"Number the Stars"

by Lois Lowry, YR, 1989, 137p, rating=5
Newbery Medal 1990

"Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated". Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life." (Goodreads)

I've been trying to write this review for 4 days now.  I keep starting over.  I think I will try not to get too picky about getting the perfect words out because they are just not coming to me.  So, let us see what I come up with today and hope this one sticks!

My heart bleeds for stories about people who risk their lives to save others.  People who ban together.  People who form a Resistance for humanity's sake.  It is moving to know that there are people who care for one another enough to make meticulous plans and carry them out at perilous risks.  This was one of those books that can leave a reader asking himself, if given a similar situation, would he be as brave?  Maybe I cried so hard after reading this book because my answer may have been I don't know or flat out no.  Hence, I was left with immense admiration for those courageous people in the book that answered yes and a renewed pledge to be a brave person.

This was not a direct story about the Holocaust but enough of its aura resounded in Annemarie's reflective simple story.  The tension, the fears, the injustice, etc.  In reflection to that time in her life, Annemarie came to understand that lies, secrets, and not knowing every detail was part of life and survival during that time in history.

I am glad that this book was targeted towards young readers because this book showed a great example of true heroes.  That is a mark of an amazing book!

I am still struggling to describe how wonderful I think this book was and the indelible trace it left me.   Therefore, read this book for yourself and you might understand what I can't seem to eloquently phrase into words.

I will leave you now with a verse that stuck out to me:

 "That's all that brave means -- not thinking about the dangers.  Just thinking about what you must do." page 123.

"Messenger" (The Giver, #3)

by Lois Lowry, 2004, 169p, rating=4

"Six years earlier, Matty had come to Village as a scrappy and devious little boy.  Back the, he like to call himself "the Fiercest of the Fierce," but since that time, Matty had grown almost into a man under the care of Seer, a blind man whose special sight had earned him the name.  Now Matty hopes that he will soon be given his true name, and he lopes it will be Messenger:  But strange changes are taking place in Village. Once a utopian community that prided itself on its welcome to new strangers, Village will soon be closed to all outsiders. As one of the few people able to travel through the dangerous Forest, Matty must deliver the message of Village's closing and try to convince Seer's daughter to return with him before it's too late. But Forest has become hostile to Matty as well, and he must risk everything to fight his way through it, armed only with an emerging power he cannot yet explain or understand." (book's synopsis)

Reference:  The Giver (book #1), Gathering Blue (book #2), Messenger (book #3)

Let me begin to tell you that I had to re-align my thinking since book #2 because for some reason I had a wrong name in mind.  I was quick to forget that the main character in book #1 was Jonas.  For some reason when reading book #2 and saw the name Christopher, I pictured Jonas.  So throughout book #2 and most of book #3 Christopher was Jonas to me.  You can imagine how the story must have been different for me.  I suppose knowing that now, I have two versions!!  ~I think I need to take some Gingkoba 'cause I'm loosing it!!

Okay, now for Messenger.  Well, Matt in book #2 is now Matty and speaker in this book  He is six years older from where book #2 left off.  We find that he ends up living in Christopher's village.  There he learned manners and proper grammar.  He found place as courier of messages between villages and does so going through the Forest with ease.  Then Matty's new village started to change as the Trade Market comes to bloom.  The kind-hearted people basically traded their souls for vanity and trivial amusements.  The people changed so much that they got tired of welcoming in the damaged and voted to close their doors to newcomers.  This charge compelled Matty to go back to his old town to get Kira to her father before the the closing.  At this point, the Forest was not kind as well.  In fact, it seemed to live to torture and kill those in its path, even fierce Matty.  That said, Matty and Kira's journey back to Christopher became hell-like.  In the mean time, Leader (with powers to see beyond) kept Christopher updated in his children's (Christopher had considered Matty his son) travel.  When Leader saw that Matty and Kira was at death's door, he went after them.  Kira with powers to depict what's ahead through her threading saw that Leader was on his way to meet them.  But Leader too was at death's door.  It became apparent that it was time to use Matty's power though he felt it wouldn't do much considering his condition.  Then, ... you'll have to read the rest!

