So let me get this straight with "The Hunger Games"

[LynneSin]

Sometime in the future 24 kids under the age of 18 have to go into the woods and fight for survival. Of those 24 kids only one can win and to win means you're the only one left living thus 23 other kids must die.

Yes sounds like a good family film for the kiddies

[CBGLuthier]

1. Stephen King (as Richard Bachman)'s The Long Walk, The film Battle Royale

It has been done before but usually not aimed at teenage girls. Creepy how well that went over.

[PassingFair]

2. Not to mention "RollerBall" and "Gladiator"

It's FICTION.

Fiction is fiction.

[nolabear]

3. Yeah. It's pretty good. LOL!

It's really nothing new but it's not a bad read and I like the tough girl lead. This is the book I'm talking about. She's perfect for adolescents--conflicted, the victim of all those horrible adults who screwed up the world, a reluctant hero, can't decide whether she loves the male counterpart and manipulated by the gov't/reality show system for their evil needs.

Believe me, the kiddies, anyone who's hit adolescence, are thinking all this anyway. They always have. It's normal. I like this far better than "Why YES, I'll have your vampire baby even if it kills me because that's the romantic thing to do!"

[applegrove]

4. I am horrified very young kids, public school age, are reading/watching this series.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" was required reading

in my public school. I think I was about 11 when I read it. It's a very creepy story - at least as creepy as "The Hunger Games" - but we managed not to be warped for life. I think the kids can take it.

[applegrove]

6. We read "The Lottery" in high school.

[Chan790]

36. I think I was 8 or 9 the first time I read it. I probably shouldn't have been.

I was so far ahead of my classmates at reading comprehension that I was being excused from class to go read 6 grade levels ahead in TAG. (Talented And Gifted)

This might have been a great idea if anybody had ever considered the age-appropriateness of letting a third grader read HS lit. textbooks containing The Lottery and the The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson; Paul's Story by Willa Cather; The Most Dangerous Game by Richard Connell (for all the comparisons to The Lottery, The Most Dangerous Game is a far more apt comparison work for The Hunger Games) or novels like The Turn of the Screw by Henry James and Tom Jones by Henry Fielding.

But I still love a good book.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

44. That's the first thing I thought of when told about this movie.

Now that was a good short story!

[PassingFair]

13. Spoiler. The kids end up fomenting a rebellion.

Those fairy tales with Grammas getting eaten and witches
fattening up little hummell children to
BBQ are pretty horrifying, too.



Ultimately, they are empowering for children.

As is this book series.

[ScreamingMeemie]

19. Not to mention Peter Cottontail's father getting put into a pie!!!

[Frank Cannon]

14. These kids will probably be living it in the next few years.

I remember when Rollerball came out in 1975 and it was looked at as being very violent and outrageous. I watched that movie again a few months ago, and it's amazing how prophetic that movie was, and Rollerball is actually a pretty tame sport compared to some today.

[Nevernose]

15. My wife taught it to her 10th or 11th graders

She taught the same group Hamlet (spoiler: everyone gets killed) and The Grapes of Wrath (another spoiler: a lot of people get killed, plus there's sex and violence).

For the record, she's not totally insane. She teaches the most at-risk kids in one of the nation's largest districts -- a majority are kids entering into or transitioning out of the juvenile justice system -- and this was her book at the beginning of the year to entice reluctant readers. You really don't know what feeling good is all about until a 15 year old looks at you and says, "I never read a book before in my whole life, but do you think I could borrow the sequel to The Hunger Games?"

Start there, finish with Steinbeck, end up with a literate high school graduate. i wish more students were reading this book.

[Odin2005]

38. Oh noes, grab the smelling salts!

[Motown_Johnny]

7. 24 kids enter, 1 kid leaves

[cyglet]

8. I don't understand

the hype. But then I don't much like the science fiction/adventure genre...

[dimbear]

9. My guess is that it's a reaction to the young realizing they are screwed.

Like when European boys of around 18 to 24 years of age estimated their futures in 1914.

