From School Library Journal Grade 6 Up-Matty, who has lived in Village with the blind Seer since running away from an abusive childhood, is looking forward to receiving his true name, which he hopes will be Messenger. But he is deeply unsettled by what is going on. He has discovered his own power to heal others and learned of disturbing changes within his community. Under the gentle guidance of Leader, who arrived in Village on a red sled as a young boy and who has the power of Seeing Beyond, the citizens have always welcomed newcomers, especially those who are disabled. But a sinister force is at work, which has prompted them to close admission to outsiders. Also, it seems that Matty’s beloved Mentor has been trading away parts of his inner self in order to become more attractive to Stocktender’s widow. When the date for the close of the border is decided, Matty must make one more trip through the increasingly sinister Forest to bring back Seer’s daughter, the gifted weaver Kira. On the return journey, Matty must decide if he should use his healing but self-destructive power to reverse the inexorable decline of Forest, Village, and its people. While readers may be left mystified as to what is behind the dramatic change in Village, Lowry’s skillful writing imbues the story with a strong sense of foreboding, and her descriptions of the encroaching Forest are particularly vivid and terrifying. The gifted young people, introduced in The Giver(1993) and Gathering Blue (2000, both Houghton), are brought together in a gripping final scene, and the shocking conclusion without benefit of denouement is bound to spark much discussion and debate.-Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY Copyright (c) Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Product Description Critically acclaimed and bestselling author Lowry returns with the eagerly anticipated companion to Gathering Blue and The Giver, winner of the Newbery Medal. From AudioFile Matty came to Village years ago when it was a safe haven. However, sinister changes are taking place. At Trade Mart, the citizens begin trading away their souls for their hearts’ desires, and a wall is planned to keep out immigrants. Matty must journey into hostile, malevolent Forest to fetch his friend, Kira, before Village closes its borders. David Morse’s smart narration and whispery voice never become overly dramatic. He doesn’t attempt to add personality to the characters nor intensity to their plight. This quiet, understated delivery insists the material speak for itself. Happily, Newbery Award-winning author Lois Lowry’s storytelling is more than up to the task. Matty’s story is as strange as the fantastical Forest and as engrossing as its companion pieces, THE GIVER and GATHERING BLUE. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine– Copyright (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine From the Inside Flap Critically acclaimed and bestselling author Lois Lowry returns with MESSENGER; the eagerly anticipated companion to Gathering Blue and The Giver, winner of the Newbery Medal. Review “Like Lowry’s hugely popular Newbery winner, The Giver, this story dramatizes ideas of utopia gone wrong and focuses on a young person who must save his world.”– starred, Booklist (Booklist ) From Booklist *Starred Review* Gr. 6-10. Like Lowry’s hugely popular Newbery winner, The Giver (1993), this story dramatizes ideas of utopia gone wrong and focuses on a young person who must save his world. Teenage Matty lives with his caregiver in the Village, a place of refuge, where those fleeing poverty and persecution are welcomed with kindness and find a home. But the Village people are changing, and many have voted to build a wall to keep the newcomers out. The metaphor of the wall and the rage against immigrants (“They can’t even speak right”) will certainly reach out to today’s news images for many readers. But Lowry moves far bey