Lois Lowry Quotes

I didn't reply as he had hoped to a student who emailed me some years later, with the request "Please list all the similes and metaphors in The Giver," I'm sure it contained those as well.) ~ Lois Lowry

And it was lonely, to yearn, all alone. ~ Lois Lowry

Do you love me?"
There was an awkward silence for a moment. Then Father gave a little chuckle. "Jonas. You, of all people. Precision of language, please!"
"What do you mean?" Jonas asked. Amusement was not at all what he had anticipated.
"Your father means that you used a very generalized word, so meaningless that it's become almost obsolete," his mother explained carefully.
Jonas stared at them. Meaningless? He had never before felt anything as meaningful as the memory.
"And of course our community can't function smoothly if people don't use precise language. You could ask, 'Do you enjoy me?' The answer is 'Yes,'" his mother said.
"Or," his father suggested, "'Do you take pride in my accomplishments?' And the answer is wholeheartedly 'Yes.'"
"Do you understand why it's inappropriate to use a word like 'love'?" Mother asked.
Jonas nodded. "Yes, thank you, I do," he replied slowly.
It was his first lie to his parents. ~ Lois Lowry

In the schoolhouse, Mentor, the schoolteacher, gently tutored a mischievous eight-year-old named Gabe, who had neglected his studies to play and now needed help. ~ Lois Lowry

Reading is the most important way to prepare for life. ~ Lois Lowry

A lot of people I know would hate that ending, but not me. I loved it. Mainly because I got to make the book happy. I decided they made it. They made it to the past. I decided the past was our world, and the future was their world. It was parallel worlds. ~ Lois Lowry

The Giver laughed, then Jonah, too, chuckled reluctantly. ~ Lois Lowry

He seemed much older and very tired, defeated. ~ Lois Lowry

way, he had hoped he would not. His life would ~ Lois Lowry

You will be faced, now, with pain of a magnitude that none of us here can comprehend because it is beyond our experience. The Receiver himself was not able to describe it, only to remind us that you would be faced with it, that you would need immense courage. ~ Lois Lowry

Oh, sometimes it's just easier to please people, Maria said finally. ~ Lois Lowry

We're the ones who fill in the blank spaces. Maybe we can make it different. ~ Lois Lowry

All of it was ashes now: the smooth wood, the soft edges, the memory of his hands. ~ Lois Lowry

Things could change Gabe. Things could be different. I don't know how, but there must be some way for things to be different. There could be colors. And grandparents. And everybody would have memories. You know about memories ... Gabe, there could be love. ~ Lois Lowry

The corner was just ahead. ~ Lois Lowry

I have learned over the course of my many years that it is a bad idea, usually, to investigate piteous weeping but always a fine thing to look into a giggle. ~ Lois Lowry

This new Caleb was a replacement child. The couple had lost their first Caleb, a cheerful little Four. ~ Lois Lowry

But their shoulders were as straight as they had been in the past: in the classroom, on the stage, at the Sabbath table. So there were other sources, too, of pride, and they had not left everything behind. ~ Lois Lowry

Take pride in your pain," her mother had always told her. "You are stronger than those who have none." She ~ Lois Lowry

We're the ones who will fill in the blank places. Maybe we can make it different. ~ Lois Lowry

No one mentioned such things; it was not a rule, but was considered rude to call attention to things that were unsettling or different about individuals. ~ Lois Lowry

We live in times that are in many ways ambiguous. Maybe that's why kids want precision in what they read - they don't like that moral ambiguity. ~ Lois Lowry

And I want you all to remember - that you must not dream yourselves back to the times before the war, but the dream for you all, young and old, must be to create an ideal of human decency, and not a narrow-minded and prejudiced one. That is the great gift our country hungers for, something every little peasant boy can look forward to, and with pleasure feel he is a part of - something he can work and fight for. ~ Lois Lowry

When people have the freedom to choose, they choose wrong, every single time. ~ Lois Lowry

I don't set out to transmit a message. I don't write with a political point of view. There are no religious overtones. Looking back at my books, I can say, 'Oh, yes, it is there.' But it's not in my mind when I write. ~ Lois Lowry

I was fortunate to live for 3 years in another country, and although we lived in an American compound, still as a young adolescent I did venture into the world of the Japanese with great interest and enjoyment. But many Americans never left that safe and familiar life among their own people. ~ Lois Lowry

If we as writers could predict what readers grab on to, we would write it. ~ Lois Lowry

...Father dislikes weaponry of any sort. "

"Yes, he's even suspicious of Mother's knitting scissors," Barnaby B pointed out. "He feels all warfare should be conducted with taunts and gibes and vicious rumors. ~ Lois Lowry

The blue was gathered in her hand, and she could feel it quiver, as if it had been given breath and was beginning to live. ~ Lois Lowry

