The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Collins, S. (2008). The hunger games. New York: Scholastic Press.

ISBN-13: 978-0-439-02348-1

Plot Summary

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen will do anything to protect the people she loves in District 12, a coal mining society and part of the Capitol’s far-reaching empire. Every year, the Capitol reaps two young adults from each district as tributes to compete in the Hunger Games as a way of keeping its citizens under its oppressive rule. The Hunger Games are televised for all to watch in entertainment and horror. This year, Katniss’s sister, Prim, has her name drawn. Katniss jumps to take her place, and she and Peeta, the boy who kindly gave her bread when she was a starving child long ago, must fight 22 other tributes in an evilly devised game field full of natural disasters and monstrous creatures. The winner of the Games will live a life of fame and luxury, but there can only be one winner. Katniss and Peeta create a love story that draws the attention and sympathy from people throughout the district, and when they outsmart the Hunger Games and the Capitol, their lives are about to change.

Critical Evaluation

Suzanne Collins creates a world where the Capitol of twelve districts manages every aspect of society. Through careful reading, we come to understand that the districts are areas of a post-apocalyptic America, and Katniss’s District 12 seems to be the coal mining areas of East Coast. Each District contributes in its own way to the Capitol creating a dependency that holds the districts together. Furthermore, when the children from each district meet each other, they see for the first time how each district is different and the comparisons between wealthy and desperate are obvious. The District itself serves as an obnoxious, glaring example of what happens to people in a world of vapid excessiveness. Vivid descriptions of the arena increase the game’s horrow. The plot is fast-paced and tension-filled as plot twists move from one problem to another as Katniss, Peeta, and the other tributes fight each other, the elements in the game, and their internal conflicts. Not all conflicts are resolved, however, leading the reader to the next book. Themes of individual freedom in a world of government control run throughout the novel. The characters’ holding up the berries for all to see show readers that one’s decisions are ultimately your own no matter what.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Katniss Everdeen would do anything for her family, even risking her life to compete in the Hunger Games. Katniss wants to win, but the Capitol and the other tributes have another idea.

 

Author Information

 

Born in 1962 in Connecticut, Suzanne Collins attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts and then earned her FMA from New York University in Dramatic Writing. In 1991, she began her career as a writer for children’s television shows including several shows for the children’s network, Nickelodeon. Her first books, five books of the Underland Chronicles, were published between 2003 and 2007. She attributes the inspiration of this series to when she realized that in New York City, people were more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole as in Alice in Wonderland. The Hunger Games, the first book in this series, was published September 2008 with great acclaim. Due to the popularity of this trilogy, Time named Collins as one of the 100 most influential people of 2010. Filming of The Hunger Games movie began in 2011, and Collins has adapted the novel for the film herself.

 

Collins currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, their two children, and an adopted family of feral cats that they found in their backyard. She says the idea for the Hunger Games came to her when she was flipping through the channels on her television between a reality show and news coverage of the Iraqi War.

 

More about Suzanne Collins can be found at her website:

http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/bio.htm

 

And:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games

Genre

Young Adult

Science Fiction

Survival

Romance

Dystopian Society

Post-Apocalyptic

Curriculum Ties

U.S. government, geography

Book Talking Ideas

What do dystopian society settings tell us about the world we live in? What sacrifices would you make for the people you love?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Main character is 16; appropriate for grades 7 and up.

Challenge Issues

Violence

Challenge Defense

In defense of a challenge, I would cite these reviews as well as ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library  Materials.

Booklist starred 09/01/08

Publishers Weekly starred 11/03/08

Horn Book starred 09/01/08

School Library Journal starred 09/01/08

Library Media Connection starred 11/01/01

New York Times 11/09/08

Why did I include this title?

I had been meaning to read this for a few years. It is one of the most circulated books at my school. Many reluctant readers have changed their minds about reading when this book is put into their hands. Once I realized I had to read it for class, I sped through it this summer. I was hooked and immediately had to find the next two books. When I visited my friend in Philadelphia this summer, and I didn’t want to take multiple books, I bought a Kindle to download them because I couldn’t live without them. I feel it is an important discussion to have with students: how much control should a government have over its people’s individual rights?

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Dashner, J. (2010). The scorch trials. New York: Delacorte Press.

ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73875-0

Plot Summary

This second installment of The Maze Runner series picks up where the first left off. Thomas and the rest of the Gladers, having survived the murderous Maze, are now faced with WICKED’s second experimental trial. After just one night of rest, they are told that in order to find a safe haven, they must cross a wide expanse of sun-scorched land. To make matters more complicated, they are pursued by Cranks, zombie-like humans infected with the Flare, a disease that causes insanity and has already wiped out much of Earth’s population. As if that is not enough, Thomas and the rest learn that they, too, are infected with the Flare, and if they can successfully cross the postapocalyptic wasteland, they can be cured and live in safety. Thomas searches for his missing friend from the Glade, Teresa, as the boys struggle for survival and to understand why this government group is doing this to them.

Critical Evaluation

Once again, Dashner creates a world with vivid description to make the setting come alive for the readers’ senses: “The town seemed to have grow during the night, its buildings stretching toward the cloudless purple-blue sky” (120), “Heat, like a dry ocean through which they had to swim” (123), “The world was lost in the sound of roaring, screaming air” (131). The desolate landscape reflects the bleak mood of the characters, who continue to be well developed and believable through their actions and their language. Their conversations are flowing realistic teen speak woven together with Maze Runner vocabulary. For example, “Come on, dude,” and then, “What the shuck you talkin’ about?” The fast-paced plot and dialogue lead reader across the treacherous landscape. While there are holes in the plot, the reader is left expecting answers to remaining questions in the next book, The Death Cure (2011). Readers will connect with themes of wondering who to trust and missing the person you love.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Thomas and the Gladers have survived the Maze only to find themselves part of another trial: cross the barren, sun-scorched wasteland to find the cure of the disease they’ve been infected with. The identifying tattoos they now have are only part of the question, why are they being forced to do this?

 

Author Information

 

Please see the blog post for The Maze Runner.

Genre

Young Adult Fiction

Science Fiction

Dystopian novel

Suspense

Romance

Survival

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Book Talking Ideas

Epidemics, infectious diseases, telepathy.

Reading Level/ Interest Age

The protogonist is 16; appropriate for readers 14 and up.

Challenge Issues

Violence

Challenge Defense

In defense of a challenge, I would cite these reviews as well as ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials.

Booklist 01/01/11

School Library Journal 12/01/10

Horn Book 05/01/11

Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.) 12/01/10

Kirkus Review 10/01/10

Why did I include this title?

I enjoy reading series, and because The Maze Runner is so popular, my school library is also purchasing more copies of The Scorch Trials. I can’t seem to keep up with my students. They are hungry for more. Unfortunately, we do not have The Death Cure yet, but at least I will be able to discuss this book with them and join in the begging for the third installment. I especially appreciate how the middle books of trilogies create a bridge from the first book to the last while remaining able to stand on its own.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Dashner, J. (2009). The maze runner. New York: Delacorte Press.

ISBN-13: 978-0-385-73794-4

Plot Summary

Teen boys live in the Glade after having been dropped off by an elevator. Their memories have been erased, and they do not know why they are there. Every day, the boys run through the maze that surrounds them, searching for a way out. But every night, the door closes, which protects them from the Grievers, but the maze changes everyday. Then Thomas arrives. And the next day, a girl arrives. Teresa is the only girl there. Before she falls asleep into a coma, she tells them that everything is about to change. And it does. Their numbers are dwindling, and they need to find a way out. If they are caught by Grievers, they undergo Changing and can only survive if a serum is administered in time. A side effect, though, is some regained memory. Eventually, they realize that they have been put there as an experimental trial by the WICKED to find the smartest boys; these boys will aid in curing a disease called The Flare, which has wiped out Earth’s population. They risk their lives to save each other and in the process, some go crazy and some attempt murder. When they reach the Scorch, a dangerous area near the Equator, they are lulled to sleep without knowing what is planned for them next.

Critical Evaluation

Dashner creates the world of the Glade with vivid description to make the setting come alive for the readers’ senses: “…a mixture of smells bombarded him. Freshly turned dirt, manure, pine, something rotten and something sweet. Somehow he knew that these were the smells of a farm” (7). The characters are well developed and believable through their actions and their language. They have created their own linguistic style and vocabulary, calling each other “Klunkhead” and “shank,” and exclaiming, “Shuck it” when they are frustrated. This language intrigues the reader and further adds to the richly developed setting. Also, in doing so, they are talking to each other as boys do without being overtly offensive to readers’ parents. The fast-paced plot leads reader from chapter to chapter like a maze as the reader is left wondering what will happen next. However, the novel ends rather abruptly, leaving the reader with questions and wanting more, no doubt in preparation for its sequel, The Scorch Trials.