The future's so bright you've got to wear, er, cynicism.

[madinmaryland]

10. So LynneSin's next post will be this...

[UTUSN]

11. Well, DISNEY/abc are FINE with it, so?!1 n/t

[NewJeffCT]

42. It's a film from Lionsgate

Last edited Mon Mar 26, 2012, 07:52 AM - Edit history (1)

I don't think they're related to Disney, but I could be wrong. It's a fairly small company - their biggest previous movie was Fahrenheit 9/11.

[mackattack]

12. We read

Dangerous Game (or whatever it is called) in middle school about hunting people.

this was in the late 90s

[davsand]

16. I wouldn't suggest it for the younger set, you are right about that.

My 14 year old saw it tonight with a group of her pals and she totally enjoyed it. I am fine with that. If I had a younger kid--like under age 8 or 9-- or if I had a kid that wasn't mature enough to understand it all, they probably would not be allowed to go to the movie or read the books. In all cases I'd want to be real sure the kid understood exactly what this movie was about and why the books/movie are so creepy--so horrifying. I think there is a lot of lit out there that kids CAN read and appreciate as long as they can and do talk about it and they GET the concepts fully.

Many years ago I had an extended discussion with an 6th grade teacher about teaching To Kill a Mockingbird at that age level. I thought that particular book was awfully intense for kids that age, given the rape, the racism, and all the other real life stuff it contains. This lady had been teaching advanced English at that age level for many years and she felt it was worth taking the class time to discuss ALL the subjects and how the kids feel about them and how it relates to every day life. At the time, I was not a parent and I was not an experienced teacher. Now, many years later, as the parent of my own advanced English student, I will tell you that I gave my own kid some pretty advanced stuff to read at a pretty young age, and she did understand it.

There is a lot of teen lit out there that really does deal with the nitty gritty of life in all its ugliness and pain. There is also a large population of kids out there that not only undertand it, but they may have lived it themselves, or they may know another kid that did. While I am pretty certain my kid doesn't know anybody that has endured anything like the Hunger Games, I will tell you that she does know girls her age that have survived attempted rape and domestic violence. It ain't pretty at all, but I gotta say that today's kids are seeing an awful lot of stuff a lot earlier than we ever did. In that context, a book like Hunger Games really is not as "bad" as the descriptions make it sound.

Something that a lot of people are not getting about this book series is that it is as much a commentary on politics and government as it is about anything else. My kid has been on picket line with us, my kid grew up in the Labor movement understanding what it means when other people make decisions that hurt the rest of the world. My kid grew up in a household where we talk about current events, and she fully "gets" that a healthy scrutiny of government and its policies is well advised--almost mandatory for our survival. We may be atypical, but as far as a reference point for her to view that movie or read that series, I'm pretty comfortable with what she took away from it.

I read all three of the books in that series, as did my husband and my daughter. We've talked about them, and we've all looked forward to the release of the movie.

YMMV, but I've come to realize that I can't wrap my kid in bubble wrap.




Laura

[murielm99]

24. Are these books well written?

I never read those "Twilight" books. I understand that they were poorly written. I did not waste my time on them. But I was glad to see a lot of teenaged girls reading them who would not have read a book otherwise.

There are many talented young adult authors out there. Is the author of these books one of them? If not, I will read other things. Off the top of my head, I would recommend Neil Gaiman.

[pamela]

25. I just read all three of the Hunger Games books this week.

They are fairly well written-MUCH better than the Twilight books. I don't even know why I read the Twilight books. I guess I just wanted to see what the hype was about. I really did not like the message those books sent to young women about giving up everything for your man (or your vampire.)

The Hunger Games trilogy was better written, had a great female lead character and raised a lot of important issues. The sad thing is I think a lot of that is being lost in the movie hype. I keep going to different boards to discuss the books and everyone is talking about the romance and violence. The books raise questions about war, the government, poverty and hunger and survival, rich vs poor, reality tv and more. Suzanne Collins has said she had the Iraq War and reality tv in mind when she wrote them and that was obvious to me, particularly in the last book for the former and the first book for the latter.

