In "The Giver," Jonas lives in a community in which "sameness" is valued above all else. They are trained to be the same from infancy, and any deviations are promptly corrected. Then, when Jonas receives his life assignment, he is singled out by the community to be different. And he begins to figure out why.

Why join me for this book?

1. It's a stirring image of what could happen if the world takes being normal to an extreme, without cruelty, but also without pity. And what we would need to give up to make that possible.

2. Thoughtfully discussing books with others brings out more depth and meaning than a simple "I liked it" or "it was good."

3. We all need books with characters like us, as well as ones who are not like us. Characters like us help us feel less alone, and characters who are different help us understand other lives and experiences. The first time I read a book with a character who felt like me, who had the same hangups I did, who problem-solved in the same way, and got into the same difficulties, I finally felt normal. Because that character was autistic. And so was the author. And so am I.

Please read/listen to the book on your own before class. When we meet, I’ll ask an opening question about the book to start the discussion, and guide learners through a socratic seminar style discussion. 

I have done this extensively with teens, tweens, and young adults, and have had amazing experiences of seeing the world differently and relating to my discussion partners differently as we discuss a book, and explore the important ideas it brings up, together.

I hope you will join me!


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What will this class be like? 

There won't be any book reports, or quizzes, or character analysis, or writing summaries, or any of the types of assignments you're probably used to in school. We're going to discuss the book. But this isn't just talking about what you liked and didn't. 

This is a different kind of discussion called a socratic seminar. 

Socratic seminars are a way to thoughtfully explore a text and the ideas it brings up with other people so that everyone gets much more out of it than reading the book on your own. 


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Who is this class for?

Learners of ALL neurotypes are welcome, including neurotypicals!

What is neurodiversity? The term describes people who process information differently than what is typical. This includes autism, ADHD, Tourette, OCD, dyslexia, sensory differences, and more.

This class is a welcoming place for diverse learning and communication styles. Students are welcome to participate with camera on or off, via chat or voice or listening quietly, to move or fidget or stimm or doodle, and to request accommodations as needed.

This group is a welcoming place for LGBTQIA+ teens, cis, trans, nonbinary, agender, and gender expansive teens welcome.


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Publisher's description of "The Giver," by Lois Lowry:

Soon to be a major motion picture, "The Giver, " the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to "The Giver, "including "Gathering Blue, Messenger, " and "Son."