The Hunger Games Trilogy
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
The Hunger Games, ISBN 978-0-439-02352-8, Scholastic Press 2008
Plot Summary:
The novel centers on Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen year old girl living in a dystopian world where the formerly united country has been divided into 12 districts after war broke out 74 years ago. Every year, each district is forced to give one girl and boy “tribute” between the ages of 12-18 to compete in the annual Hunger Games, a contest in which only one child is left alive at the end. Katniss and her family live in District 12, one of the poorer districts that focuses on mining. When the time comes to choose the tributes, Katniss’ little sister, Prim, is chosen from the bowl of names. In order to save her sister, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the Games. If Katniss wants to return home to her family, she must find the courage and strength inside of her to win the Games without losing her integrity in the process.
Catching Fire, ISBN 978-0-545-22724-7, Scholastic 2009
Plot Summary:
After barely escaping the 74th annual Hunger Games, Katniss and her co-winner, Peeta, must take the annual Victor's Tour around the 12 districts. While on the tour, Katniss begins to see that her small act of revolution during the last Games, many of the districts have become even more distrusting of the Capitol and the way it runs the country. As a punishment for her rebellion, President Snow announces that the 75th Hunger Games will feature only tributes who have won the Games in previous years. Since Katniss is the only living female tribute from District 12, she is once again thrust into the Games arena with Peeta. This Games will be more difficult since she’s facing off against people who have killed before and won their Games. She and Peeta must find a way to learn who they can trust and who has sided with Capitol in order to escape the Games alive a second time.
Mockingjay, ISBN 978-0-439-02351-1, Scholastic 2010
Plot Summary:
Now that Katniss, her family, and some of her friends from the previous Games have been moved to the previously thought long dead District 13, they are having a hard time readjusting. Katniss discovers that Peeta and others she knew in the Games have been taken to the Capitol and are being brainwashed by President Snow. The President of District 13, tells Katniss that it’s time for her take her rightful place as the face of the rebellion in hopes of inspiring the other districts to join their cause and overthrow the oppressive Capitol. While Katniss is uncomfortable being the symbol of a revolution, events transpire that convince her that she must do what she can or there will never be change. After facing many tragedies in the past years, Katniss is forced once again to try and overcome the atrocities that accompany war if she ever hopes to return home.
Critical Evaluation:
Collins’ trilogy has been highly regarded for it's ability to make war and social unrest relatable to a younger audience. By having Katniss as a normal girl who turns into a heroine, Collins is able to show the reader that greatness can come from even the most unlikely of sources. The series deals with themes of poverty, the effects of war, and oppression in a way that allows young adults to understand these concepts and apply them both historic and current conflicts. The structure of each novel reads like a play: there are three sections to each book, and each section has three chapters to mirror the traditional three acts (beginning, middle, and end) of a theater play. The characters in the novels find themselves facing morally ambiguous situations where the right answer is not always clear, which helps the reader form an opinion to defend why they think the character was wrong or right and how to justify their decision. The books are easy to read. The language is never too heavy. The only problem a young reader might experience is the vernacular of this different world. A problem reader might have a hard time remembering every character because Collins has created a specific world and has populated it with many different people. These books have become a phenomenon in recent years for taking such difficult subject matter and allowing young readers to understand what life is like in a country with no peace.
Reader’s Annotation:
Katniss is about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime...if she can survive it.
Information about the Author:
In 1991, Suzanne Collins began her professional career writing for children’s television. She worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains it All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. For preschool viewers, she penned multiple stories for the Emmy-nominated Little Bear and Oswald. She also co-wrote the Rankin/Bass Christmas special, Santa, Baby! with her friend, Peter Bakalian, which was nominated for a WGA Award in Animation. Most recently she was the Head Writer for Scholastic Entertainment’s Clifford’s Puppy Days,and a freelancer on Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! While working on a Kids WB show called Generation O! she met children’s author and illustrator James Proimos, who talked her into giving children’s books a try.
Thinking one day about Alice in Wonderland, she was struck by how pastoral the setting must seem to kids who, like her own, lived in urban surroundings. In New York City, you’re much more likely to fall down a manhole than a rabbit hole and, if you do, you’re not going to find a tea party. What you might find...? Well, that’s the story of Gregor the Overlander, the first book in her five-part fantasy/war series, The Underland Chronicles,which became a New York Times bestseller. It has been sold into 21 foreign territories.
Her next series, The Hunger Games Trilogy, is an international bestseller. The Hunger Games has spent over six years to date on The New York Times bestseller list since publication in September 2008, and has also appeared consistently on USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. It has been sold into 56 territories in 51 languages. In 2010 Collins was named to the TIME 100 list as well as the Entertainment Weekly Entertainers of the Year list.
Lionsgate released a film adaptation of THE HUNGER GAMES on March 23, 2012, directed by Gary Ross who also shared screenplay credit with Suzanne and Billy Ray. It broke multiple box office records and went on to become the 14th highest-grossing North American release of all time on its way to generating nearly $700 million at the worldwide box office. Lionsgate released the second installment THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE worldwide on November 22, 2013, directed by Francis Lawrence from a screenplay by Simon Beaufoy and Michael DeBruyn and bringing back stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Paula Malcomson, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci and Lenny Kravitz along with new cast members Philip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone and Jeffrey Wright. It was the highest-grossing domestic box office release of 2013 and the 10th highest-grossing domestic release of all time. Lionsgate will release THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 on November 21, 2014 and THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2 on November 20, 2015, also directed by Lawrence. All four films are being produced by Nina Jacobson of Color Force and Jon Kilik.
In September 2013, Suzanne released a critically acclaimed autobiographical picture book, YEAR OF THE JUNGLE, illustrated by James Proimos. It deals with the year she was six and her father was deployed to Viet Nam. It has been sold into 12 territories in 11 languages. Her first picture book, WHEN CHARLIE MCBUTTON LOST POWER, about a boy obsessed with computer games, was illustrated by Mike Lester and came out in 2005. It has been sold into 4 foreign territories.
Her books have sold over 87 million copies worldwide.
Genre:
Fantasy, Coming of Age
Curriculum Ties:
Effects of war, civil disobedience, questioning authority, moral choices
Challenge Issues:
This book has been challenged due to the graphic violence against children.
Creating a Defense:
- Make sure you have thorough knowledge of the library’s selection policy as well as a copy on hand. Your insight as well as pointing out specific portions of the policy will be helpful in discussion with the patron.
- Always have the library Bill of Rights close to show the patron your library’s commitment to providing all kinds of information.
- Make sure you’re familiar with the books that might be challenged. Be prepared to discuss the book’s intended audience, its educational significance, purpose, and also some alternative titles to read.
- Don’t get defensive. The librarian can’t take the challenge personally and either party getting upset will cause the discussion to devolve into a fight.
- LISTEN. Even if you don’t agree with the patron, their views are as valid as yours and should be respected.
Reading Level:
Grades 8-12
Booktalking Ideas:
Do you disagree with any of Katniss’ decisions? What would you do if you had to compete in the Hunger Games?
Why is the material included?:
This series is one of the most widely read set of books in the past 10 years.
Image via Google
No comments:
Post a Comment