Lowry, Lois. (2000). Gathering Blue. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. 224 pp.

Grade Range: 6-12

Genre: fantasy

Summary and Critique

Struggling to survive alone in a squalid, hostile environment, Kira fears she will be taken to"the Field" because she is useless due to a birth defect that left one leg crippled. However, one of the Guardians, the powerful members of the community, rescues her from her situation and relocates her to luxurious accommodations inside the Council Edifice. However, she must use her almost mystical ability with weaving and threads on a sacred robe. She finds that others, whose parents also mysteriously died, are present with her in the edifice, practicing their unique talents at the bidding of the Guardians. As the story unfolds, she is reintroduced to her father, who survived a brutal attack by one of the Guardians. Kira realizes that her community is rooted in evil, but that she has the power to change the future. Even though she would like to join her father in his more compassionate community, Kira decides to stay and do her best to transform the community in which she lives.

While Gathering Blue lacks the same level of intensity that Lowry achieved in The Giver, I recommend this book as a nice complement to her earlier novel. Both explore similar themes and would provide ample opportunities for discussion on a variety of topics.

Themes/Topics

Friends and Enemies

The Individual vs. Society

Challenges and Triumphs

Generations

Author Information

The second of three children, Lowry loved reading and writing as a child. She married at an early age and had four children. Lowry is now divorced and living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She won the 1990 Newbery Medal for Number the Stars and the 1994 Newbery Medal for The Giver.

For more information about Lois Lowry, visit these sites:

http://www.loislowry.com/ Lowry's home page

http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/askauthor/Lowry.html Biography

http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/lowry.html Biography, bibliography, book reviews, and awards

http://www.carolhurst.com/authors/llowry.html Biography and book summaries

Media Connections

Movies

My Left Foot. (1989). Clips from this movie could be used to illustrate how a person is able to overcome overwhelming odds to make a lasting contribution to society. Good clip to use as an introduction to the b4teens_book.

Cast Away. (2000). An adventure/drama film that follows the life of Fed-Ex employee Chuck Nolan while he is stranded on a desert island. He must change physically and emotionally to overcome the new obstacles in his life.

Rudy. (1993). A drama about a football player who must continually battle failure and adversity to reach his goals. Specifically follows his trials, tribulations, and eventual glory at The University of Notre Dame. Extremely Motivating.

The Matrix. (1999) This sci-fi action thriller shows a perfect example of a dystopia. The story line follows the main character's attempt to overcome the oppressive society that has taken control of the world. Movie may need to be edited due to extreme violence.

Gandhi. (1982). Explores the life of Mahatma Gandhi, a man determined to make India a better place through the use of nonviolent resistance.

Joni. (1980). Joni Eareckson-Tada was paralyzed from the neck down fairly early in life after a diving accident. She struggled with her disability until she discovered she could hold a paint brush in her mouth and paint. Gaining her strength to survive from God, Joni went on to write books and is an excellent speaker. Good connection to a topic generated by the text.

Online Resources

http://www.loislowry.com "Official" Lois Lowry web site and written in her own words

http://www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/askauthor/Lowry.html An interesting site in which Lowry answers questions from readers. She also answers questions about being a writer.

http://books.scholastic.com/teachers/authorsandbooks/common/quickfindsearch.jsp?quickfind=lowry&findmode=author&SelectKC=Choose+a+series&samessage=IC%3DScholastic-Teachers-Online_Activities-Authors_And_Books A quick glance at the Lowry's background, and some of her thought on her books.

http://scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/lowry.html A comprehensive site that contains biographical info about Lowry, and also summaries of many of her works. A must!

http://www.carolhurst.com/authors/llowry.html E-newsletter style site with a slightly different perspective on Lowry's life. Probably geared more for the adult or teacher. This site also has an excellent list of teacher resources and links for use with any b4teens_book.

http://scils.rutgers.edu/~kvander/YoungAdult/index.html Another site encompassing a broad range of young adult literature topics and themes.

http://ti2.sri.com/tappedin/ Here's a great site for connecting with other teachers.

http://www.42explore.com/weave.htm Many links to site about weaving

http://www.allfiberarts.com/cs/weaveinfo.htm and http://www.allfiberarts.com/cs/looms.htm Information on weaving and looms

Related Texts

Lowry, Lois. (1993). The Giver. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 180 pp. A companion novel to Gathering Blue. Jonas, a young boy with a special gift, experiences the negative side of life in a seemingly perfect society.

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (2000). Fever 1793. New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. 251pp. Mattie, a sixteen-year old girl, must persevere after yellow fever strikes her home town of Philadelphia in 1793.

Huxley, Aldous. (19). Brave New World. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran, & Company. 311pp. Huxley presents a society whose members experience only pleasure but are controlled by the ruling class.

Orwell, George. (1978). 1984. New York: Warren Publishing Company. 273 pp. The classic and chilling text of a world gone evil because of mind control. A perfect example of a dystopia.

Taylor, Mildred. (1976). Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry New York: Dial Press. 276pp. Cassie, a twelve-year old girl, comes of age in a small 1930's Mississippi town filled with racism, hatred, injustice, and poverty.

Paterson, Katherine. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia. New York: Crowell. 128pp. Jess befriends new neighbor and classmate Leslie, and their friendship grows as they spend time together in the hideaway they created called Terabithia. Jess must then cope with the loss of Leslie after she dies on her way to Terabithia.

Teaching Ideas

(1) "Poster with Personality" Have students cut out words and pictures from newspapers or magazines that reflect their interests, hobbies, goals, etc. Students should paste their carefully selected words and pictures onto poster board or card stock and share with the class. This project gives students a chance to gain a better understanding of themselves and others. Fifty percent of the project's grade is based on creativity, and the other fifty percent is based on their presentation. [Summarized from "Personality Poster Project" by Ann Little in Ideas Plus, Book 17. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, p.42.]

(2) "Hats Off to Reading!" Begin by gathering a collection of hats. Thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, and flea markets are excellent sources for purchasing a variety of inexpensive hats. While reading a particular piece, display hats that reflect the setting or character, or if there are enough hats, have students don the hats while reading. It is a wise idea to establish ground rules before allowing students to wear the hats, though. Making hats available to students will help them identify more with the characters in the story. This idea is most appropriate for the elementary and middle school setting. [Summarized from "Hats Off to Reading—and to Hats!" by Kip Gansneder in Ideas Plus, Book 14. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, p.28.]

Now…not just hats…what about shoes?

(3) "Take a Walk in Another Person's Shoes" Collect five distinctly different shoes from friends, family members, or neighbors. Dana Kimberly recommends a cowboy boot, a beach sandal, a high heeled pump, a leather oxford, and a sneaker. Divide the class into five groups and distribute one shoe to each group. Group members should compile a list of the owner's traits, habits, and interests based on the type of shoe and its appearance. After each group presents their speculations to the class, share the true information about the shoe owners. Students can then write a poem or short story about the owner of the shoe. [Dana, Kimberly. Summarized from "Walking in Someone Else's Shoes" by Kimberly Dana in Ideas Plus, Book 14. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English, p.23.]

(Review written by Darrell Becker and Jennifer Moore & edited by Jennifer Moore)