They aren't great literature by any stretch of the imagination. They aren't even as well written as the Harry Potter books. I liked them though and would encourage my teens to read them if I had any teens.

[davsand]

26. Hunger Games will probably end up in the "pop lit" category.

I found the series to be a lot better writing than any of the Twilight novels, and certainly it is better than a lot of the current pop fiction for teens. I dunno if you've ever read The Giver, but it reminds me an awful lot of that young adult novel. There are some shared themes, and the disenchantment with the adults' decisions is a very strong component. Having said that, I have to admit that I have always felt that it is pretty common for adults to think we need to "dumb down" young adult fiction, just as it is common to think that kids need to be "protected" from some of the less savory aspects of life.

I also am of the personal conviction that cultivating the joy of reading is more important than anything else I can do. Taste comes with time and exposure, exposure only comes when a kid WANTS to read. I admit freely that I have guilty pleasures in my library, and if you look at my bookcase you will readily spot that. I have no leg to stand on when I tell my kid not to read crap when all she has to do is look on my bedside table and she'll find a random collection of urban fantasy and other fluff. Yes, I have read a fair number of "classics" in my life, but my own personal preference is to read for escape and entertainment. I can't find fault in her desire to do that same thing.

Right now we are working our way through a young adult fantasy series by Cassandra Clare called The Mortal Instruments. Like The Hunger Games, it is not ever going to be on a list of literary "classics", but it is a series that she has enjoyed. Simlarly, the PC Cast House of Night series has been on our recent reading list, as has the Morganville Vampire series. I do read this stuff along with her, in part because I want to know exactly what she's reading, but also, because it is very much a part of her culture--her pals read this stuff too. Not very kid reads for fun, and not every kid runs with other readers. Unless we turn her off reading she is well on her way to being a lifetime reader, and I am pleased with that.




Laura

[murielm99]

28. Thanks.

"The Giver" is a Newberry book. I was still an active librarian when it won. It was one that I predicted correctly as a winner. It has a couple of sequels. I do not think the sequels are as good.

I have always felt that if we could get kids reading, that was best. It did not matter what they read. We could guide their tastes later. I may buy these books. I know it will be impossible to check them out of the library right now. I just wondered if they were worth the effort. I did not think the Twilight books were worth the effort.

[davsand]

30. The first book in the Hunger Games series will probably worth owning

Last edited Sat Mar 24, 2012, 03:43 PM - Edit history (1)

I'd buy the last two only if you really enjoy the first one.

The Giver really was a good book, I agree. The sequals also left me feeling pretty lukewarm. I gave my kid The Giver and she liked it, but was really pissed off by the whole eugenics/societal engineering aspect. I was tickled to death that she got it, but she had zero interest in reading anything more about that world. Hunger Games is an equally disturbing vision of our world, but the main character is one that my daughter clearly identified with and felt a kinship to. After she finished Hunger Games, my kid made the comment that she really wanted to know how Catness did once the book was done. There was a level of involvement with that character that is very comparable to the one exhibited by the Harry Potter lovers. Oddly enough, my daughter did not really ever get into the Harry Potter series. It never did engage her for some reason.



On a personal note, if you have been a librarian you are one person I have no need to lecture about kids and reading. I apologize if I came across as doing so.



Laura

[hack89]

29. They have a very strong female protagonist. That's what my daughter enjoyed about the book.

it portrays women in a very positive light.

[OmahaBlueDog]

17. On one hand, I think the idea sounds sick, and I told OmahaBlueKid1 this.

She wants to see it because, like all of today's literate youth, she read the book.

On the other hand, at her age, I was reading or had read some really uplifting books like Cat's Cradle, A Clockwork Orange, 1984, and Brave New World.

My name is Dad, and I'm a hypocrite.

[Bucky]

18. It sounds idiotic. Such a gov't would instantly invite a rebellion

Dystopian fiction so easily lends itself to lousy, implausible plots.