Sometimes we have to hurt people, in order to keep ourselves whole. We must just do it with love, that's all. ~ Lois Lowry

Don't keep interrupting or I'll never finish the story. ~ Lois Lowry

Oh! Lovely!" said Nanny. "You are an old fashioned family, like us. We are four worthy orphans with a no-nonsense nanny."
"Like Mary Poppins?" suggested the man, with a pleased look of recognition.
"Not one bit like that fly-by-night woman," Nanny said with a sniff. "It almost gives me diabetes just to think of her: all those disgusting spoonfuls of sugar! None of that for me. I am simply a competent and professional nanny ... ~ Lois Lowry

It was almost December, and Jonas was beginning to be frightened. ~ Lois Lowry

The children all received their bicycles at Nine; they were not allowed to ride bicycles before then. ~ Lois Lowry

Mine. Kira had stood silently, embarrassed but proud, as the guardian examined the threading she had done. He made no comment, simply nodded and returned the small piece to her. But his eyes had been bright with interest, she could see. Each year following, he had asked to see her work. Kira always stood at her mother's side, never touching the fragile ancient cloth, marveling each time at the rich hues that told the history of the world. Golds and reds and browns. And here and there, faded pale, almost reduced to white, there had once been blue. Her mother showed her the faded places that remained of it. Her mother did not know how to make blue. Sometimes they talked of it, Kira and Katrina, looking at the huge upturned bowl of sky above their ~ Lois Lowry

blue vervain and chamomile, ~ Lois Lowry

It was so - oh, I wish language were more precise! The red was so beautiful!"
The Giver nodded. "It is."
"Do you see it all the time?"
"I see all of them. All the colors."
"Will I? ~ Lois Lowry

You will fail. Then they will kill you. - Vandara to Kira, following Kira's trial. ~ Lois Lowry

That's all that brave means - not thinking about the dangers. Just thinking about what you must do. Of course you were frightened. I was too, today. But you kept your mind on what you had to do. ~ Lois Lowry

Oh the weather outside is frightful... ~ Lois Lowry

I would say that most of my books are contemporary realistic fiction ... a couple, maybe three, fall into the 'historic fiction' category. Science fiction is not a favorite genre of mine, though I have greatly enjoyed some of the work of Ursula LeGuin. I haven't read much science fiction so I don't know other sci-fi authors. ~ Lois Lowry

It was harder for the ones who were waiting, Annemarie knew. Less danger, perhaps, but more fear. ~ Lois Lowry

I don't for one second think about the possibility of censorship when I am writing a new book. I know I am a person who cares about kids and who cares about truth and I am guided by my own instincts, and trust them. ~ Lois Lowry

Alys told her that it was the way of women, to tote a newborn and then adjust as it grew until by the time the child was plump and heavy, the weight seemed naught. ~ Lois Lowry

I came across an account of a young man named Kim Malthe-Bruun, who was eventually captured and executed by the Nazis when he was only twenty-one years old. I read his story as I had read many others, turning the pages, skimming here and there: this sabotage, that tactic, this capture, that escape. After a while even courage becomes routine to the reader. Then, quite unprepared, I turned the page and faced a photograph of Kim Malthe-Bruun. He wore a turtleneck sweater, and his thick, light hair was windblown. His eyes looked out at me, unwavering on the page. Seeing him there, so terribly young, broke my heart. ~ Lois Lowry

I think of every book as a single entity, and some have later gone on to become a series, often at the request of readers. ~ Lois Lowry

We're required to learn to swim but we're not allowed in the river," she found herself telling him. ~ Lois Lowry

Teasing's part of the fun that comes before kissing ~ Lois Lowry

The exemption from rudeness startled him. Reading it again, however, he realized that it didn't compel him to be rude; it simply allowed him the option ~ Lois Lowry

It was my journey and i had to do it without help. I had to find my own strengths, face my own fears. ~ Lois Lowry

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come. ~ Lois Lowry

It was the helplessness that scared the both of us. ~ Lois Lowry

Artist?' Thomas suggested. 'That's a word. I've never heard anyone say it, but I've read it in some of the books. It means, well, someone who makes something beautiful. Would that be a word? ~ Lois Lowry

'Gathering Blue' was a separate book. I wanted to explore what a society might become after a catastrophic world event. Only at the end did I realize I could make it connect to 'The Giver.' ~ Lois Lowry

Henrik, you need a wife," Mama scolded him. Uncle Henrik laughed and joined Mama on the steps near the kitchen door. "Why do I need a wife, when I have a sister? ~ Lois Lowry

But his mother laughed again in a reassuring, affectionate way. "No, no," she said. "It's just the pills. You're ready for the pills, that's all. That's the treatment for Stirrings. ~ Lois Lowry

