…is right here.
There’s a long tradition of Socialist Worker movie reviews generating major debates, so I am eagerly awaiting responses.
You might have noticed this new widget I have on my sidebar, courtesy of JacketFlap and the Children’s Book Council. It is announcing several nominees for the Children’s Choice Book Awards. In case you didn’t know, the Children’s Choice Book Award nominees have been announced in each category: Kindergarten to second grade, third to fourth grade, fifth to sixth grade, teen choice, author of the year, and illustrator of the year. There are five books or people nominated in each category.
Here’s a little blurb about the contest from the CBC website: “The favorite book finalists were determined by close to 15,000 children and teens. Thousands more will be able to cast their votes for their favorite book, author, and illustrator at bookstores, schools, libraries, and at BookWeekOnline.com from March 15 to May 3.
The Children’s Choice Book Awards winners will be announced live at the Children’s Choice Book Awards gala on May 11 in New York City as part of Children’s Book Week (May 10-16, 2010), the oldest national literacy event in the United States.”
When looking at the list, I am just thrilled. Here are some of my favorites from the list of nominees:
*Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
*City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
*Carl Hiassen for Scat
*Rick Riordan for The Last Olympian
*James Patterson for Max
*Victoria Kann for Goldilicious (Illustrator)
To see the full list of nominees, you can go here.
So, mark your calendars to let your children or your students vote on their favorites. If you haven’t read these books, then go to the library or bookstore and check them out! You have until May 3 to vote, so that’s plenty of time to devour these titles. If you have a favorite from the list, let us know here. You can find some of these authors and their books on this site. Go to the second sidebar on the right-hand side of this page, go to the category they write (such as YA), and click on their name. I have reviewed and provided activities for Suzanne Collins, James Patterson, Cassandra Clare, and Carl Hiassen.
Happy reading!
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Whenever I read books like The Giver, I am fascinated with the way the author has created this amazing future world that is so incredibly screwed up. I am a big fan of The Hunger Games series
In The Giver’s world, a twelve-year-old (can you imagine?) receives their life assignment at the annual Ceremony in December. Jonas is scared and wondering what type of Assignment he’ll receive from the Elders. Nobody wants to be a Sanitation Laborer for the rest of their lives. So, when Jonas is given a very special assignment when he’s twelve–he has been selected to be the next Receiver of Memory. He has to spend time with the Giver. It’s a very special honor, but he’s scared and wondering what in the world is in store for him, especially when he starts to learn the truth about the “perfection” in his world.
Although this book isn’t as old as some of my other Timeless Thursday selections (copyright 1993), it’s still extremely popular today and studied in many middle school or junior high classrooms. I also think it’s still going to be around for many, many more years because the plot can be discussed at length, the characters analyzed, and personal connections made with both when readers put themselves in Jonas’s world and ask, “What if this was me? What if I lived in this world? What would I do? What would I believe?”
If your children or students have read The Hunger Games or Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, you could also do a compare/contrast activity with The Giver by Lois Lowry. Students might also be inspired to write their own stories set in a future world where people think they have gotten life right and better, but they haven’t. Heck, I even have a rough draft or two of a beginning of a novel about that very topic!
One last thing. . .The Giver won the Newberry Medal in 1993.
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Hi all,
Thank you so much for all the comments for Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. The winner is
Pamela S.
Stay tuned for later in the day when I update this post with an interview from a third grade teacher about how she uses technology in an eMINTS classroom. One of my favorite Maniac Monday topics is technology in the classroom!
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Yes, you read that right. . .you can win your very own hard cover copy of Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (the sequel to The Hunger Games) by leaving a comment below. I’m not even going to make you do anything special in your comment if you don’t want to–you can just say “pick me” or you can tell me why you liked The Hunger Games or if you are a writer, tell me what you are working on or another good series you have read. Bascially, just leave me a comment, so you can be entered into the random drawing, which will be held on Monday, October 12 around noon CST. (Leave your comment before then). Okay, let’s get onto talking about Catching Fire!
*Young adult book, science fiction
*Teenage girl as main character
*Rating: Catching Fire is as good as The Hunger Games. When I read the last page, I couldn’t believe I would have to wait a year to find out what will happen in the third book! UGH!
Short, short summary: Peeta and Katniss must go on their Victory Tour throughout the twelve districts since they both survived and won the Hunger Games. People in the all-powerful Capital are absolutely in love with the pair, who for the first time outwitted the Gamemakers and infuriated the government officials, including creepy President Snow. While on their Victory Tour, Katniss and Peeta both realize that many people in the districts seem ready to rebel and fight against the Capital and their cruel Hunger Games. But then more and more of the horrid Peacekeepers begin showing up and squashing people’s hope with cruel punishments. Hope is especially squashed when a terrifying announcement is made about this year’s Hunger Games, which happen to be the 75th anniversary. Every 25 years–it’s the quell, and something “special” happens in the Hunger Games to make sure and really dampen the spirits of the twelve districts’ citizens. What will the 75th games mean for Katniss and Peeta? How is Katniss doing with her struggling emotions between Gale and Peeta? Is Haymitch still drinking himself silly? How did Prim and Katniss’s mother survive during the Hunger Games? All of these questions and more are answered in Catching Fire, and Suzanne Collins will leave you wanting even more!
