It has been nearly 20 years since the publication of Lois Lowry’s Newbery-winning novel The Giver. It remains one of the most beloved children’s books of all time—for kids and adults alike—which makes the publication of Son, Lowry’s final book in The Giver Quartet, a bittersweet event.
Check out our interview with Lowry, where she shares her intention for The Giver to be a standalone novel but wrote the other books at the request of young readers. “Kids like things tied up a little more,” she says. “It was clear from letters and emails that kids didn’t like the ambiguity of the ending.”
This week, one BookPage reader will win all four books in The Giver Quartet!
TO ENTER: In the comments below, tell us what was your favorite book when you were a child.
CONTEST DETAILS: One winner will be chosen by random.org from among entries received by 5 pm CST on Friday, November 2, to receive copies of the four (4) books pictured in this post. Prize must be shipped to a North American address, and Rhode Island residents are not eligible. (Full contest rules here.) Good luck!
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ETA: Congrats to our winner, Jason! His favorite book was The Count of Monte Cristo.
Thanks to all who entered! Contest is now closed.
Read The Giver as an adult and loved it.
Anne of Green Gables. I read the entire series when I was young and it was memorable.
Jane Eyre – I read it in 4th grade because that’s all we had in terms of YA books back then, and just loved it.
I read all the Wizard of Oz books as a child, loved them, the imagination of each. Thanks for the contest!
The Count Of Monte Cristo. Wonderfull book!
Hand down the “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton
The Ice Cream Cone Coot
Where the Red Fern Grows
I LOVED reading the Nancy Drew series when I was younger!
The Black Stallion
The Secret Garden
I read a book about a witch that I remember loving so much. I have forever been trying to find out what it was but sadly can remember no details – only the green cover on the square book.
Someday…
My favorite book as a child varied from age to age, and it’s difficult to pinpoint just one. However, lately I’ve been remembering how enamored I was with both A WRINKLE IN TIME and THE CHOCOLATE WAR. Both books are about rising up against injustice. Though I didn’t know it at the time, I was already a dystopian fan!
Loved anything by Judy Blume!
My favorite books were the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I got a set of them for my daughter and a set for my granddaughters. I don’t believe that I’ve read any of Lois Lowry’s books.
Ok I have to admit it: Bugs Bunny Soda Jerk.
Little Women and ALL of Anne of Green Gables were my favorite books as a child and even an adult! Loved them!!
I enjoyed Black Beauty very much.
Loved Judy Blume. She came to our school and spoke a few times.
Loved The Giver as a child – remember reading it in 5th grade and wishing there were more like it. Glad to know my students enjoy it as mucha s I did. Now I am waiting to read Son.
The Little House on the Prairie books and the Trixie Beldon books
Redwall
When I was a child I would read and of the stories that were in the form of Great Illustrated Classics – especially The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the Portrait of Dorian Grey.
My favorite book as a child was Where the Wild Things Are and as an adult, it still is one of my favorites.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume
Loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books and all of Nancy Drew I could get my hands on ( and still am avid reader of mysteries and historical fiction 50+ years later )
My favorite book as a kid was the Laura Ingalls Wilder series. I still love reading kids books as an adult. I just read “Son”, it was an awesome finish to the series.
I loved Anne of Green Gables as a child!
My favorite book when I was a child was “The Farthest Away Mountain” by Lynne Reid Banks.
As a young girl, I adored the Anastasia Krupnik series by Lowry. I tried to convince my parents that we needed to live in a house with a tower like Anastasia’s home.
My favorite book as a child was “A Wrinkle In Time”. I always loved storms and Meg being in her attic room during a thunderstorm hooked me from the beginning.
Wizard of Oz series
Nancy Drew mysteries and the Narnia books were certainly favorites. Additionally, monthly I remember receiving 2 books from a history series; You Were There and The Story of. These books initiated me to historical fiction, which remains a love.
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I still read it periodically.
A toss-up between Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books and To Kill a Mockingbird. Read The Giver with my sons when THEY were growing up – one of their favorite books.
My favorite book as a child was “The Secret Garden.” I reread it as an adult and still loved it.
Anne Of Green Gables was a favorite of mine.
Very early childhood memories are of a box set of Dr. Doolittle stories. Lord of the Rings then took over for a few years, followed by To Kill a Mockingbird and Little Women.
Bridge to Terabithia if I only get to choose one!
I had so many favorites that it’s impossible to narrow it down to one – - so, let’s go with one series. Little House on the Prairie books.
Little House on the Prairie series
I loved the Baby Sitter’s Club series.
My favorite was Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild – how I wanted to go to theatre school!
My favorite book as a child was “Walk Two Moons”. Author Sharon Creech helped me learn to love non-series book (ALA Babysitter’s Club) and enjoy stand alone fiction.
Anything by Roald Dahl and Judy Blume
my favorite book
The Mystery of the Moss covered Mansion by Carolyn Keene
My grandmother gave me two wonderful books on my eighth birthday in 1958: The Make-It Book and Classic Fairytales. I loved her and both books.
So hard to pick just one!! The Betsy-Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace, the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Noel Streatfeild’s Shoes books, and anything by Roald Dahl would have to be the top contenders.