Henry glared at Anastasia. 'You quit planning on a rich husband, Anastasia. You're gonna get rich on your own. You and me, if we want husbands, fine. But we won't need them. Like our mothers. My mom could do just fine being a waitress, and your mom could do just fine being an artist. They got husbands 'cos they want them. That Bambie, now maybe she'll need a husband. But not you and me. Got it? ~ Lois Lowry

But perhaps it was only an echo. ~ Lois Lowry

The books in his own dwelling were the only books that Jonas had ever seen. He had never known that other books existed. But this room's walls were completely covered by bookcases, filled, which reached to the ceiling. There must have been hundreds - perhaps thousands - of books, their titles embossed in shiny letters. Jonas stared at them. He couldn't imagine what the thousands of pages contained. ~ Lois Lowry

Because of fear, they made shelter and found food and grew things. For the same reason, weapons were stored, waiting. ~ Lois Lowry

Boy," said Anastasia, "you know what I wish? I wish that everybody who loved each other would die at exactly the same time. Then nobody would ever have to miss anyone."

"Well," said her father slowly, "it just doesn't work that way. It just doesn't seem to work that way very often. ~ Lois Lowry

And I could test myself - my own courage - with it, too, because when the doors at either end of the secret staircase were closed, it was impenetrably dark. I hid in the staircase, shivering with terror, telling the narrative: The little girl was in a dark, dark place but she was very brave ... Sometimes the door at the bottom opened, and a wedge of light sliced up the stairs; a maid, her arms filled with folded laundry, would find me and ask in amazement what I was doing there.
And though I answered lightheartedly that I was playing, the truth is that I was not entirely certain what I was doing there, crouched and frightened in the darkness. Only now, sixty years later, do I see that I was arming myself, rehearsing panic, loss, and helplessness; assessing my own cowardice and courage, and and the same time reassuring myself that the door would always open, that the light would always find its way in. ~ Lois Lowry

Some books had shiny pages that showed paintings of landscapes unlike anything Matty had ever seen, or of people costumed in odd ways, or of battles, and there were many quiet painted scenes of a woman holding a newborn child. ~ Lois Lowry

When I moved from Cambridge, I donated all my fiction. I carefully cut out pages the authors had autographed for me. I didn't want those autographed books showing up on eBay. ~ Lois Lowry

Trademaster," he said.....

"Who is he?" Claire asked again.
"He is Evil. I don't know how else to describe it. He is Evil, and like all evil, he has enormous power. He tempts. He taunts. And he takes. ~ Lois Lowry

I turn to books for a feeling of companionship: for somebody knowing what I have known. ~ Lois Lowry

What book(s) changed your life and why? I could probably list books for days, so I'll just list a few favorites: The Giver by Lois Lowry, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle, the Animorphs series by K.A. Applegate, 1984 by George Orwell, the Bible, Gilead by Marilynne Robinson, and Juliet by Andras Visky (which is a play, but I think it still counts). ~ Veronica Roth

Well ... ," Jonas had to stop and think it through. "If everything's the same, then there are no choices! I want to wake up in the morning and DECIDE things! A blue tunic, or a red one? ~ Lois Lowry

It's just that ... without the memories it's all meaningless. ~ Lois Lowry

this talk will be a private one with Jonas. ~ Lois Lowry

It wasn't the same. I'm pretty good at making the best of things, but it wasn't the same. ~ Lois Lowry

And I've thought of a way to help you with the concept of color.
Close your eyes and be still, now. I'm going to give you a memory of a rainbow. ~ Lois Lowry

Any Danish citizen would die for King Christian, to protect him. ~ Lois Lowry

I prefer to surprise myself as I'm writing. I'm not interested in it if I already know where it's going. So I have only the most general sense of what I'm doing when I start a story. I sometimes have a destination in mind, but how the story is going to go from Point A to Point Z is something I make up as I go along. ~ Lois Lowry

It is very risky. But each time a child opens a book, he pushes open the gate that separates him from Elsewhere. ~ Lois Lowry

Memories are forever~ The Giver ~ Lois Lowry

tunic back on. "Goodbye, sir," he said. "Thank you for my ~ Lois Lowry

Memory is the happiness of being alone. ~ Lois Lowry

You remember that I told you it was safer not to know. But,' he went on, as his hands moved wuth their sure and practiced motion, 'I will tell you just a little, because you were so very brave.'
Brave?' Annemarie asked, surprised. 'No, I wasn't. I was very frightened.'
You risked your life.'
But I didn't even think about that! I was only thinking of-'
He interrupted her,smiling. 'That's all that brave means-not thinking about the dangers. Just thinking about what you must do. Of course you were frightened. I was too, today. But you kept your mind on what you had to do. So did I. ~ Lois Lowry

again. "When we were Sixes, we went and shared a whole school day with a group of Sixes in their community." "How did you feel when you were there?" Lily frowned. "I felt strange. Because their methods were different. They were learning usages that my group hadn't learned yet, so we felt stupid." Father was listening with interest. "I'm thinking, Lily," he said, "about the boy who didn't obey the rules today. Do you think it's possible that he felt strange and stupid, being in a new place with rules that he didn't know about?" Lily pondered that. "Yes," she said, finally. ~ Lois Lowry

