Chapter 9

Jonas is feeling separate and different. He thinks that the other people in the community are treating him differently as well. He goes home and his parents talk to him about this "great honor." They also tell Jonas about the failed Receiver (10 years ago) and how HER name is never to be spoken or given to a newchild again. No one really knows what happened to her.
Alone in his sleeping room Jonas opens his training folder. He has a list of 8 rules. Each of the rules is surprising to him. The last one makes him question everything he knows...YOU MAY LIE!!!!!!
Jonas wonders, does everyone have this in their rules?....WOW !!!!!Has everyone been lying to him?
Complete your double journal entry for Monday! Short week next week!

Chapter 8

"The audience is clearly ill at ease."
Chapter 8 begins with Jonas being called to the stage and the Chief Elder apologizing for the confusion. She begins to explain Jonas' selection as Receiver of Memory. She tells Jonas that it is the most honored position in the community and that his training will require him to be alone and apart. Jonas is concerned. The Chief Elder goes on to explain the qualities that they have found in Jonas.
Intelligence, Integrity, Courage, Wisdom, and the Capacity to See Beyond.
She also goes on to talk about the PAIN that Jonas will need to endure.
Although he is nervous, Jonas' heart swelled with gratitude and pride as the community chanted his name.
WOW...I don't think I would be excited about a job that involved indescribable pain. Would you?

Chapter 7

Today was an independent reading of Chapter 7. How did you do? Did you read carefully? Did you remember how to answer the open ended question?

In the chapter, Jonas is waiting for his assignment to be given to him. (when his number "19" is called) The Chief Elder talks to the crowd about the Ceremony of Twelve being a celebration of differences, the only time when being "different" is a good thing in this community. Jonas' group mates get their assignments one by one and Jonas is not really surprised by any of them. Asher receives the assignment of Assistant Recreation Director. Fiona is Caretaker of the Old.
When it is Jonas' turn....the Chief Elder skips his number! Jonas wonders what had he done wrong?

Chapter 6

The first day of the Ceremonies has begun. Hmmmm...what do we know so far?
At 1 babies get a family and a name.
At 7 kids get a front buttoned jacket.
At 8 start volunteer hours. Get a jacket with smaller buttons and a pocket. Lose comfort object
At 9 girls get rid of their hair ribbons.
At 9 both boys and girls get their bicycles.
At 10 kids get their hair cut.
At 11 new clothing ...undergarments for girls and longer trousers for boys with a small pocket.
At 12 kids get their assignment.

On the first day, they had the ceremonies of one through eight. The second day began with the nines and they all left for lunch after the elevens.

We also found out that the "committee" watches people, pairs them together with a spouse and after 3 years they may apply for children.

What else? What else?......Oh, yeah.....If you get released, you go Elsewhere. There is a ceremony for the loss of a child....."The Ceremony of Loss" and a ceremony to replace that child...."The Murmur-Of-Replacement" ceremony. (Totally strange and kind of spooky) At the end of the chapter the crowd of people head into the auditorium for the ceremony of 12. FINALLY! :)

So, today we find out that there is another ritual in this community.....Dream Telling. Citizens are required to tell their dreams in the morning. Jonas doesn't dream very often but last night he had a dream. He dreamed about Fiona in the bathing room at The House of the Old. He wanted to bathe her, but she was laughing and wouldn't let him. He says he knew something was wrong about it, but it was a pleasurable dream. His parents explain that this is his first "stirrings" and he will need to take a pill.....for the rest of his days until he goes to The House of the Old. (when he is old) Jonas takes the pill, it is a kind of "rite of passage" toward adulthood. He begins to forget his dream right after he takes the pill and leaves his house for school.
There are a lot of strong feelings in class about this whole idea! Isn't having feelings for other people what makes us human and not robots? Isn't having feelings for others part of what makes life exciting? WOW, most 8th graders don't want to live in this community!
Keep Reading!

Nakedness??????????

In chapter 4 Jonas and his friends, Asher and Fiona, go to the "House of the Old" (a euphemism for a nursing home) to BATHE the old people as part of their volunteer hours. How weird is that? This is where we find out the rules about nakedness. No one can view another person's nakedness. (this rule does not apply to newchildren or the old)
Jonas does a little bit of everything when it comes to his volunteer hours, so he has no idea what his assignment will be.
Larissa (the woman he bathes) tells him about Roberto's release. She describes the ceremony and then she says that no one really knows what happens after the ceremony, the person just goes through a door into the releasing room. Hmmmmm???? I wonder........???

