‘How do we keep this from happening?’: ‘The Giver’ author Lois Lowry joins The Velshi Banned Book Club

Initially published in 1993, Lois Lowry’s “The Giver” grapples with heavy themes including the weight of memory, the freedom of choice, society and governmental control, and individualism. While dystopian literature has become increasingly popular in recent years – especially in the young adult and children’s genres – “The Giver” was the first. It served as a proof of concept that weighty themes are not too complex for middle-grade readers to understand. Set in a colorless, emoti