Any idea why and for what grade it is appropriate to teach The Giver, written by Lois Lowry?

Hi there,

The Giver is one of
my all time favorite novels to teach at the middle school level.  I have personally
taught it with both advanced 6th graders and with regular 7th graders.  I would not
recommend teaching it any lower than this because the students are unable to comprehend
the complexities of the community, the act of giving and receiving memories, and the
incredible sense of betrayal that Jonas feels.

When
teaching it with both grades, I incorporated a photo journalism project that started
with black and white pictures, and then evolved into color.  I even played with the
digital images promoting red and subduing the other colors.  This had a profound impact
on the students since they were able to see the world through Jonas's
eyes.

This is a incredible novel and provokes some
wonderful discussions.

Hope this
helps,

Vanessa