With the publication of “Son,” Lois Lowry has completed the story she began with the publication of “The Giver” in 1994. In a recent interview that appeared in the NYT’s magazine section, Lowry discusses her opinions of blockbuster novels in the genre of young adult fiction, as well as, offering insights into her own work.
“The Giver” received the Newberry Medal in 1994 and has sold millions of copies worldwide. For almost 20 years it has also been near the top of the American Library Association’s list of the most banned or challenged books. Critics point to the euthanization of a troublesome baby as the troublesome aspect of the story. Lowry believed that adults have a real problem with the book because it rejects “the authority and wisdom of the governing body.”
Lowry’s lost her son Grey when his F-15 plane crashed in Germany. He was an Air Force flight instructor; mechanical error due to the negligence of two mechanics was blamed for the crash. “The fact that I lost my son permeates my being.” Loss permeates “Son.”
She admits that she doesn’t read children’s literature in general, but has definite feelings about the megahits in the field. “Hunger Games,” she feels, definitely has links to “The Giver,” but is far more violent and disturbing. She understands why Suzanne Collins books were so well received but feels that children killing children is very troubling.
The Giver Quartet she feels is a guide for teaching children how to be a good person. Supercharged with a very emotional story, “Son” features a face-off between the name character Gabriel and the sinister Trademaster. Gabriel refuses to fight, instead battle evil with empathy.