanted to expand our repertoire. I picked FOREST FEAST FOR KIDS because I loved the idea of cooking with fruits, veggies, and nuts.

And the recipes definitely focus on those foods. Many of them have nuts. Several use carrot or zucchini either cut into spirals or ribbons. I like the idea of adding those to pasta dishes or salads for something new and fun. It’s a vegetarian cookbook. We are not a vegetarian household, but I think there are a lot of recipes in here that we’d all enjoy.

Here are some recipes we’ve tried already and how they went.

Recipes We Made

Butternut Quesadillas, pages 58-59. One of the ingredients in this one is roasted butternut squash. We make that for dinner fairly regularly and always have a little bit left over. I was excited to find a possible way to use it. I think the thyme definitely makes this recipe. It definitely does not have a TexMex flavor, but I enjoyed it.

Bay Potatoes, page 52. This one looked simply too good not to try. It’s sliced onion, potato, and sweet potato rounds layered with bay leaves, and topped with garlic, butter, and olive oil. My daughter enjoyed putting the layers all together and drizzling the butter and oil over the top. And they came out super yummy! This one is an instant family favorite.

Carrot “Noodle” Salad, page 46. This one looks a lot simpler than it was for us to prepare. I used a spiralizer to cut the carrots, and found that to be pretty challenging. (I’ve only used it on zucchini before, which worked fine, but carrots are harder to cut.) The dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste) was pretty plain, so we ended up adding a raspberry vinaigrette instead. Overall, this one was okay, but probably not something we’ll repeat. My daughter didn’t care for it.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
There are a few cooking photos that show kids cooking.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters by Amy Boyd Rioux

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Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters
Amy Boyd Rioux
W. W. Norton & Company
Published August 13, 2019

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy

On its 150th anniversary, discover the story of the beloved classic that has captured the imaginations of generations.

Soon after publication on September 30, 1868, LITTLE WOMEN became an enormous bestseller and one of America’s favorite novels. Its popularity quickly spread throughout the world, and the book has become an international classic. When Anne Boyd Rioux read the novel in her twenties, she had a powerful reaction to the story. Through teaching the book, she has seen the same effect on many others.

In MEG, JO, BETH, AMY, Rioux recounts how Louisa May Alcott came to write LITTLE WOMEN, drawing inspiration for it from her own life. Rioux also examines why this tale of family and community ties, set while the Civil War tore America apart, has resonated through later wars, the Depression, and times of changing opportunities for women.

Alcott’s novel has moved generations of women, many of them writers: Simone de Beauvoir, J. K. Rowling, bell hooks, Cynthia Ozick, Jane Smiley, Margo Jefferson, and Ursula K. Le Guin were inspired by LITTLE WOMEN, particularly its portrait of the iconoclastic young writer, Jo. Many have felt, as Anna Quindlen has declared, “Little Women changed my life.”

Today, Rioux sees the novel’s beating heart in Alcott’s portrayal of family resilience and her honest look at the struggles of girls growing into women. In gauging its current status, Rioux shows why LITTLE WOMEN remains a book with such power that people carry its characters and spirit throughout their lives.

Why I Read Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy

Reading BELITTLED WOMEN by Amanda Sellet stirred up my curiosity about LITTLE WOMEN, which it pays homage to and perhaps very loosely retells. I hadn’t read LITTLE WOMEN and didn’t really know much about it, other than the 1994 movie, which I’ve watched countless times and still love.

A quick internet search about some of the assertions about the story and author mentioned in BELITTLED WOMEN led me to this book. I read LITTLE WOMEN earlier this year so that I’d have more familiarity with the commentary here and could compare it to my own experience reading the book. But I also wanted to read it because I’m seeing more and more retellings of the book.

Anyway. So I read LITTLE WOMEN, and then read this book, giving some history and commentary on it.

My Review

Where do I start? Ha. The book begins with a brief history of Louisa May Alcott’s life, highlighting parts of her childhood and family life that she pulled from in her imagining of her most popular novel. It also discusses her own thoughts about the book and its popularity. For example, she didn’t want to marry Jo off to someone but felt pressured by her fans. She was also known to rush out the back door if fans came to visit her.

The book also talks about how different generations have received LITTLE WOMEN and the changing commentary about the story across the decades. I found that really interesting. There’s a chapter that focuses on adaptations of LITTLE WOMEN to the stage or screen. I’ve only seen the 1994 and 2019 movies, so I made a list of other versions that I’d like to check out. I pitched a LITTLE WOMEN movie binge to my mom and daughter for the week of Thanksgiving, so we’ll see how that project turns out!

There is also a chapter in which the author lists writers who name LITTLE WOMEN as an influence on their work and/or count it among their favorite books. She also talks about who is reading the book still today, and how and when literature began to segregate itself into books for boys versus books for girls.

Conclusion

For the most part, I found this book to be deeply fascinating. I think I zoned out a teeny bit in the section listing authors who were inspired by the story. It was a little repetitive there. But I loved the chapter about the author’s life and the exploration of how different generations have related to this book. I also loved the focus on developing conversations about feminism and different takes on whether the book is progressive or conservative and why.

I’m really glad I read this one, and especially glad it was the catalyst for reading the original work, which I also really enjoyed. If you loved LITTLE WOMEN or even if you’ve never read it and just wonder what the fuss is about, be sure to grab a copy of this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 14 up.

Representation
The book mainly focuses on the life of Louisa May Alcott and her family.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
References love and relationships from the book LITTLE WOMEN as portrayed in the book and on screen.

Spiritual Content
Brief discussion of Louisa May Alcott’s father’s restrictive religious beliefs and how they impacted her as a child. Conservatives of the day were upset with the lack of Christianity in the scenes of LITTLE WOMEN. For example, the book opens with the family celebrating Christmas but with no mention of going to church. When a character dies, there is no mention of her ascending to heaven. A stronger Christian theme was more common in popular novels of the day.

Violent Content
Brief mentions of war as a historical fact.

Drug Content
Like the March family, Louisa May Alcott and her family were against any consumption of alcohol.

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