We’ve all heard of and possibly read at least two of Lois Lowry’s most popular books, The Giver and Number the Stars, but did you know she has over twenty other published books? She has written a variety of genres from historical fiction to fantasy, so there’s something for nearly everyone to enjoy. Let your inner child out and explore some of these great books. Who knows, you may find a new favorite!
- Messenger
This book takes place in the same utopian universe as The Giver and Gathering Blue. In Messenger, characters come together from both of the previous books to form a more unified series. It takes place in an isolated, peaceful community called the Village, and the main character, Matty, serves as the messenger to other communities. One day, discord arises and the Village closes its borders, but Matty is trapped in the forest after trying to save the Seer’s daughter. - Son
The final book in The Giver Quartet. Part of this story takes place in the same community as The Giver and focuses on Claire, one of the birthmothers. She gives birth to a son, and she realizes that she is the only adult in the community who feels love since she has not taken the emotion-suppressing pills due to her occupation. Soon, the community deems her son unfit for their society and attempts to send him “elsewhere,” so she sets out on a ship to save him. - Anastasia Krupnik
This is the first book in the Anastasia series, and it follows the life of an ordinary girl who is trying to grow up. She goes through the everyday woes that a tween may endure, including popularity and body issues. This would be a great book to read with your child because it explores the real-life problems that kids face. - Like the Willow Tree
Remember those awesome Dear America diaries that you used to read when you were a kid? Did you know Lois Lowry wrote one? Now you do! In this one, eleven-year-old Lydia is abruptly orphaned by the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918, so her and her brother are sent to live in the Shaker community. She has to learn to live a completely new way of life where she knows nothing and almost no one. - Gossamer
This fantasy story explores where dreams come from through the idea of nighttime messengers that plant dreams in individual’s heads and help people come together in times of need. One messenger, Littlest One, helps a lonely, old woman and an angry boy discover what they really mean to one another as family.
