The Giver, by Lois Lowry

"This is an amazing book. It deserves ten stars (instead of just 5). The world the characters live in is perfect. Everyone is alike; but Joan is singled out to learn of "the memories" when there wasn't Sameness. He is the only person that gets to experience holidays, wars, and much more." Reviewed by Jordan ~ Hemphill Branch Teen Reader

"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 . . " A review by Amazon.com