Welcome to the Future?

Happy New Year!  It's 2014, and I woke thinking of all the dystopic futures writers like to imagine.  There is no shortage of books about perfect societies that are formed some time in humanity's future, but of course some are more memorable than others.  The series that sprang to mind this morning was Lois Lowry's The Giver Quartet.

Click here to learn more about The Giver

I hesitate to tell even a bit of the details of these books because the revelation of secrets is so key to their stories. Suffice it to say Lowry uses these stories to examine the idea that people may sacrifice their humanity for safety's sake. Choice for security. Is the danger that comes with freedom worth it?  The Giver (and it's three accompanying books) are not for very young readers, but as a teacher I used them with my sixth graders and would find them generally appropriate for 4th grade on up if accompanied by discussion opportunities. They are a great springboard into conversations about liberty vs. safety and sacrificing self for society. Of course I also recommend them to adult readers because they are excellently written and thought provoking on a whole new level in a more mature mind.  Though written as companion books, each one is satisfying on it's own.  You can find links for all four books in the series below.