This past week, I had the opportunity to read
The Hunger Games. I cannot recall being more impressed with a young-adult novel than I am now. I hadn't heard about the trilogy until this past summer when I saw big displays set up in Borders with the third installment being advertised. I remember looking at the displays and the stacks of books and dismissed them. They wouldn't appeal to me -- I just knew it. Well, it seems like I have been proved wrong multiple times this semester so far. I have read and enjoyed many novels that I would not have picked up on my own accord, and
The Hunger Games is no exception.
The novel was so fresh and I felt like I could not read it fast enough. I started it on Saturday evening and kept telling myself that I would read just one more chapter, until I looked at the clock and saw how late (or, rather, how early) it was -- and then I told myself that I needed to go to sleep. The emotions were so raw and I could really feel how Katniss was feeling, especially when her younger sister was chosen to be a tribute for the Hunger Games. I was devastated. I have a younger sister, and while we fight and bicker a lot of the time, I feel that I would do the same if put in Katniss's situation. All throughout the Hunger Games, I was there with Katniss. And I felt my heart shatter at the end of the first book when Peeta and Katniss's relationship is in jeopardy. I have a strong urge to find out what happens (and the answer is only a Google away), but I'm going to patiently wait until I have time to read the other two books.
By the time that I will be teaching in a classroom the movie version of
The Hunger Games will be out (it's slated to open March 2012). I would like to intersperse activities that are based on the students' opinions and ideas of what is taking place in the novel with clips from the movie. I'm still unsure if I would use the whole movie, but I know that I definitely want to show bits and pieces of it. I found that I connected more to this novel than I did to
Feed, but I feel that teaching them together would work since they both illustrate dystopian societies (or teach it alongside other works of dystopian literature, such as
Farenheit 451 or Scott Westerfeld's
Uglies series). A selection of dystopian literature would work well for literature circles and you can have the students rotate to read some or all of the novels, or the students could thoroughly present their particular novel so that the other students can get a "feel" for the novel and possibly be prompted to read it on their own.
"I have a younger sister, and while we fight and bicker a lot of the time, I feel that I would do the same if put in Katniss's situation."
ReplyDeleteYaaay! As a teacher, this is part of what we want our students to do--get emotionally involved and make those connections! Also, if we can get our students interested in this novel, then we could have the other novels in our bookshelves in class (as I intend to have) so our students can access them, and maybe spark their interest in other series, such as the Uglies, and even allowing them to watch the movie afterwards could provide for interesting conversation in relation to the novel.
Oh yea, and reading the books with our students, and sharing our involvement/ connections to characters, etc in the novels would be terrific.
ReplyDeleteI have a strong urge to find out what happens (and the answer is only a Google away)
ReplyDeleteThis made me laugh, considering everything we read last week. I'm glad you're not submitting to Google!! Likewise, I have been craving to read some books and itching to find out what happens, but summer is only a month away!
I think one of the best things that a teacher can do is read the lastest book for that age group. Currently, I'm reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I would have not read that on my own but the kid that I tutor loves the book series, so I wanted to see what was great about them. I must say that I really like the books.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also want to find out what happens next with Katniss and I plan on getting at least the next book in the series.
"I have a younger sister, and while we fight and bicker a lot of the time, I feel that I would do the same if put in Katniss's situation."
ReplyDeleteI know this quote was already used by Heidi, but I think it's important to relate to the books we read, as readers, students, and teachers. Like you, I wasn't sure if I'd like the last two novels we read, but ended up loving them! I think that if we do this with our students (introducing different genres) that they might be more willing to pick books up off the shelf and read them.
"The emotions were so raw and I could really feel how Katniss was feeling, especially when her younger sister was chosen to be a tribute for the Hunger Games. I was devastated." "All throughout the Hunger Games, I was there with Katniss. And I felt my heart shatter"
ReplyDelete- This is exactly the reaction we want from our students. To get emotionally connected and distraught over it. This will create better activities, class discussions, ect. Even more, our students will want to google what happens in the follow up books, and may not have what it takes to hold of and wait to read it in free time. This is something we as teachers need to encourage our students to do, instead of taking the easy way out and using the internet. By introducing different ideas and types of novels, our students will become more engaged in the literature that they have to read.
It is so awesome that you're thinking ahead to using the movie of The Hunger Games in your classroom! I can't wait to read it myself, and I am actually really excited to see a video adaptation of such a unique book!
ReplyDeleteI really want to read "Hunger Games" now! I've never even heard of it before, but I want to teach Junior High, and it seems appropriate for that age group. Maybe I'll pick it up over the summer so I can implement it into my classroom someday.
ReplyDeleteHunger Games is on my list of summer reads... and did not know about the movie coming out. Great information!
ReplyDelete