The topics in Lois Lowry's The Giver have created controversy in libraries and classrooms across the country since it was first published in 1993 (Haynes 1). Trying to protect younger individuals from content supposedly not suitable for their age level, parents and teacher organizations have rallied against the short novel. The ban on the book is almost ironic when approached in the same light as the actual book itself. The world described in The Giver displays an analogous utopian society where living life is more of a matter of brainwashing to keep control over their environment. The same can be said on the book ban, where people want to maintain control over a child's mind and their wandering thoughts. It could almost be considered a younger minded version of the classic novel, "1984- by George Orwell, where an other-worldly attempt of societal control leads one individual to question and fight the totalitarian system. The contradiction is unsettling, especially for a harmless, fictional book actually meant for young adults. The novel, The Giver does not have justifiable cause to be banned or restricted.
According to the American Library Association, The Giver has ranked as one of the most commonly challenged books in public and school libraries. In 1995, it was one of the three most commonly challenged books; in 1998, The Giver continued to be a frequent target, ranking fifth on the list of most frequently challenged books (ALA).
Lowry's novel has been challenged all over the states, including in Kansas, California, Oklahoma, Oregon, Montana, Ohio, Minnesota, Missouri, and New York (Hastings 1). Parents of children in grades K-12 have been the primary objectors of the book, fighting to have it removed from the school libraries and the students' reading list (Hastings 1).
The most common complaints have been sexual themes, murder, suicide, infanticide, and euthanasia. Apparently several parents were uncomfortable with Jonas' description of his first "stirrings- (Lowry 36).