Oh it was the Little House on the Prairie series for sure. I want a do over so I can be there! Would love to explore these though.
BTW, where can we see the winners posted??
I loved all of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Martian (Barsoom) books – if I had to pick one I would say The Gods of Mars!
My most loved book from childhood and still enjoyed today is “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
My favorite was Where the Wild Things Are!
I loved the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis and the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
The Lonely Doll by Dare Wright! It still stands as one of my favorites!!!!!!!!! I would kill for a felt Haut Melton Edith doll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Where the Red Fern Grows was one of my absolute favorites. When I got to the part where Ruben fell on the ax, I could tell it was coming and was scared to read any further for a LONG time. Then when I did pick it back up, I continued to hang on every word til the end when I cried and cried over the loss of Old Dan and Little Ann. Years later, when I read it to my students, I still choked up.
Hands down, Harriet the Spy. There was much less to report on in my neighborhood…
I loved anything by Enid Blyton, but particularly The Famous Five series.
I loved the Little House on the Prairie Series and still have these,as a special cherished memory,I’d love to have these Lois Lowry books to read with the grands,helps their reading skills too.
Heidi by Johanna Spyri was probably my favorite book but I read the Trixie Belden series over and over again, too.
I loved Heidi and Nancy Drew ,but as I got older Rebecca topped the list.
My absolute favourite was all of the Anne of Green Gables series. But I will also never forget Where the Red Fern Grows.
Help! I’m a Prisoner in the Library! , Just Tell Me When We’re Dead! , Scared Silly by Eth Clifford
Three really fun books! (I couldn’t choose just one)
Don’t think I had just one favorite – I read Nancy Drew, Little House on the Prairie, Little Women, Cherry Ames, Chronicles of Narnia and the list goes on : )
My favorite book was “The Giving Tree”. I cry every time I read it, even now. She loved the boy so much, and he was basically a creep.
I grew up reading Grace Livingston Hill,and recently found some in excellent condition,was I happy,I started reading these young.
As a kid, I loved The Island Stallion and Enid Blyton books. I was an adult by the time Lois Lowry wrote The Giver. The Son is on my pile to be read now.
Raggedy Ann series and Winnie the Pooh
(and, The Narnia Books when a bit older)
Little Women was my favorite book !
As a child I loved the Bernstein Bears books!
My favorite books as a kid were The BFG and The Phantom Tollbooth.
Helen of Troy. Wow!
The first books I remember reading at age 5 or 6 were the Honey Bunch series. Guess that really dates me!
Wrinkle in Time was the first SF book I ever read and I didn’t even know how to explain what kind of book it was when I wanted the librarian to find me more like it!
Oh my goodness, this is such a fantastic giveaway! I recently reviewed The Giver and have been dying to get my hands on the other novels!
Favorite book as a kid. . . ugh, I can’t choose! Please don’t make me!!!
I would have to choose. . . Matilda by Dahl (because I read it a few times as a child and I’m NOT a rereader).
Anything Roald Dahl, especially Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Charlotte’s Web!
Freddy the Detective
Hoop Crazy (A Chip Hilton book)
The Phantom Toll Booth
Tales of the City, by Arimstead Maupin
A Wrinkle in Time was my favorite. In fact, I read all the books in the series. I related to Meg. Still do.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Giver really was my favorite book in 8th grade. It spurred a love of dystopian fiction into adulthood.
I read all the mystery series by British children’s author Enid Blyton – The Secret Seven Mystery Series; and The Fabulous Five Series. I could hardly wait for the next book/books to be published. I still own several of these books, today – sixty years later!!!!!!
I didn’t read books as a child. My favorite reading were comic books, Nancy and Sluggo, Little Lulu, etc.
My favorite book was “A Wrinkle in Time”. I was about 11 yo when I read it, and had no idea it was referring to God.
I read all the Trixie Belden books. Later I received The Hobbit series in a gift box set for Christmas. I still have the set 40 years later. I also enjoyed that series.
Just one favorite childhood book?
I loved all the Narnia books, though most of the time I would’ve said The Last Battle was my favorite.
Anne of Green Gables series. Anne was so spunky!
Louisa May Alcott Little Women and Nancy Drew books
Winnie-the-Pooh was my all time favorite. I wanted to live in a tree house in the Hundred Acre Wood (and I still do!).
My favorite books were the Anne of Green Gables series. All 10!
My favorite book growing up was A Wrinkle in Time, first read when I was 10 or 11.
Beezus and Ramona. I always wanted to be the sister who ruined everything.
I remember my first “proper” books being Enid Blytons Malory Towers series which I read when I was 10. Wow, 40 years ago!!
The Westing Game. Loved it so very much — reread my copy until the cover fell off.
My favorite was The Wizard of Oz!
I have read the first three books but not The Son. Oh I loved te Hobbit and the entire series.
Hands down, “Lady and the Tramp”
My favorite books growing up were The Little House books, then I graduated to Where the Red Fern Grows, then on to To Kill a Mockingbird – I must have stopped there as Mockingbird is still my favorite!
My teen daughter’s favorite book is The Giver, so hoping to win this set for her!