 

Reader’s Annotation

When Thomas finds himself in the middle of a huge maze, he can’t remember anything of the past and neither can the rest of the boys. Fighting for survival and finding their way out is all part of the plan.

 

Author Information

 

James Dashner was born in a rural town in Georgia, but moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University, where he received a Masters Degree in Accounting. After spending a few years as a missionary in Japan, he returned to Utah where he received his CPA. He currently works for a major accounting firm as a financial analyst. He resides in West Valley City, Utah with his wife and four children.

The Maze Runner is the first in a series. Second is The Scorch Trials (2010) and third is The Death Cure (2011). On November 20, 2011, Dashner announced the prequel to The Maze Runner, The Kill Order, due out August 2012.

James Dashner keeps a blog, The Dashner Dude:

http://www.jamesdashner.com/

Genre

Young Adult Fiction

Science Fiction

Dystopian novel

Suspense

Romance

Survival

Curriculum Ties

Epidemics throughout history

Book Talking Ideas

What diseases throughout history have affected mass numbers of people? What would you be willing to do to survive?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

The protogonist is 16; appropriate for readers 14 and up.

Challenge Issues

Violence

Challenge Defense

In defense of a challenge, I would cite these reviews as well as ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials.

Booklist 09/01/09

School Library Journal 10/01/09

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 11/01/09

Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.) 12/01/09

Horn Book 04/01/10

Publishers Weekly 09/21/09

Why did I include this title?

I had heard about this book at a What’s New in YA Literature conference, and it was on my list of books to read. When I noticed it getting popular among my students, I realized it was time to read it and join in the discussion.

Matched by Ally Condie

Condie, A. (2010). Matched. New York: Dutton Books.

ISBN-13: 978-0-525-42364-5

Plot Summary

Cassia lives in the Society where everything is planned: where you work, when and what you eat, how you play, what to wear, who you marry, and when you die. Everything about the past has been eliminated except for 100 poems, songs, pieces of art, and historical moments. The Society does not make mistakes. However, Cassia is confused when, at her Match Banquet, she receives her Match, the boy she will marry at 21. She is Matched with her best friend Xander, but it is not his face she sees; it is Ky’s, a creative boy she often wonders about and who is prohibited from Matching. Then, her grandfather hands her an illegal poem by Dylan Thomas, “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” just before his scheduled death at age 80. These events cause conflict and doubt in Cassia. Life gets more difficult as Cassia learns the truth behind the Society’s perfection.

Critical Evaluation

Matched grabs the reader’s attention in the first chapter; Cassia is on her way to her Match Banquet where the person she will marry will be revealed to her and to the Society. Reminiscent of Lois Lowry’s The Giver and George Orwell’s 1984, this first person narration, told from the point of view of the protagonist, Cassia, creates a world in which the government controls everything. Through Cassia’s thoughts, readers experience her struggle with her feelings and with the Society. While the effects of the Society are clearly evident, the writing lacks description of its setting. Unlike other dystopian stories, Matched is more introspective than action-driven. Its plot is strong, however, as it encourages readers to think about their relationships with people, authority, and technology: “You never know when technology might fail. That’s what happened to the society before ours. Everyone had technology, too much of it, and the consequences were disastrous” (31). Readers will recognize that the freedom of choice does not come without sacrifice, and that nothing is ever completely good or completely bad. As the first book of a trilogy, the story remains unfinished. The second book, Crossed, is due to be published November, 2011.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Cassia’s entire life is laid out for her, but when she experiences a computer glitch during her Match Banquet, she begins to have doubts. Is the Society really perfect?

 

Author Information

 

There is not much information about Ally Condie. She received an English Teaching degree from Brigham Young University in Utah and spent many years teaching high school English in Utah before leaving teaching to become a writer.

 

She still resides outside Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and three sons. She enjoys writing, reading, and running. Condie regularly communicates with her fans by posting to her blog on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and often “tweets” on twitter (@allycondie).

 

More about Matched can be found at this website:

http://www.allysoncondie.com/bio/

 

To find your own perfect Match, please go to

http://matched-book.com/matched.html

 

Genre

Young Adult Fiction

Dystopian future

Fantasy

Science Fiction

Romance

Interpersonal relations

Coming of age

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Book Talking Ideas

What role should a government have in people’s lives? What are arranged marriages and how would you feel if a marriage were arranged for you?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Appropriate for ages 14 and up.

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why did I include this title?

I enjoy dystopian stories and I have taught The Giver to eighth graders. I enjoyed this more mature version of The Giver and wanted to encourage others to read it as well.