[RZM]

23. Haven't read it

But I believe the contest is punishment for a past rebellion.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

35. it was. I just saw it and it is lame. I can see where the young crowd would be

attracted but, I was bored. Sitting in the front row did not help matters but, still . . . it was just terrible.

[hunter]

40. I still can't figure out why *OUR* government doesn't instantly invite rebellion.

[OriginalGeek]

20. My wife and daughter have both read the books

I have been informed we will be seeing the movie this weekend.



I hope we go to the theater that has Yuengling on tap and nachos with real fake cheese (as opposed to that fake fake cheese in the cup. I like my nacho chips soggy when I get to the bottom).

[RZM]

22. My GF has read the books

Apparently we are going tomorrow. The tickets have been purchased.

Actually I think it looks somewhat interesting.

[RZM]

21. You could say the same thing about a series of books

Where a teen girl chooses between fucking a dog and a dead person . . .

[Codeine]

33. That one took me a minute.

[mcar]

27. My 14 YO son loved the books

Saw the movie last night and said it was great too. He reads constantly and this trilogy has been a fave of his.

I like the fact that boys are enjoying books/movies with a strong female lead.

[MrScorpio]

31. How young was everyone here when they read LORD OF THE FLIES?

I think that I was about 11

[Chan790]

37. Grade school

So, yeah about 11 at the oldest.

I was an extremely advanced reader and it caused some issues. There are very few books written at a level of a grown adult that are age-appropriate for a 3rd grader.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

45. 10 or 11, I think. Same year I read Brave New World.

[Phentex]

32. I thought it was very well done...

the violence was mainly implied and it wasn't nearly as graphic as other movies. It's not meant to be a family film. It's actually a good way get young people to think about being held under the thumb of the government.

There is more to this story than meets the ET headline.

[distantearlywarning]

34. I read the books and saw the movie, and thought they were both great.

I probably wouldn't recommend them for a kid younger than 12-14 (depends on maturity of kid at that age), but for older teenagers they would be just fine. I thought the content and tone of the books were on the same spectrum as Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and Golding's "The Lord of the Flies", both of which I read in Junior High - I gained exposure to important social commentary by reading those pieces of literature but was not horribly scarred at age 13 or anything. Hell, Lord of the Flies is probably more relevant and visceral to the average 13 year old misfit than to any other human being on this planet. The Hunger Games trilogy is similar.

[Odin2005]

39. It's a critique of or "Reality Show" culture.

[Arugula Latte]

41. Kids shouldn't be exposed to images of mass slaughter. Ban the Bible, I say!

[NewJeffCT]

43. Who is selling it as a family film?

Most of what I have seen & read about the movie advises parents to be careful about bringing children under 13 to the movie. The books are in the "teen" section in the Barnes & Nobles I've been to here in CT. I think the main appeal is to teens - especially teenage girls.

And, at least the heroine of the books is a strong, smart and skilled independent young woman, unlike what I've heard about the heroine of the Twilight books.

[lapislzi]

46. Political content is off the charts.

I hope it is not wasted on the audience. The film only watered it down a little, and in some spots actually focused on it.

NOT a Disney film, but a disturbing and thought-provoking film for older kids.

[avebury]

47. The movie does a pretty good job of translating the story from

book for to movie form. Embedded in all three books are a lot of moral issues: war, poverty, oppression, reality TV, etc. We live in a society where there are more and more reality TV shows and The Hunger Games shows that concept of reality TV in the extreme. It also shows a world in which a minority of the people live in opulence in the Capitol while the majority of people live in abject poverty and hunger. With the exception of the two districts that grab onto the concept of the Hunger Games and raise psychopathic children, the other districts are horrified at the prospect of sending their children to their deaths.

I think that the series is a great one to use in the classroom because it raises a lot of relevant topics to add to the discussion. This is a series that has the potential to open up the minds of children to look at the world they live and get involved as they grow and mature.

[AngryAmish]

48. Onion Belt Status: Attached.

[geardaddy]

49. What is this, nineteen-dickety-two?