The Giver Worksheets
About Our The Giver Worksheets
These worksheets are thoughtfully crafted, printable resources designed to guide students through one of the most enduring and thought-provoking novels in modern literature. Each worksheet includes a focused reading passage from The Giver, followed by a carefully balanced mix of multiple-choice, short-answer, and open-response questions. This structured format allows students to engage with the text on multiple levels-recalling key facts, interpreting meaning, and evaluating deeper themes and authorial choices.
Unlike generic worksheets that skim the surface of literature, The Giver Reading Comprehension Worksheets are curriculum-aligned tools designed for close literary study. Each set covers key chapters or moments in the book, prompting students to engage with the novel's narrative structure, thematic complexity, and moral questions. With an emphasis on reading for understanding and evidence-based responses, these resources help students build the skills they need not only for classroom success but for real-world reading proficiency.
Using these worksheets is a straightforward and enriching experience for students. After reading a selected passage from The Giver, students complete a series of questions that guide them to recall key plot points, interpret author's purpose, analyze characters and setting, and explore thematic implications. The multiple-choice questions reinforce comprehension and vocabulary skills; short-answer questions require textual support and explanation; and open-response prompts foster critical thought and articulate writing.
Perhaps most importantly, The Giver worksheets encourage students to think critically about big ideas. Themes like memory, individuality, sacrifice, and ethical responsibility challenge young readers to reflect on their own world and values. These worksheets are not simply a vehicle for comprehension-they are a platform for ethical inquiry and personal growth.
For example, after reading about the Ceremony of Twelve, students might explore the question: "Is it better for a society to eliminate pain if it also eliminates choice?" Such questions inspire debate, discussion, and deep reflection, which are vital for developing thoughtful, engaged citizens.
A Summary of The Giver
The Giver by Lois Lowry is a dystopian novel set in a world where everything seems perfect: there is no war, no pain, no choices, and everyone follows the same rules. The community values sameness above all, and people's lives are strictly controlled-from what they wear, to what jobs they're given, to even how they feel.
The story follows Jonas, a 12-year-old boy who is selected to become the next Receiver of Memory-a very rare and honored role in the community. As Jonas begins his training with The Giver, the current Receiver, he learns the hidden truths of the past. Through memories of joy, love, pain, and suffering, Jonas discovers what his community has given up in order to remain safe and orderly.
As Jonas experiences real emotions and deep human experiences for the first time, he starts to question the society he lives in. He realizes that without choice, freedom, or genuine feelings, life loses its meaning. Jonas must decide whether to accept the world as it is-or try to change it.
What Is the Message of The Giver?
Lois Lowry uses The Giver to explore big, important questions about life and society. One of the main messages is this:
A safe and painless world might not be a better world if it means giving up love, freedom, individuality, and truth.
The novel encourages readers to think about the cost of total control. In Jonas's community, everything unpleasant is removed-but so are emotions, creativity, personal choices, and even family bonds. The story shows how memories and emotions are essential to being fully human, even if they include sadness or pain.
Another message is about the power of knowledge. Once Jonas begins to learn the truth-about the past, about feelings, and about what his society has hidden-he can no longer ignore it. This shows how learning and truth can lead to personal growth, even when it's difficult.
In the end, The Giver invites us to ask:
- Is it better to feel safe all the time, or to feel everything-even the hard things?
- What does it mean to be truly alive?
- Should we ever give up our freedom to avoid pain?