The+Hunger+Games

Katie Fowler Novel Review

**APA Citation:** Collins, S. (2008). //The hunger games//. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. The Hunger Games takes place in the future in a time where there were 12 districts, controlled by the Capital. The main is a 16 year old girl, named Katniss. She lives in district 12. Katniss and her family live in extreme poverty, because of her father’s passing, Katniss takes care of her mother and younger sister, Prim. Katniss is a great hunter and does so often with her best friend and questionable crush, Gale. Every year the capital calls the districts come together for the Hunger Games as a means to show power over the districts so that they do not rebel. The Hunger Games requires 2 tributes, a male and female from each district to come and fight in an arena until the death. The games are televised and a big event for the districts and capital, and the districts because the district of the winner is given gifts, mainly food, for their district. Every year, teenagers (ages 12-18) are eligible to be entered into the drawing as a tribute to see who is in the games. As the years progress, your name is entered another time each year, accumulating your entries as your grow up. Much to Katniss’ surprise, little her sister was chosen her first year, so Katniss volunteered as tribute for her sister. Peeta, is the male tribute chosen to fight with and against Katniss. He is her age and the son of the baker in town. The tributes are trained and prepared for the Games. Katniss struggles with understanding if Peeta is nice or just plotting to take her down. At the preliminary ceremonies, Katniss is recognized for her abilities and strength. Katniss’ fights to win the games as she forms alliances, has them broken as people die of, struggles with admiration and love for Peeta, and the alliances others have chose against her. The two that win must be from the same district so Katniss spends her time trying to protect and keep her partner, Peeta, alive. However, a twist is announced that only one tribute can now win. Katniss and Peeta, in love, are forced to fight against each other to the death, planned all along by the Game. Katniss brilliantly comes up with a plan, forcing the Games to pronounce her and Peeta as the winning duo. After the Games, Katniss struggles with her love for Peeta or Gale and tries to find herself in District 12, as the winner of The Hunger Games. I think this novel is good for an middle school level and higher. I would maybe recommend it for a upper middle school level, for example, 8th grade. I think that the love and action in the plot of the book are what make it so inviting. Also, the setting is fictional and this is appealing to younger audiences who like more imaginary stories. I think the war-like Hunger Games are full of rebellion and the fact the young teenagers are the fighters, make it a good book for middle school students, as middle school students fight to find themselves everyday, in a growing world of other people. I think this book somewhat parallels their age and how the characters struggle with identity, guilt and deception, while trying to prove themselves. -Social Studies or Civics unit on Community -Social Studies unit on Dictatorships -Science lesson on Starvation on the Human Body -Science lesson on Hunting, Gathering and Survival of the Fittest -Physical Education/Health lesson on Endurance -Language Arts unit on identifying Themes in text -Language Arts unit on Symbolism -Language Arts lesson for identifying Characters -Language Arts lesson for teaching about Plot -Language Arts lesson for Vocabulary
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