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?

Wanted: A Pretty Little Liars Novel by Sara Shepard

Shepard, S. (2010). Wanted: a pretty little liars novel. New York: HarperTeen.

ISBN-13: 978-0-06-156617-2

Plot Summary

In this final installment of Pretty Little Liars, Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily who go to Rosewood Day have grown apart after the leader of their clique, Ali, had disappeared years earlier. Ali was the most popular girl at school and everyone wanted for a friend in junior high. Now, three years later, this story wraps up the mystery of what happened to Ali, who Courtney is, and what really happened that night outside the barn in seventh grade. The girls believe that they can finally leave that horrible chapter of their lives behind them, but they have done terrible things and have been constantly taunted by a mysterious A who somehow knows their secrets. In a dramatic conclusion, the girls finally realize who is who, but not without some horror first.

Critical Evaluation

In the beginning of Wanted, readers are presented with a quote from George Bernard Shaw: “There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart’s desire. The other is to gain it.” Readers may wonder what kind of clue this is as they begin reading and are taken back to the night Ali disappeared. The murder mystery plot is a fast-paced whirlwind and there is often confusion about who is who. Is it Ali? Is it Courtney? The girls are typical gossipy, label-loving teenagers. They wear Diane von Furstenberg wrap dresses and make snide comments when they are not the latest season: “Naomi and Kate were wearing DVF dresses from last season, and Riley’s slightly pilled wrap dress was from two seasons ago—horrors” (122). The swirl of labels continue in this specimen of privileged girls chick lit; Burberry, Kate Spade, and Marc Jacobs sprinkle the pages as almost an after-thought but create the tangible world in which these girls live. If readers cannot directly relate, most will at least be aware, possibly with their own envy and desire. Besides, it is the same feeling Spencer, Hanna, Aria, and Emily had at the beginning, when they were on the social fringes and were plucked out and into popularity. Readers will be able to connect with the characters’ dysfunctional, broken homes and troubled relationships.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

The Rosewood 4 are faced with a strange and confusing turn of events as the answer to what happened to Ali comes to a dramatic conclusion. It looks like they might get their happy ending, but things aren’t always as they seem.

 

Author Information

 

Sara Shepard was born in 1978 in Philadelphia, Pa. She grew up on Philadelphia’s Main line, a collection of affluent towns built along the old Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad and which was the inspiration for the setting of Pretty Little Liars books. She had a vivid imagination as a child and wrote her first book, Quizzles, about friendly yellow creatures that live in the garden. She attended New York University beginning in 1995 and enjoyed the NYC club scene sporting purple vinyl pants. She then received her MFA from Brooklyn College.

 

She held a variety of jobs including interning at Elle magazine, filing documents at J.P. Morgan, and writing at Time Inc. During this time, she wrote whenever she had free time and kept the stories in separate folders on her computer’s desktop. She currently either lives in Philadelphia, PA or Tuscon, AZ with her three dogs.

Information was obtained at this site:

http://www.harpercollins.com/author/microsite/About.aspx?authorid=30521

Genre

Young Adult

Chick Lit

Mystery

Murder

Romance

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Book Talking Ideas

Mental illness, identical twins

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Characters are in high school; appropriate for grades 7 and up

Challenge Issues

N/A

Why did I include this title?

Who doesn’t love juicy good chick lit full of fancy labels? This book is the conclusion to the very popular Pretty Little Liars series, which has been made into a television show, and now I will be able to talk about it with my students.

Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Smith, C.L. (2007). Tantalize. New York: Candlewick Press.

ISBN-13: 978-0-7636-2791-1

Plot Summary

Quincie Morris is 17 and in charge of a restaurant in Austin, Texas that became hers when her parents died. She has been in the care of her Uncle Davidson, and together they have been planning a grand re-opening. Its new name is Sanguini’s, and its new theme is vampire. However, a month before opening night, their long-time chef, Vaggio, who was more family than employee, is brutally murdered by what people assume is a werewolf. The new chef, Bradley, sweeps in and completes the vampire vision, but things are not as they seem. Meanwhile, Kieren, Quincie’s hybrid werewolf boyfriend, is suspicious of Bradley and his motives. Their relationship becomes strained when Quincie does not heed his warnings and Kieren himself is planning on leaving Austin to become a member of the pack. As Kieren and Quincie drift apart, Bradley and Quincie become closer, and Quincie is enjoying his company and the wine he keeps pouring in her glass. When Quincie finally realizes what is happening, it is too late.

Critical Evaluation

Cynthia Leitich Smith creates a world in Austin, Texas, where vampires and werewolves co-exist among humans who are, if not completely accepting, at least tolerant. The suspense and tension of the plot builds as the chapters are divided into parts of a fine dining five course Italian dinner: antipasto, primo, secondo, dolce, and conforno. This set-up reinforces the book’s restaurant setting and motif. The text of the chapters is interspersed with advertisements, signs, and classified ads that draw the reader’s attention. Sanguini’s menu plays upon the horror and seduction associated with vampires as it has two parts, predator and prey. The dialogue is often quick-witted and humorous in an almost Buffy, The Vampire Slayer way: “I wish you could just turn into a bat. Like poof! Very dramatic. That would solve all of our problems” (149). One cannot discount the allusions to Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Quincie Morris, in Dracula, is the Texan who killed the vampire. Smith’s story does not end the same way, however. The plot is fast-paced from beginning to end. Female young adult readers will relate to the palpable desire Quincie feels for her boyfriend, and this book will delight fans of vampire and werewolf fiction. All readers will appreciate the theme that things don’t always work out the way you planned. The conclusion of the book leaves an opening for the next book in the series, Eternal (2009).