So, what do I do with this book?
1. In the beginning of the story, Katniss devises a plan to run away and take her family and loved ones with her. Before they read what she decides to do, ask your students to write in their reading response journals about the pros and cons of her idea. Then ask them to choose a side, and write arguments for that side only. Then hold a debate in your classroom, and ask students to debate about what Katniss should do and why. If you are reading this book as an individual or as part of a homeschool class, you can do the journal activity and write a persuasive paper about what Katniss should do.
2. Katniss is confused by the way many of the tributes are acting in the arena during the Hunger Games. Ask students to predict what they think is going on and why people are acting the way they are acting. Make sure students base their predictions on clues from the book. When they make a prediction, ask them to support it by quoting sections of the text that support their ideas.
3. Let your students or your teens have fun with Catching Fire! Give them this prompt: Be a designer or speech writer for Katniss and Peeta. If you were part of Katniss’s and Peeta’s design team, what sort of costume would you design for them when they go on their Victory Tour? If you had to write a speech for them, what would you have them say? Write a speech or draw/design a costume for the District Twelve victors.
Don’t forget to leave your comment below on anything you want to enter the contest for a chance to win this book for you, your favorite teen, or your favorite classroom/library.
The book for the book giveaway was purchased by me through Amazon.com.
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Reviewed by Margo Dill, [email protected], www.margodill.com
Photo by B. Sandman www.flickr.com
*Young adult novel, fantasy set in the future
*16-year-old girl as main character
*Rating: I’m a fan of the Underland series by Suzanne Collins, so I picked up The Hunger Games, and I loved it even more than the Gregor books. The Hunger Games is a haunting page-turner.
Short, short summary: When the novel opens, the reader is introduced to the future world of Panem, and this is not such a great place to live. The Capitol rules over Panem; and each year, the 12 districts must participate in the Hunger Games. These “games” are how the Capitol keeps its power over the districts and avoids another uprising (such as happened in the past when District 13 was eliminated from the world). What are the Hunger Games? They are basically the future’s version of reality TV where 24 teenagers, 12 boys and 12 girls, fight to the death on live television. Katniss and Peeta are District 12’s tributes, and no one ever expects lowly District 12 to win the Hunger Games–they have a drunk for a mentor and no resources to train their tributes. But this year, Katniss and Peeta show promise, and people start to hold out hope that one of them can win the Hunger Games. But how do they feel about these games? Scared and sick! Join Suzanne Collins on an adventure that you will not be able to put down until you find out what happens to Katniss and Peeta in the arena during the Hunger Games.
So, what do I do with this book?
1. Since this book focuses on a society where teenagers must fight to the death on live television and people are excited about it, this could be upsetting for some readers. It was upsetting for me at times. It is important to keep discussions open and allow teens to express their feelings about the events in the book. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a great book to practice journal writing and persuasive writing. Ask students to write about how they feel when Katniss takes the place of her sister. Assign students to write a letter to Katniss persuading her of the reasons why Peeta would make a good friend or even mate. How do they feel about the Hunger Games? What would they do if they were chosen as a tribute? Students could also write a journal entry as if they were Katniss or Peeta and describe a day in the arena.
2. This book can be compared and contrasted with several popular books that are often studied in English classes such as The Giver and Lord of the Flies. Ask students to write a five-paragraph essay comparing and contrasting The Hunger Games with one of these books. If your students have not read these books yet, Lord of the Flies is a movie, and you could compare the movie to the book, The Hunger Games.
3. Discuss with students: who are the antagonists in this book? Is there more than one? Who are the protagonists in this book? Is there more than one? Review with students the meanings of these words, and discuss the traits of each of these characters. Students may have trouble picking the true antagonists because they may first choose the other tributes, especially the Careers. However, aren’t these characters victims of the Hunger Games just like Katniss and Peeta? Who is truly causing the problems for the main characters?
Suzanne Collins has written a sequel to this first book, and I can’t wait! You can preorder it from Amazon!
The second book of The Hunger Games series
photo by qthrul www.flickr.com
Yes, that is a picture of a waffle shaped like Texas that I found on Flickr this morning. It is fitting since I will be leaving for Texas this week, and I will be gone until Wednesday, July 15. Just wanted to let you know that I will be returning with my next post on July 16 or 17th, so stay tuned. I am currently reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, which has been out for a while; so if you haven’t read it yet–you will want to. She will have a sequel out soon, and it is a page-turner!
So, have good week, and stay tuned for more READ THESE BOOKS AND USE THEM!
See you soon!
Margo
