The Giver

It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. Thus opens this haunting novel in which a boy inhabits a seemingly ideal world: a world without conflict, poverty, unemployment, divorce, injustice, or inequality. December is the time of the annual Ceremony at which each twelve year old receives a life assignment from the Elders. Jonas's friend Fiona is named Caretaker of the Old. His cheerful pal Asher becomes the Assistant Director of Recreation. But Jonas has been chosen for something special. When his selection leads him to an unnamed man known only as the Giver, Jonas begins to sense the dark secrets that underlie the fragile perfection of his world.

Amazon.com Review
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price.