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Quincie’s new vampire restaurant is scheduled to open in a month when the chef is brutally murdered by what appears to be a werewolf. She must find a new chef, but doing so costs her more than she had anticipated.

 

Author Information

 

Cynthia Leitich Smith was born December 31, 1967 in Kansas City, Missouri. A mixed-blood tribal member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, her parents did not read literary fiction, but they did encourage her reading. She grew up loving comic books and wrote her first poem in the first grade. Writing continued to be an important part of her school life; she wrote an advice column in her school newspaper in grade six, and in junior and senior high school she edited the school newspaper. At the University of Kansas, she majored in English and journalism. Then, she graduated from Michigan Law School in 1994 with the intent to become a legal reporter. While working as a law clerk after graduation, she realized that writing was what she really wanted to do when she kept creating ideas for stories and scribbling them down. She quit law and became a children’s author with her first published book, Jingle Dancer (2000).

Leitich Smith infuses Native-American culture and traditions throughout her writing. Her varied employment experiences also influence her writing: she has been a waitress, a gas station attendant, a telephone operator, an English tutor, and a writing teacher. She currently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Greg (also an award-winning children’s book author) and four cats. She loves speaking, writing, and inspiring writers.

For more information about Cynthia Leitich Smith, please visit her website:

http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/

Cynthia also keeps an award-winning blog:

http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/

Genre

Young Adult

Gothic Fantasy

Vampires

Werewolves

Romance

Curriculum Ties

Allusions to Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Book Talking Ideas

What would the menu of a vampire’s restaurant have on it? How would you feel if the person you love was moving away?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Protagonist is 17; appropriate for ages 14 and up.

Challenge Issues

Violence, horror, supernatural creatures

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 03/01/07

Publishers Weekly 03/05/07

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 05/01/07

School Library Journal 05/01/07

Horn Book starred 10/01/07

Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.) 06/01/07

Kirkus Review 02/15/07

Why did I include this title?

We read this book for class and I enjoyed its take on vampires, werewolves, and shape shifters. I also find chefs very attractive and loved Chef Bradley's menu.

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.

Hope in Patience by Beth Fehlbaum

Fehlbaum, B. (2010). Hope in patience. New Jersey: West Side Books.

ISBN-13: 978-0-374-37152-4

Plot Summary

When fifteen-year-old Ashley Asher moves to Patience, Texas, she hopes for a better life. After years of sexual abuse from her step-father and blame and hate from her mother, Ashley has a difficult time learning to trust and love her formerly absentee biological father, step-mother, and younger brother. To deal with the pain, Ashley scratches herself, sleeps in her armoire, and emotionally withdraws. Her new therapist helps her deal with Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome and when she must face her step-father and mother in court, she realizes that even though she has come a long way, there is still a long way to go. Having new friends like Z.Z. and a love interest, Josh, also gives Ashley hope as she continues to heal.

Critical Evaluation

In this sequel to Fehlbaum’s debut novel, Courage in Patience (2008), Ashley’s first person narration offers readers a glimpse into the mind of a sexually abused girl and how difficult it is to heal. A review in Publisher’s Weekly comments, “The story starts slowly, with multiple flashbacks; despite the emotional tension, whether Ashley will continue to heal is never in doubt. Fehlbaum, an abuse survivor herself, doesn't shy away from the brutality Ashley has suffered and the painful road she must walk. Her details are achingly real” (2010). This painful story of overcoming sexual abuse is made even more honest as Fehlbaum does not create a happy-ever-after ending: the step-father never spends a day in jail and the mother never faces the truth about her husband’s actions. Readers will recognize themes of people needing strong support systems to get through life’s hardships and that everyone deserves to be loved.

 

Reader’s Annotation

 

Ashley Asher has escaped her sexually abusive step-father, but can she escape the feelings and memories that constantly plague her and cause her harm? Ashley learns that there really are people who love her and help her feel hope in her new town, Patience.

 

Author Information

 

It’s no wonder how Ashley’s experience depicts the true emotional aspect of sexual abuse when we learn that the author herself, Beth Fehlbaum, is also a victim of sexual abuse. On Fehlbaum’s website, she writes, “I was inspired to write this story by my own recovery from childhood sexual abuse. In the process of working through my own grief, disbelief, and anger, I was writing poems and short stories, and sharing them with my (long-suffering) therapist. One day, he suggested that I try writing a novel.” Fehlbaum’s first novel, Courage in Patience (2008), is an effort to process the agony and healing from sexual abuse.

Fehlbaum was born in Dallas, Texas and is married to her high school sweetheart. Together, they have three grown daughters. She earned a B.A. in English and a minor Secondary Education from the University of Texas at Arlington. She further continued her education by receiving an M.Ed. in Elementary Education, specializing in Reading, from Texas A & M. Not only is she an author, but she is also a teacher. The first part of her career was spent teaching middle school and she currently teaches 5^th grade in a bilingual education program in Texas.

We can learn more about Beth Fehlbaum by visiting her website:

http://www.bethfehlbaumya.com/

Genre

Young Adult Fiction

Interpersonal relations
Sexual abuse
Family life
Post-traumatic stress disorder
High school

Curriculum Ties
N/A

Book Talking Ideas

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder? How do people deal with a past of abuse?

Reading Level/ Interest Age

Characters are high school students; appropriate for ages 14 and up

Challenge Issues

Sexual abuse, molestation, rape, language

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 01/01/11

Publishers Weekly 10/11/10

Voice of Youth Advocates (V.O.Y.A.) 02/01/11

2011 YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers

Why did I include this title?

I read this novel for class. Its topic of sexual abuse is an important one for teens to be aware of because it is often not talked about. By becoming aware of Beth Fehlbaum’s own experience, teens experiencing painful situations might find hope as well.