The whole trilogy was dark and dreary for most of it's story.  It was painful to read but we find hope in the courage of it's amazing characters.  We were reminded that a society can slowly and easily be corrupt.  We are challenged to look around about us and know that individually we have power to help it to thrive well.  We are all advocates to maintaining a civil society and securing that for our posterity.  We are invited to discover and use our individual power for good.  These are some of the things that I got out of these books.

"Gathering Blue" (The Giver, #2)

by Loise Lowry, 2000, 215p, rating=3.5 

"Left orphaned and physically flawed in a civilization that shuns and discards the weak, Kira faces a frighteningly uncertain future.  Her neighbors are hostile and no one but a small boy offers to help. 

 When she is summoned to judgement by The Council of Guardians, Kira prepares to fight for her life. But the Council, to her surprise, has plans for her.  Blessed with an almost magical talent that keeps her alive, the young girl faces new responsibilities and a set of mysteries deep within the only world she has ever known.  On her quest for truth, Kira discovers things that will change her life and world forever." (book's synopsis)

I had this book mapped out in my mind.  From where The Giver left off, I was sure book #2 would begin with Jonas and Gabriel surviving and finding the mainstream community, like that of our modern civilization... with music, color, and love, and then they live happily ever after.  But book #2 wasn't concerned about telling Jonas's life story or a respite to what might face humankind in the future.  Lowry was continuing to explore the world of a post-apocalyptic society.  In this book, she has created a Village that is hostile to young children, ranks a person by how many syllables are in their name, and casts out damaged individuals to the Forest.  

Set years after The Giver, we are introduced to Kira in this book.  We learn that before she was born, her father went to hunt and was said to have been taken by the 'beast'.  She was born crippled (twisted leg) and according to law she should have been cast out, but her mother Katrina did not let that happen.  Then upon Katrina's strange death (the start of the book), Kira found herself orphaned and faced the mercy of The Council of Guardians to determine her fate.  Fortunately, she was an 'artist' that they needed so they allowed her to stay and she becomes the seamstress to handle the coveted Singer's robe.  She befriends another 'artist', Thomas the Carver.  Also maintains her previous friendship with Matt, a spirited young 'tyke'.  Then she learns from Isabella Annabella, a dye-colorist expert, that there are no beasts in the Forest.  That and upon discovering the mysterious captivity of Jo, another 'artist' (a young girl that beautifully sings), Kari begins to wonder what is going on.  In the meantime, Matt's eccentric character leads him into the Forest where he discovers Christopher (Kira's father).  Before she knew it, Kari was going to get the puzzle pieces together.  The ending of course was another thought provoking cliffhanger!  The seed of hope may or may not flourish.

Once I understood where Lowry was going with this book, I liked the plot.  However, I didn't find the characters as gripping as in the first book ... with exception of Matt, so I'm glad to see that he will have a major role in the third book. 

I am curious to see how Lowry ends up tying it all together.

My quote-ables:
"Take pride in your pain, ...You are stronger than those who have none." pg 22-23

"The Giver"

by Lois Lowry, 1993, 179p, rating= a resounding 5!!
Newbery Award winner

"Jonas's world is perfect.  Everything is under control.  There is no war or fear or pain.  There are no choices.  Every person is assigned a role in the Community.  When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver.  The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life.  Now it's time for Jonas to receive the truth.  There is no turning back." (book's synopsis)

Holy cow!  This is an incredibly amazing book!  Not having read it thus far is another proof that I've been living under a rock.  I am totally at awe.   My horizon has certainly been broaden.  I am happier for reading this book!! Aahhhhhh!!!  So if you haven't read it already, what are you waiting for?  Stop reading this post and go to a bookstore or library or Kindle or wherever you can find this book and read it today!  Then come back here and finish reading this review.  :D

Okay, let me take a deep breath and compose myself.  Oh, I am lost for words but here I go.  Anyway, Jonas's community of  "sameness" will leave you asking, utopian or dystopian?  It depends on how you look at it.  How did you feel about the movie The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey?  Would a society of peace and order be better than a society of chaos but with choices?  Truly makes one wonder the worlds of the Amish, the Native American tribes, or such groups that subsist outside the mainstream culture.  We might think that they are missing out but are they?  Suffice it to say that specifically in this book, I am grateful for color, music, and love.  I like having choices and I delighted in Jonas's courage to go after them.  To me, the ending was a happy ending.

My quote-ables:

"The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain.  It's the loneliness of it.  Memories need to be shared." pg 154