The Giver Graphic Novel (Giver Quartet, 1)

From School Library Journal Gr 6 Up-Jonas lives in a colorless world where everyone is content and conformity is the key to serenity. At the age of 12, in a ceremony that determines Life Assignments for each citizen, he's chosen to be the community's "Receiver of Memories." He begins training with the Giver, an old man who is the sole guardian of the community's dark and concealed history. Jonas learns not only of sunshine, color, and love but also of pain, war, and death. Confronted with this reality, he faces difficult choices and discovers that the wisdom he now holds could determine the fate of his entire civilization. This striking retelling of the modern classicxa0blends words and images to create a brilliant new representation of Lowry's dystopian conflict between the ideals of free will and security. The artwork, rendered in blue pencil and grayscale, perfectly depicts Jonas's stark, dysfunctional society, and the measured introduction and brief glimpses of color keep readers hopeful for a brighter future. The characters are distinct, and the action flows well, evoking the feeling of the original work. Dialogue is pulled directly from the source material and heightens the story line and Jonas's emotions. VERDICT This stunning work will introducexa0The Giverxa0to a brand-new audience and will also delight longtime fans.-Kelley Gile, Cheshire Public Library, CTα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "A first-rate visual reframing: sensitive, artistically brilliant, and as charged as its enigmatic predecessor with profound challenges to mind and heart." – Kirkus, STARRED reviewxa0xa0 "This striking retelling of the modern classicxa0blends words and images to create a brilliant new representation of Lowry’s dystopian conflict....This stunning work will introducexa0The Giverxa0to a brand-new audience and will also delight longtime fans." – School Library Journal, STARRED reviewxa0xa0 "Russell masterfully preserves the flow of story....The relief and sometimes shock of these colors allow the power of the memories to reach readers in a way beyond mere sight, and thus the wonder of Lowry’s story is made palpable in a startling new way."xa0– Booklist "An accessible version of the story for readers who have not yet encountered it."xa0– Publishers Weekly "This beautifully illustrated graphic novel...gives new life to a true classic."xa0– School Library Connection — Lois Lowry is the author of more than fortyxa0books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet andxa0popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader’s Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver . P. Craig Russell is a renowned artist in the field of comics and graphic novels. He has worked on many projects, including thexa0graphic novel adaptations of Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: The Dream Hunters , Coraline , Murder Mysteries and American Gods .xa0 www.artofpcraigrussell.com Read more