8th Grade Summer Reading!
You are required to read The Giver and both of these additional novels over the summer, and bring a copy of
each book to class with you at the beginning of your eighth grade year:
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
(This is a companion novel to The Giver, which you read in 7th grade.)
Messenger by Lois Lowry
(This is the final book in the trilogy of The Giver and Gathering Blue.)
If you need a copy of The Giver over the summer, you may check one out from Mrs. Bolton.

You will need to take notes, as outlined below, while reading each of the books this summer. THIS IS
REQUIRED, NOT OPTIONAL, AS PART OF SUMMER READING.
 Your notes will be due within a week of your return to school and will be graded.
 Since you still have your copy of The Giver, I am also REQUIRING you to take notes on certain aspects
of the novel.
 All notes must be handwritten, not typed.
 Please do your own work. Do not copy from another person, the Internet, a tutor, or anywhere else.
Cheating will result in consequences, including a zero on graded work.
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1. Read all three books in Lois Lowry’s trilogy: The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger.
2. Complete the attached charts: Comparison and Contrast of Societies.
3. Complete the following on loose-leaf paper:
Take notes on theme in the all three novels. Please review the attached hand-out to better understand the
meaning of theme. In addition to simply identifying a theme as an idea, take notes on how events, characters’
actions and beliefs, and quotes in the novel support the theme. Although you should have discussed some
themes related to The Giver in class, the following general themes can be seen throughout all three novels in
Lois Lowry’s trilogy (The Giver, Gathering Blue, and Messenger):
-The importance of choice
-Perfection vs. Imperfection
-Evil
-Isolation
-Courage
-Danger
-Fear
-Power (and use/misuse particularly by leaders)
-Friendship/Kindness
-Truth (the search for the truth)
-Freedom (and the meaning of it) and Freedom versus Security
-Appreciation of differences (or isolation/discrimination due to differences)
-Individuality vs. Conformity (Conformity means to act in a way that is considered socially acceptable. Wearing
your uniforms appropriately at school is a positive way of conforming. Making fun of someone because
everyone else does it is a negative way of conforming.)
-The importance of change
-You can make these themes more specific, or you can come up with additional themes on your own. The
important thing is to be able to support your theme with details from the novel.
-Try to make a connection between themes that appear in all three novels, as you will need this information for
a paper you will complete at the beginning of the year.
*Complete at least 1 page of handwritten notes on theme in each of the three novels: The Giver, Gathering
Blue, and Messenger. Label each page like this, “Theme in The Giver”
*Staple charts and 3 pages of notes on theme together and be prepared to turn it in to me within one week of
your return to school.
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Summer Reading: Comparison and Contrast of Societies
Fill in the charts below. If you need additional space to write, you may attach extra paper.
Make a list of things, ideas, beliefs, etc., which are unique to the society of The Giver. Pay attention to things
that are different from our society. Ask your self this question: What have I read about in The Giver, which I
have not heard of before in my own society or in the societies of other books I have read? Please explain each
item on your list.
Things That Are Unique to the Society of The Giver
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Make a list of things, ideas, beliefs, etc., which are not completely unique to the society of The Giver. Pay
attention to things that might be similar to things we see in our own society, but might be called by a different
name. Also, think about something like arranged marriages in our society and matching of spouses in The
Giver. We may not see this in our own families, but arranged marriages do still exist, even in our own country.
This would be something to write down for this section, along with an explanation.
Things That Are Not Unique to the Society of The Giver
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Take notes on how the society of Gathering Blue is:
 both similar to, and different from, the society of The Giver
 both similar to, and different from, our own society
The Giver is supposed to be a utopian society, although we discover that this is actually untrue. Gathering
Blue is meant to show a society that is the opposite of The Giver, also know as a dystopia.
You should be able to list at least 15 things for each section above (5 similarities and 5 differences for
each. Your differences should match up.)
The Giver
Both
Gathering Blue
1. Is supposed to be a
utopian society
1.
1. Is supposed to be a
dystopian society
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
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5.
5.
5.
Our Society
Both
Gathering Blue
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
4.
5.
5.
5.
Take notes on how the society of Messenger is:
 both similar to, and different from, the society of The Giver
 both similar to, and different from, the society of Gathering Blue
 both similar to, and different from, our society
You should be able to list at least 10 things for each section above (5 similarities and 5 differences for
each).
The Giver
Both
Messenger
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
4.
5.
5.
5.
Gathering Blue
Both
Messenger
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
4.
5.
5.
5.
Messenger
Both
Our Society
1.
1.
1.
2.
2.
2.
3.
3.
3.
4.
4.
4.
5.
5.
5.