Listening to Lois

Published in 1994, Lois Lowry's The Giver was not in my "to read" pile until I was studying children's literature while working on my masters in library science. I read and appreciated The Giver as one of the many wonderful works of literature on my syllabus.

In my work as a children's librarian, I have not had to dip back into the book; it "sells itself" to kids as a recommended read by their friends and a required read by many teachers. Plus it has the coveted gold sticker on the cover, celebrating its status as a Newbery award recipient.

Now, 18 years later, The Giver is back on my reading list, this time as personal wish to read through the first three books in the quartet that concludes with Lowry's latest book Son.  I am intrigued to see how this experience of The Giver will be different, reading it nearly 2 decades later and as part of a larger collection.

I have found that any good work I revisit – book, movie, play, painting, garden, etc. – rewards my subsequent time and attention. I have found that creative works often have an impact on me immediately and over time. Art has the ability to change my mind about the world in big sudden ways and on smaller incremental issues.

I was intrigued to learn that Lowry doesn't have the same experience. In a recent Huffington Post interview, Lowry noted:

"Early on I came to realize ...kids at that pivotal age, 12, 13 or 14, [are] still deeply affected by what they read, some are changed by what they read, books can change the way they feel about the world in general. I don't think thats true of adults as much. I'm an adult, I read, I'm no longer going to be changed by it. I think writing for kids is profoundly important."

Well, I certainly agree that writing for kids (not to them, or worse, at them) has an impact. I recently read about a school visit Lowry made after the publication of her first book when she "realized...that she could talk to kids or she could talk to adults, but not to both: “And so..chose the kids."  How fortunate for all of us, children and adults, that Lowry continues to tell her stories.

articles cited
The Children's Author Who Actually Listens to Children. Dan Kois. New York Times Magazine.
10/03/12
Lois Lowry...Reflects on Dystopian Novels, Psycopaths, and Why Kids Make the Best Audiences. Lucas Kavner. Huffington Post. 10/05/12