The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry, 1993

Brief annotation:

Given his lifetime assignment at the Ceremony of Twelve, Jonas becomes the receiver of memories shared by only one other in his community and discovers the terrible truth about the society in which he lives.

Themes include society, science fiction, the human experience and rebellion.

This book lends itself to interesting discussion on how we see the world. Discussion topics could include what it would be like to not see any colors, what it would be like to lose individuality and what we lose by trying to protect ourselves from living.

-John Newbery Medal, 1994

Beastly

Flinn, Alex. (2007). Beastly. New York, NY: Harperteen.
Appropriate for students from seventh grade and up.
Set in modern day New York, this novel is the biggest departure from the original Beauty and the Beast. Not only is the setting different and not only does the author employ chat rooms as story telling devices, but she also chooses to follow the male lead instead of the traditional female point of view.
Best Books/Awards:
ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, 2008
VOYA Editor’s Choice, 2008
Beehive Award, 2010
This book would be interesting in a literacy circle as it is contemporary telling of a fairy tale is likely to get young adults talking about the story and how it relates (or does not relate) to their own lives. Educators could also combine this book in a creative writing class, using the chat room excerpts to show students how they can use modern methods of communication in their stories. Students could create their own chat room situations based on other traditional fantasy or think of other forms of communication that someone like Adrian might use while otherwise locked away from society.