It's been approximately sixteen years since one of the most prolific and influentional novels of our time--Lois Lowry's The Giver--received the Newbery Medal in 1994. The story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal world. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver does he begin to understand the dark secrets behind this fragile community.   This gift edition celebrates this Houghton Mifflin touchstone and a Two-Time Newbery Medalist with twelve freshly brushed illustrations by acclaimed artist Bagram Ibatoulline. The Giver as a book stands on its own, of course, but the illustrations of Ibatoulline add to and amplify this work to make it a gift that is even easier to give. Who wouldn't want to give The Giver as a gift?   The Giver is the first in the trilogy of books that includes Gathering Blue and The Messenger.   This is not their first collaboration as Lowry's text met Ibatoulline's illustration in the picture book Crow Call published by Scholastic in Fall 2009.

Born between a board fence and a set of trash cans, the hero of this absorbing new novel by Newbery Medalist Lois Lowry is a lowly stray dog. Abandoned at an early age by his mother and separated from his siblings, he faces every challenge with his nose upturned and his lustrous tail held high. His journey out of puppyhood, during which he becomes the loyal companion to a homeless man, discovers an ear for poetry, and meets his match in his brutal rival, Scar, is a story of perseverance in a world of danger and unexpected opportunity. But through it all, he cannot forget his frail little sister, Wispy, and he does not rest until he finds her again. Told with humor and keen insight into both canine and human behavior, the story of this proud survivor will delight dog-lovers and adventure

Lowry's third novel about J.P. and his sister has J.P. in love and doing all sorts of weird things, such as wearing deodorant and even telling a lie to impress Angela.