Term to remember: EUPHEMISM: a word or set of words used in place of other words that may seem offensive. (eg. used car = pre-ownwed vehicle)
Malapropism is another term we talked about , it means the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar sounding one, often with unintentional amusing effects.(Asher used "distraught" instead of "distracted")

Chapter 3

Chapter 3......What did we discover today? Jonas has pale eyes and so does Gabriel. (the newchild that father has brought home)Pale eyes are unusual and we discovered that it is rude to bring attention to differences in this community. There are very few mirrors ....they don't need them! Wow, how different would our society be if we had no mirrors! It would take a lot less time to get ready to leave the house everyday!
Jonas noticed an apple "change" as he had a catch with Asher. He can't figure out what happened exactly so he takes it home for further study. The Speaker makes an announcement that food is not to be taken home....hmmmm.....how does the Speaker know he took it??????
Don't forget to fill in your character sheet and to do your Venn diagram! Try not to miss me too much this weekend.....and I will try not to miss you! I am so excited to read this book with all of you....you are going to just love it!
Enjoy your weekend! See ya Monday!

Chapter 2 ....I hope you behaved in my absence!

The EXPOSITION!!!!
So, chapter 2 is still part of the exposition.....we are getting to know the characters and we are discovering the "setting" .....a Utopia?????
The language they use in this community is curious, it seems to be devoid of emotions. A baby is called a "newchild" and a home is called a "family dwelling." (among others) We are wondering why they chose to use this type of language. Does it reflect some of the rules in this community? Does it reflect a theme in the book?
Think about the characters and the point of view in the story. I will see you tomorrow!

Chapter 1 THE GIVER.

WE HAVE FINALLY STARTED TO READ!!!! Today we begin the novel .....October 20th......and we are, at last, reading a book!
The first chapter establishes the setting and introduces us to Jonas and his family! We learn about the evening ritual in their community. Things seem to be very strange in this place.
Jonas is almost 12 and his sister Lily is a 7. Jonas' father is a "nurturer," an important job in the community. Nurturers care for the newchildren in the community, in their earliest days. Jonas' mom works for the Department of Justice.
The big question is, WHAT IS RELEASE? We have found out that it can be a punishment, something that is celebrated by old people, and it can happen to newchildren. (that is a sad occasion)
As we continue, one other question is: Why is Jonas so apprehensive about the upcoming ceremony?

DON'T FORGET YOUR HOMEWORK:
Write a description of a creature. (There are no animals in the community) Since you have never seen an animal (if you lived in the community) you do not know what this creature is called. Do not use the name of the animal in your description. Remember that your description is limited because of the community's Sameness. Words like feathers, fur and horns are also unfamiliar to you. HAVE FUN!!!!

Let Perfect Begin!!!!!!

TODAY!!! FINALLY!!!
We have started our Utopias in class! So Far So Good!
Planning is fun....but lets start creating!
Remember to be kind as you work with others because together we can accomplish anything!

D.E.A.R. Family Reading Tips

Designate a special time for family reading. Whether it is the morning paper,
books at bedtime or stories after supper, a reading routine becomes something
everyone can look forward to.

Encourage your child’s reading. Praise the efforts of your soon-to-be or
beginning reader. Make sure that the busy schedules of older readers include
time for reading for pleasure.

Allow kids to choose books they are interested in reading or having read aloud.
Be aware of your child’s interests and abilities and make a variety of reading
materials easily accessible.

Register for a library card. If you already have one, use it frequently! Take
advantage of library programs or library book clubs.



Develop a reading-rich environment at home. Furnish your house with books,
newspapers, and magazines. Make sure there are also comfortable places to
read with good lighting.

Everyday opportunities for reading abound. From the cereal box at breakfast,
to the weather report in the newspaper, to the road signs on the way to school,
to the note in the lunchbox, to the recipe for dinner—words are everywhere!
Take the time to point them out or ask your child to read them to you.

Ask questions when you are sharing books together. Engage your children in
discussions about the books you read and help them relate to the characters or
situations. Share your own feelings and invite kids to do the same.

Remember, children want to do what the grownups do. So if parents just drop
everything and read, the kids will want to be a part of it!