Book Reviews and Discussion
What’s better than reading a great book? Answer: Reading a great book with a whole lot of LDS home school students! And then even better—discussing it with them! This year there will be 2 separate book discussions to choose from, so read below and decide which book(s) you’d like to read, then get a copy of the book at your local library or in any bookstore, and then read it before the conference. Bring your copy with you to the conference and come prepared to discuss the book(s) and share insights and understanding with each other. You can read all the books, but you’ll only have time to attend ONE of the two discussion groups below, so decide which one is your favorite and come ready for an energetic dialogue.
Group 1
Alliance, by Gerald N. Lund Book Description:
It’s 18 years after the end of civilization as we know it. Slowly, ragtag villages of nuclear holocaust survivors are being relocated to a new society known as the Alliance. At first it seems like a dream come true to Eric Lloyd and his family. There is work and safety and food enough to spare. But the trappings of civilization wear thin when Eric learns that the violent human impulses that lead to crime and rebellion are controlled by pain chips surgically implanted in the brain.
Eric vows to destroy the Alliance. But can he have any hope of withstanding the wrath of the Alliance’s Major and his computerized Punishment Mode? And what of Eric’s growing attraction to Nicole, a Guardian in the Alliance?
Futuristic in setting but timeless in its message, The Alliance makes a stunning statement about agency in a gripping and entertaining way.
About the Author:
Gerald Lund is among the most-read authors in Church literature. His publications have sold nearly 3,000,000 copies. Titles written by Gerald include The Work and The Glory series, The Coming of the Lord, This Is Your World, One in Thine Hand, The Alliance, Leverage Point, The Freedom Factor, and Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation. The Kingdom and the Crown: Fishers of Men, released in 2000, is his 25th novel.
The Giver, by Lois Lowry Book Description:
Jonas’s world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.
About the Author:
Lois Lowry is a two-time Newberry Award Medalist for The Giver, and Number the Stars. She has authored many books for young people. She writes of herself, “My books have varied in content and style. Yet is seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections…of the role we play in the lives of our fellow beings.”
Group 2
The Great Brain, by John Fitzgerald
Book Description:
J. D. idolizes his older brother Tom, a.k.a. The Great Brain, a silver-tongued con artist with a genius for making a profit. No matter what the situation, The Great Brain will always find a way to turn it to his advantage—usually, his financial advantage. As boys growing up at the beginning of the 1900s, J. D. and Tom have plenty of scope for their adventures. And while J. D.’s ingenuity may not equal his conniving brother’s, as a narrator he is endearingly sympathetic and wildly entertaining. First published in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this classic series has been popular ever since. Now the first three books are again available in hardcover, complete with their original illustrations. Join the amazing Great Brain and his befuddled brother as they continue to captivate generations of young readers.
About the Author:
In the 1960’s, John Dennis Fitzgerald turned his attention to books for children, writing the highly successful The Great Brain series, in which his characters are loosely based on characters from his own family and community, including himself. The Great Brain is his brother, Tom D. Fitzgerald. The novels are structured like a collection of short stories, in which Tom either swindles people to teach them a lesson, or solves an important problem for the community. There are at least 8 books in the series.