The Hunger Games

Collins, S. (2008). Hunger Games. New York, NY: Scholastic Press

Appropriate grade levels:

8-12. The violent content of this book would deem it inappropriate for a student younger than eighth grade. Additionally, the independent reading level is an excellent match for students in grades 8 and above. The main character is sixteen and deals with teenage issues so this book is most appropriate in high school.

Summary:

The Hunger Games takes place in a fictional society called Panem in which the country is divided into twelve districts and run by a wealthy Capitol. To punish citizens each year for a previous civil war the Capitol created the Hunger Games, a yearly game in which two children are randomly selected to fight to the death in a stadium in the Capitol. The main character is an adventurous, tough sixteen year old who steps up to take her sister’s place in the Hunger Games. Katniss is a great hunter and immediately loved and favored by the public as a contender. Her rival from her district is Peeta, the baker’s son who has loved Katniss from afar for a long time. Katniss feels like she owes Peeta as he once gave her a piece of bread when her family was on the brink of starvation so Katniss makes it her goal to send Peeta back alive to repay her debt to him. Katniss has trouble returning his love because of her long-time close relationship with Gale, another boy from their district. Katniss’ desire to do the right thing and strong abilities in the arena make this novel a must read for any sci fi, fantasy, or adventure lover.

Classroom Use:

- Literature Circles, whole class read aloud, independent reading

- Writing Connections: analysis of societal parallels with our society, character analysis and how character traits impact a character’s actions in the text using glogster, podcast illustrating Katniss’ love triangle and what she should do, journal entries about love, parents, death, making difficult choices, being separated for loved one, injustice of poverty and wealth

- Reading strategies: making predictions, visualizing

- Literature analysis: connections and influences of the author including: The Vietnam War, Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery”, Romeo and Juliet, Fahrenheit 451, other science fiction texts or dystopias.

Reader’s Response:

I loved this novel from the instant that I picked it up about 8 months ago. I immediately ran out and read the second and third novels, which were equally engaging. What I like best about the novel is how thought provoking it is. As a teacher, I would have no shortage of uses in the classroom for a novel like this that appeal to both boys and girls. This novel could be used to teach a wide variety of standards, literary features, deep level analysis, and reading strategies to a wide range of reading levels.

The shocking nature of the Capitol’s treatment of the children who will take part in the Hunger Games really grabbed my attention. The irony of Katniss’ prep group telling her after hours of work that she is “finally looking like a human” is horrifying as everything about the capitol takes the humanity out of people. Putting humans in a stadium to fight to the death is about the most inhumane thing that someone can do. Hollywood-izing the event is the icing on the dehumanization cake. Katniss and Peeta’s mentor, Haymitch, is a perfect example of what happens when someone is dehumanized and lives.

There are a special few who are unaffected by the Capitol’s magic, such as Cinna, Katniss’ fashion designer. The heroes in this novel all take on a similar quality of wanting to do right and seeing past the smoke and mirrors that the Capitol’s wealth and gluttony portray. Peeta is another hero in this novel because he is constantly laying down his life for Katniss, especially in the arena when he pretended to be part of the “career” tributes in order to save Katniss. Thresh, Rue’s district 11 counter-tribute, is another hero who dies a tragic death although not before showing his heroic side.

In a dystopia like this the antagonist is the government. As Katniss quotes Peeta’s words, “Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to… to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games” (236). Katniss and Peeta find that way at the end, but is the cost worth it? If it means escaping a dystopia as destructive as the one they live in, then yes.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books

Summary: When you Reach Me is set in New York City where twelve year old Miranda and her mother live in a small, shabby apartment and dream of winning $20,000 Pyramid, the celebrity partner game in which Miranda's mother was recently selected to be a contestant. Miranda's life long best friend Sal, a 12 year old boy who lives in Miranda's building, suddenly stops talking to Miranda after getting punched by another boy on the street on their walk home from school. Throughout the novel Miranda is writing and receiving mysterious letters which leave the reader wondering who she is writing to and who has sent her these letters from the future. The letters warn Miranda that Sal's life is in danger. Because Sal's ended his lifelong friendship, Miranda is forced to choose a new friend, Annemarie, a classmate who suffers quietly from a disease that Miranda does not know about or understand. Annemarie, Miranda, and Colin, a boy in Miranda's class who makes her stomach flip flop, get jobs during lunchtime at a pizza parlor. Julia, a science fiction lover and time travel expert, is Annemarie's old best friend and Miranda's rival. Miranda finds the boy who punched Sal and seemingly ended Miranda's oldest friendship, but Marcus, like other characters in this novel, is not at all like Miranda expected. Poor and intelligent, Marcus helps Miranda understand the ins and outs of time travel. The book takes twists and turns and leaves the reader wondering about the logistics of time travel and what a person will do to save someone's life. Clues about the ending and what will happen abound but readers are left with the desire to immediately reread the book to understand the details. Miranda learns that throughout the book that things are not as they seem and people are easy to misjudge.

Grade levels: 5-8. The main character is twelve years old and her experiences are easy to relate to for children in grades five through eight. As children mature at different ages there are fifth graders who can relate as well as eighth graders. I personally was twelve when I started eighth grade and I would have loved this book. The reading level certainly could be appropriate for fourth graders but the maturity of the content would be over their heads.

Classroom Use
Before Reading Activities:

• - Journal writing and discussion about friendship, judging people, religious and racial prejudice, dealing with epilepsy and illness as a child, bullying, misjudging people, and popularity
• - Exploration and discussion about time travel
• - Reading a Wrinkle in Time prior to reading this novel

During Reading:

• - Strategy practice with making connections to experiences children have in their lives dealing with bullying, making friends, feeling lonely, having a single mom, liking a boy or girl for the first time, popularity
• - Strategy practice with making predictions using clues in the text. This novel is rich with foreshadowing.
• - Analyzing literary techniques: foreshadowing, characterization, plot structure of non-linear plots

After Reading and Technology connections:

• - Use flabberize to create a conversation between Miranda and Julia ten years later when the girls are in their early 20's.
• - Use glogster to create an interesting book report about the novel.
• - Use Edmodo or Todaysmeet to have an online discussion with classmates who have read the same book.

Reader’s Response
I read this book first because I wanted to get this book "out of the way" because "science fiction" turned me off. When I think about science fiction things like vampires, horror, aliens, human eating plants, and zombies come to mind. When I looked back at many other books that I've enjoyed recently I've realized that many of them could be labeled science fiction: The Hunger Games Triology, Ender's Game, and Alas Babylon. This book has helped me change my perception and accept that science fiction is something that I not only tolerate but seriously enjoy reading.

While reading this book I was brought back to the thoughts and emotions I experienced as a child. "Ever since our foreheads had touched it had made me feel strange. But good strange, not creepy strange" (74.) This reminded me of the first time I liked a boy in elementary school. I love how Miranda's description lacks the experience of knowing what the feeling is.

Overall I felt that this was a wonderful book. It was engaging and there were many nuances and aspects of the plot to hold my interest and keep me wondering what would happen next. I liked the surprising character twists. For example, when Annemarie has her seizure and Julia coaches Miranda in how to handle it, Julia's character is finally seen as heroic and Miranda is finally able to see another side of Julia. I would definitely recommend this book to middle school students.