Rating: 
Summary: No stars for this book -- take it out of the kid's section!
Review: This book is very disturbing, and I dislike it thoroughly, but I am even more horrified by the unthinking, sentimental reviews this book receives. The Giving Tree is NOT a children's book, in the sense of being a book which one might read straight-forwardly to a child for enjoyment or to teach a certain value, such as kindness or friendship. The message of this book is far too complex and ironic to be read to small people uncritically. In fact, I think it's been mislabelled as a kid's book. The story is quite brutal: a little boy takes and takes from a female tree throughout his life, so that finally, when he is an old man, the tree has been cut down for him -- and is dead. The boy hasn't learned anything about giving by the end of the book, and the tree has given her life to a self-centered person who cannot value her or her friendship. Why would anyone read this book to a child? What could you say to a child about the characters in the book: don't be like either of these disturbed creatures? A clerk in a children's bookstore once said to me when I questioned him about the meaning of The Giving Tree: "Do you really think kids think about gender when they read a book?" Yes, children really do think about gender in the stories they are exposed to, they think about who is rewarded for certain activities and who is portrayed doing only certain limited things. This is one (of many) ways cultural norms are passed down. Please think about the message you want to send your boy children and your girl children about respecting themselves and each other BEFORE you buy this book. While I heartily oppose censorship of books, I would never put this book in the children's section of a book store.
Rating: 
Summary: A story about giving (duh)
Review: This story is great. It almost brings me to tears every time I read it. It makes me laugh that the people who dislike the book think that it is misunderstood. We understand. We know what it is like to love someone so much that you would cut of your "branches" for them. We know what it is to love someone so much that just being with them makes you happy. The boy is not meant to be an example of good behavior - any child can see that. It is a story about how to give with all your heart. The boy is the only thing the tree ever loved. This story would only be tragic if the tree decided not to love fully and unconditionally.
Rating:
Summary: A Must Have!
Review: The Giving Tree is a wonderful book--for all ages. It illustrates beautifully the way in which people don't realize how many "gifts" they really have. Everyone should have a copy of this book!
Rating:
Summary: Emotional
Review: This book reminds me of my mother who was like the tree, always giving. Through my life I always took from my mother, recieving gain from her sacrafic. The Giving Tree is a remarkable book that always makes me emotional when I read it.
Rating:
Summary: Lesson to live by
Review: This is an excellent book! I read this to everyone that's close to me. Has wonderful pictures that capture the feelings. This book brings me to tears. Should be on every book shelf in America!
Rating:
Summary: The art of giving
Review: I read this book to my children until one day they could read it to me. They are grown up now and when they left home it was one of the treasures they took with them. I am surprised at some of the "hostile" reviews but it just proves that we all see things from a different perspective. I have always felt this book taught us the art of giving. It is easy to buy a present, to grow tired of an object and pass it along, or buy something new and give the old away. Is that what giving is all about? To truly give something of yourself means you must sacrifice something of yourself. And if you expect something back then you have not truly given of yourself, have you? The boy and the tree both gave and lost in their lives. In the end their quiet acceptance, their gentle repose offers us an insight into uncondtional love. My children learned from it and I have learned from it. I have always admired the tree and tried to be more like it than be like the boy. Take what you will from this book, I hope it is positive. I, for one, am very grateful for the insights and humor of Shel Silverstein.
Rating:
Summary: I've loved it since I was a kid!
Review: Since I was a very young child, I had a copy of this book, and as a child I was delighted by the tree and the boy. Then, as I grew older I realized the underlying theme, and now I understand that it isn't just a child's fairy tale, but also a timeless adult story as well. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone and everyone, of any age!
Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Work
Review: After reading some of the previous reviews, I am completely intrigued that some people chose to rip apart a wonderful story of love and sacrifice. When I write reviews I normally analyze the work, but it is different with this story- the best thing to do is sit down and read it with an open mind and heart. "The Giving Tree" excels in it's simplistic realism and timeless joy.
Rating:
Summary: One of my ALL time favorite books!
Review: Growing up, my mother read this book to us many times. Even as achild I cried every time I read it. I was helping my parents packtheir house a few years back and I found this book again and I literally had to stop everything just to read it. Just like years earlier...I cried. I have given this book to many of my friends as a Baby Shower gift, and this year am giving it back to my mother. I take offense that this book is considered for the 4-8 year old range. I would say that this book is PERFECT for anyone ages 4-104! It has the same loving and emotional affect as this book. They are both books to give to anyone you love and wonderful Baby Shower gifts. You won't be disappointed with either. END
Rating:
Summary: The Giving Tree
Review: An ingenious way to show growing old with the life of a tree. Alway the tree refers to the growing child as boy even when he an old man. Creativity is maximized in this story. An excellent story for anyone at any age.
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