The Hunger Games

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

I absolutely loved this book!  My daughter had read all three and with the movie coming out, I saw this as an opportunity for us to do something together.  I had to read the book first though.  Boy am I glad I did!  Now we have plans to see the movie together!

This novel takes place in a futuristic setting that parallels with our modern world.  There are hints as to the geographic location of the different districts in the book.  Because of a rebellion by one of the districts, every year there is a reaping.  A boy and a girl from each district are chosen and must participate in the Hunger Games.  From beginning to end, I could not put this book down!  Katniss, one of the main characters, is a young girl from District 12 chosen for the reaping.  The book is told from her point of view - a first person point of view.  Through the book she faces all four of the types of conflicts.  She struggles against herself when she has to make critical decisions about how to play the games.  She struggles against other human and nonhuman adversaries as part of the games.  She struggles against elements of nature through the games.  Probably, the biggest conflict though comes with society - what is right and what is wrong with the world in which she lives.

Katniss is the protagonist in the book.  Because the book is told from her point of view, the reader gets to know her on a personal level.  This is partly the reason for not being able to put the book down.  The reader almost becomes Katniss and wants to know what happens to her.  Many of the other characters that participate in the Hunger Games are more flat in nature.  They really help to develop the plot.  The reader only sees one side of them - for example, Caesar.  He interviews the contestants before the games begin.  He is used to more fully develop the other characters through his interviews.

Through using the Mark my Word strategy, students can mark vocabulary they are not understanding.  For example, the term "reaping" may need to be explained.  Tributes is another term that would be important for this book.  Students may mark that word as well.

Many of the elements of the book come from a futuristic setting.  This leaves the reader to ponder:  (1) What will our world be like 50 or 100 years for from now?  (2) Could we become Panem?  Explain.