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I have a 7th grade ELA teacher who is finishing up the Giver and would like recommendations of books that deal with utopian/dystopian societies that we could steer the kids to if they ask. What would you recommend?

Thanks!

Cynthia

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The Shadow Children series by Haddix, or the Uglies series by Westerfield. Haddix's books deal with dystopian whereas Westerfield is utopian societies. I hope this helps.

Nancy

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Thank you Nancy!

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Another good follow up is Lowry's own Gathering Blue.

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I found City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau to be similar in theme and overall feel. I also agree with the below comments of Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, and Gathering Blue (and the Messenger) by Lowry. Both Gathering Blue and the Messenger are extensions (but not sequels) of The Giver.

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Here are a few titles I recommend to those seeking utopia/dystopia style books:

The Sky Inside by Clare Dunkle
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
Truesight by David Stahler
Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

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I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who took the time to share their suggestions with me. I have passed them on to the teacher and she is happy to have them to pass along to the kids.

Thanks again!
Cynthia

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After the Giver, give them Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins....what a read...survival fiction, dystopia, romance, with a touch of The Lottery....

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I know you don't need any more suggestions, but I'm including this in case someone follows the discussion at a later date. Unwind, by Neal Shusterman is a great story and should be in paperback any day now. Basically, to be unwound means to have all your body parts used by people who need them, and parents can decide to unwind their children at any time up to the age of 18 (I think it was 18 - I read it a long time ago). Since every part of you is "recycled", it isn't considered killing because every part of you lives on in the bodies of others. It sounds a bit creepy, but I'm not doing the book justice since the process of being unwound is explained quite tastefully.
The book features the lives of three separate adolescents destined to be unwound, each for completely different reasons. The lives intersect in a brilliantly crafted and believable fashion. This was a fantastic book; one I heartily recommend for someone looking for a challenging utopian novel.

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Philbrick's Last Book in the Universe could work.

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The Ear, the Eye, the Arm (Nancy Farmer)

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