Title: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Author's Website:
ISBN: 978-0-451-52493-5
Publisher: Signet Classic
Copyright Date: 1949
Genre: Classics
Reading Level/Interest Age: 9th-12th grade
Awards: Booklist 08/01/97, ALA Notable Children's Books 1995
Plot Summary: Winston Smith lives in Oceania, a future state ruled by Big Brother who is constantly monitoring and controlling the actions of the people. Winston begins carrying on an affair with a woman named Julia, something they could both be vaporized for. Ultimately, the Thought Police come for him, torture him and are able to successfully brain wash him and send him back into society.
Critical Evaluation: Orwell's brilliant novel shares his fear of a government that has grown out of control. The entire story reads as almost a warning of a possible future if we don't take an active stance to avoid relinquishing our civil liberties. Reader's Annotation: Winston Smith lives in a world where Big Brother watches your every move and the Thought Police dictate what you’re allowed to think about. Will he risk his life by secretly rebelling against the government?
Booktalking Ideas: Censorship, Privacy
Why did you include this book: This classic novel is a literature staple that will have young adults considering the concepts of censorship, privacy and control.
Quote: "People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized was the usual word."
Quote: "People simply disappeared, always during the night. Your name was removed from the registers, every record of everything you had ever done was wiped out, your one-time existence was denied and then forgotten. You were abolished, annihilated: vaporized was the usual word."
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