Mockingjay

Title: Mockingjay

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series Reading #3

In the third and final book of the Hunger Games series the districts of Panem have finally rebelled. District 12 has been destroyed and Katniss and Peeta have been separated. While Peeta has been captured by the capitol, Katniss, her family, Gale, and Haymitch reside in the infamous district 13. Katniss has become the nation’s mockingjay, the symbol for rebellion and revolution. Without giving too much away, readers will not be disappointed by the final book in the series. Though I must admit the book got off to a slow start, Collins had me absolutely hooked by the middle. I couldn’t put the book down because I knew I had to figure out how the story ended! The ending to the series surprised me. I must commend Collins for keeping me on my toes in each book. The series is truly wonderful. 

As with the first two books, I would recommend this book to middle school students and up. I think a lot of great classroom discussions and projects can come from reading this series particularly if paired with the social studies and/or science curriculum. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, the best part of the series is that it appeals to such a wide variety of people. Whether you’re young, old, a man, a woman, a teacher, a student, chances are you will find some character in this series that you relate to and some part of the story that you love. Whether it’s the games themselves, the survival element, the love story, the futuristic setting, you name it, and this series has it all. This is a definite must read for those who have yet to pick it up.

Catching Fire

Title: Catching Fire

Author: Suzanne Collins 

Series Reading #2 

Suzanne Collins has done it again; I absolutely loved the second Hunger Games novel. Though I admit it started off slowly, by the middle of the book I couldn't put it down. Even in the beginning when the story development was a little slow I feel like there was much so much character development that it was almost necessary. There were a few times throughout the novel that I was absolutely shocked by what happened and did not see the events coming at all. The book was not predictable like many series readings are and I commend Collins for her ability to keep the reader intrigued. Every time that I thought I had the story figured out another element to the story surfaced. My ideas of the characters and the events were constantly changing as they will undoubtedly continue to change as I begin the third novel. For example, I still can't decide if I am "team Peeta" or "team Gale"; I love both characters so much that I can't choose and every time I think that I have made up my mind one of them does something that makes me love them even more. In a way, this mirrors what Katniss feels for the two men in her life which I believe is done masterfully.

Another thing I liked about Catching Fire was the fact that Collins was able to capture enough elements from the first novel that it was familiar, but, at the same time, was able to bring in so many new characters and twists to the story that there was considerable story progression. Katniss, for example, gained so much sophistication in this novel and matured an incredible amount. This is something that I feel is lost in many series readings; sometimes, I feel as if the story doesn't go anywhere and that I am reading the same story over and over again with little to no character development. This is clearly not the case with the Hunger Games series at all. The story is exciting and ever changing and truly keeps you on your toes. On a final note, I must comment Collins for her ability to transport the audience into another world. Time and time again I felt myself believing I was a spectator and that I was right alongside Katniss as she was experiencing everything. The amount of detail and precision used in her writing is spectacular and makes reading the series all the more fascinating. The Hunger Games series is quickly becoming one of my favorite series of all time.

The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Series Reading #1 

It has been a long time since I have found myself staying up all night to finish a book and that is exactly what happened with The Hunger Games; I literally couldn’t put the book down. Set in the future in a country known as Panem (modern day North America) that is broken up into twelve districts and a capitol, the story follows a young girl named Katniss and her struggles to survive in district 12 with her family after the death of her father. In Panem, The Hunger Games is an annual event that requires one boy and girl from each district aged 12 to 18 to be randomly chosen to participate in a televised event in which they must fight to the death to find the ultimate victor. Without giving too much of the story away, Katniss finds herself being a part of the event and the remainder of the story follows Katniss as she enters the games. 

There are so many aspects of this book that I enjoyed; I don’t even know where to start. I guess first of all I enjoyed that there was a strong female character to lead the story. I saw a lot of myself in Katniss which is a big part of why I think I enjoyed the story so much. I also enjoyed the character dynamics and the relationships presented. The bonds Katniss clearly has with her mother, her sister, and her friend, Gale, from home are clearly undeniable. However, she also forms some important bonds while competing in the game. Some of the death scenes are very heartbreaking because of this. Another reason I loved the story is because of the excitement and suspense Collins was able to keep up throughout the book. I never knew what was going to happen next and the story kept me guessing the entire time. Finally, being the sucker for romance that I am, I absolutely adored the love triangle between Peeta, Katniss’s fellow district 12 in the games, Gale, her friend from back home, and Katniss herself. Though it wasn’t the center of the story, it was tastefully intertwined with the rest of the plot.

Stories like these are great for classroom use because almost anyone can enjoy them. Males will like them because it isn’t all about a cheesy romance; there is definitely a survival/outdoorsy element to it that boys would enjoy. Females with like it because there is a strong main character they can relate to and that romantic aspect. Both will enjoy it for the suspenseful element. Though the subject matter itself is rather gruesome, there aren’t any particularly “inappropriate” scenes. I would feel comfortable using this text as young as fifth grade and could see many assignments and projects that could stem from the use of the text. Collins has truly created a masterpiece here. The Hunger Games has quickly become one of my favorite novels of all time.

When You Reach Me

Title: When You Reach Me

Author: Rebecca Stead

Genre Study - Mixed Genre

Have you ever wondered if time travel is possible? In Rebecca Stead’s, When You Reach Me, this wonder turns into a reality when the main character, Miranda, finds herself trying to unravel a mystery involving a string of unexplainable notes that ultimately lead to the almost death of her best friend Sal. Though I admit that at first the book was hard to get into, about half-way through I found myself unable to put it down. The story itself is gripping, mysterious, and thought-provoking in the way that it twists reality with the unthinkable. In my mind, the mystery and suspense would definitely pull younger readers in.  I think students would love trying to figure the story out before it unfolds at the end. However, I must confess that even I found myself shocked by the ending as I was unable to put all of the pieces of the story together.

Overall, I think this is a great story that I feel would be appropriate for upper elementary grades through middle school. In my own classroom, I think this would be a good book to use with reader-response journals. Students could make predictions about what they think will happen next in the story, reflect upon what they have been able to piece together, or simply write down questions about the story they may have. In the end, I think this would be an enjoyable read for multiple ages and for multiple interests simply because it combines the best elements of science fiction, mystery, and adventure all in one book.