The man that I named the Giver passed along to the boy knowledge, history, memories, color, pain, laughter, love, and truth. Every time you place a book in the hands of a child, you do the same thing. It is very risky. But each time a child opens a book, he pushes open the gate that separates him from Elsewhere. It gives him choices. It gives him freedom. Those are magnificent, wonderfully unsafe things.
[from her Newberry Award acceptance speech] ~ Lois Lowry

I often compare myself as a kid to my own grandchildren, who are around 11 and 14 now. That's the age kids usually read my book. And I remember myself; we'd gone through a world war. My father was an army officer so I was aware of what was going on. But I wasn't bombarded with images of catastrophe like many kids are today. ~ Lois Lowry

Go, " he said. "This is your journey, your battle. Be brave. Find your gift. Use it to save what you love. ~ Lois Lowry

Frightened meant that deep, sickening feeling of something terrible about to happen. ~ Lois Lowry

But the aircraft a year ago had been different. It was not a squat, fat-bellied cargo plane but a needle-nosed single-pilot jet. ~ Lois Lowry

Jonas felt a ripping sensation inside himself, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to emerge in a cry. ~ Lois Lowry

Maybe it is something that artists have," she said, liking the sound of the word she had just learned. "A special kind of magic knowledge. ~ Lois Lowry

People do things that turn out badly, often for the most benevolent of reasons. ~ Lois Lowry

Time goes on, and your life is still there, and you have to live it. After a while you remember the good things more often than the bad. Then, gradually, the empty silent parts of you fill up with sounds of talking and laughter again, and the jagged edges of sadness are softened by memories. ~ Lois Lowry

It was against the rules for children or adults to look at another's nakedness; but the rule did not apply to newchildren or the Old. Jonas ~ Lois Lowry

... and she was awed to see that vibrant life still struggled to thrive despite such destruction. ~ Lois Lowry

We're all on our own, aren't we? That's what it boils down to.

We come into this world on our own- in Hawaii, as I did, or New York, or China, or Africa or Montana- and we leave it in the same way, on our own, wherever we happen to be at the time- in a plane, in our beds, in a car, in a space shuttle, or in a field of flowers.

And between those times, we try to connect along the way with others who are also on their own.

If we're lucky, we have a mother who reads to us.

We have a teacher or two along the way who make us feel special.

We have dogs who do the stupid dog tricks we teach them and who lie on our bed when we're not looking, because it smells like us, and so we pretend not to notice the paw prints on the bedspread.

We have friends who lend us their favorite books.

Maybe we have children, and grandchildren, and funny mailmen and eccentric great-aunts, and uncles who can pull pennies out of their ears.

All of them teach us stuff. They teach us about combustion engines and the major products of Bolivia, and what poems are not boring, and how to be kind to each other, and how to laugh, and when the vigil is in our hands, and when we have to make the best of things even though it's hard sometimes.

Looking back together, telling our stories to one another, we learn how to be on our own. ~ Lois Lowry

In 1952, when I was 15 and living on Governors Island, which was then First Army Headquarters, I encountered the newly-published 'The Catcher in the Rye.' Of course, that book became the iconic anti-establishment novel for my generation. ~ Lois Lowry

Of course they needed to care. It was the meaning of everything. ~ Lois Lowry

The Receiver was the most important Elder. Jonas had never even seen him, that he knew of; someone in a position of such importance lived and worked alone. ~ Lois Lowry

I tend not to think about audience when I'm writing. Many people who read 'The Giver' now have their own kids who are reading it. Even from the beginning, the book attracted an audience beyond a child audience. ~ Lois Lowry

But why can't everyone have the memories? I think it would seem a little easier if the memories were shared. You and I wouldn't have to bear so much by ourselves, if everybody took a part."
The Giver sighed. "You're right," he said. "But then everyone would be burdened and pained. They don't want that. And that's the real reason The Receiver is so vital to them, and so honored. They selected me - and you - to lift that burden from themselves. ~ Lois Lowry

At dawn, the orderly, disciplined life he had always known would continue again, without him. The life where nothing was ever unexpected. Or inconvenient. Or unusual. The life without color, pain, or past. ~ Lois Lowry

If everything's the same, then there aren't any choices! I want to wake up in the morning and decide things! ~ Lois Lowry

Thnks fr th mmrs- Gabe ~ Lois Lowry