"The Giver" Book Review

What would life be like with no knowledge past your own life? In The Giver Jonas lives in a world where there are no memories of the past.

The environment that Jonas lives in is a controlled environment. There is no rain, sun, hills, or color. Everyone looks similar. They all have the same color eyes except for the very few people with special light eyes. They all wear tunics everyday and because there is no color, they all look exactly alike.

In Jonas' world every December there is a ceremony. At that ceremony every kid gets something new depending on what age they are. When the kids turn 12 years old they find out their future jobs. There is a committee in their town that observes all the kids while they are doing their volunteer hours. The committee puts the 12 year olds in a job that they think would best fit them.

Jonas is one of the people with special light eyes. When he turns 12 he gets picked to be the new "Reciever." The Reciever is very important and very respected in their community. The Reciever is the only person with memories of the past. When he first goes to his job the Giver gives Jonas pleasant memories. After a while, the memories start to be painful and unpleasant. Jonas discovers that this community is not as perfect as it seems to be. The theme of this book is that everything is not what it seems to be.

I have read The Giver three times now. The first two times I read it, I hated it. Now that I actually understand everything that was going on I really like it. I would recommend this book to anyone old enough to understand.

Cross-Examine

I have realized that being a teenager these days I have to deal with a lot of cross-examination. Teachers, parents, bosses, and the parents of the kids I teach cross-examine me all the time. Of course these cross-examinations are not near as extreme as real cross-examinations but they have the same effect.

My parents cross-examine me about homework, school, and my friends a lot. They are just doing it because they want to make sure I am doing good in school and everything, but I am a big girl so I know that I need to do my homework without asking me about it all the time.

The parents of the kids I teach cross-examine me often. I feel like I am constantly being watched and judged by them. They have good reason to do this, I guess, because I am dealing with their small children. When they first meet me I think they are surprised that I am so young and already have a job. So, they ask me all about me and how qualified I am to teach gymnastics. The whole process is very unnerving.

All adults, pretty much, cross-examine me all the time.

I Wear the Mask

I wear the mask.

I wear the mask as a fence
To keep depravity at bay.

I wear the mask to contain myself
To help me watch what I say.

I wear the mask to hide my thoughts,
The unpleasantness no one wants to hear.

I wear the mask for me,
To save myself from things I fear.

Sunshine

my life exists
with hope

from bright rays
of sun

highlighting
the day

with happiness
and warmth.

Celebrate

I can celebrate many things in my life because my life makes me happy. :)

I celebrate my family because they always make me laugh, especially my little sister. They give me love and happiness.

I celebrate my friends because they bring joy into my life. They lift my spirits on a bad day and keep them high on a good one. We have so much fun together!

I celebrate my job because of the wonderful kids I teach. They are so innocent and happy without a care in the world.

I celebrate all the little things in life that make me happy. I celebrate my life!