Gathering Blue
by Lois Lowry
★ Top 25 book of 2000 · #14 on Best Books of 2000
Kira is lame and newly orphaned when she is mysteriously taken from her wretched village to a grand Council Edifice. There, the powerful Guardians expect her talent as a weaver to serve their wishes.
Best for: Young readers who enjoy dystopian-style stories about talent, power, and control
Gathering Blue is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 2000, out of 45 2000 books that cleared our data bar.
What Gathering Blue is about
Kira is an orphan with a twisted leg, living in a society that usually leaves weak or disabled people out in the fields to die. After her mother dies of an unknown sickness, Kira faces a council that could decide her fate. A council member speaks up for her, pointing to her remarkable gift for embroidery, and she is given the job of repairing the Singer's robe.
Kira begins to learn the craft of dyes, though no one knows how to make the color blue. She befriends a younger boy named Matt and a woodworker named Thomas, and slowly starts to ask what her new comfort really costs. Set in the same world as The Giver, this quiet, suspenseful novel looks at art, power and freedom, and suits teen readers who like thoughtful dystopian stories.
Gathering Blue on the Best Books of 2000
Gathering Blue came out in 2000. Of the 45 books first published in 2000 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #14 on our Best Books of 2000 list.
Why it made the list: 360 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (40 ratings). The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
Nearby on the 2000 list
- How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? Jane Yolen, #12
- Stargirl Jerry Spinelli, #13
- The Wide Window Lemony Snicket, #15
- Basic Economics Thomas Sowell, #16
See all Best Books of 2000 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 1999 Best Books of 2001.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 276 want to read it, 17 are reading it now and 67 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 3.7 out of 5 from 40 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 73 | 55% |
| Reader love | 27 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 62 | 20% |
Questions about Gathering Blue
When was Gathering Blue published?
Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry was first published in 2000.
Was Gathering Blue one of the best books of 2000?
Gathering Blue is #14 on BookWard's Best Books of 2000, out of 45 2000 books that cleared our data bar. 360 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (40 ratings).
Why is Gathering Blue on the Best Books of 2000 list?
360 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 3.7 out of 5 (40 ratings).
More of the best books of 2000
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire J. K. Rowling, #1
- The 48 Laws of Power Robert Greene, #2
- Because of Winn-Dixie Kate DiCamillo, #3
- The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson, #4
- Life of Pi Yann Martel, #5
- Esperanza Rising Pam Muñoz Ryan, #6
See the full Best Books of 2000, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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