The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is the first in a science fiction trilogy  by Suzanne Collins.  The book is based on a fictional dystopian society where children are forced to fight to the death, in the annual Hunger Games.  The games are a reminder of the Capitol's control and power over the districts.  The main character, Katniss, is revered as a hero after her victory in the games and her selfless protective nature over her younger sister, Prim, who was originally picked to participate in the games.  I love this series by Collins!  I did not think I would enjoy it as much, due to the somewhat graphic image of the novel, but it is really about so much more.  Katniss is on a mission to survive, spark a revolution, and bring change to her district and family.  There is also a love story thrown in the plot that keeps readers turning every nail biting page! 
NOTE:  THIS BOOK AND SERIES IS INTENDED FOR A MATURE AUDIENCE, DUE TO ITS CONTENT.

Response questions...
1.  Why is Katniss so angry with her mother?
2.  Who do you think Katniss should be in a relationship with, Gail or Peeta?

In the classroom...
1.  Have students role play scenes from the book and play a classroom version of the Hunger Games without the violence.
2.  Students can pretend to be Katniss and write a letter to another character in the book explaining the need to revolt against the Capitol.

About the author...
Suzanne Collins has written two books precluding The Hunger Games that bring the series together, full circle.  Readers do not want to miss out on Catching Fire and Mockingjay! Collins grew up the youngest of four children and spent a great deal of time travelling, as a military family.  The plot of The Hunger Games series began when she was watching television one night, and became inspired by the war portrayed versus comparisons/differences in reality television.

References...

Collins, Suzanne. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York:  Scholastic Co.
www.biography.com


 

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Advanced Historical Fiction

This classic Pulitzer Prize winner is a must read for all mature audiences.  This book is about racism and abuse in the Deep South.  The story is told by Scout Finch, an intelligent and feisty young girl.  In the novel, Scout's father (Atticus Finch) is a lawyer and asked to defend an African-American who is accused of a crime he did not commit.  I remember reading this book in high school and it deal with many delicate issues under the eye of a scrutinizing jury.  Atticus is deemed a hero, in this story, and I love the book because of the emotional attachment the reader feels for the characters.  Lee does a wonderful job of painting a picture for the audience.  It is a powerful story that loosely represents real events from history and portrays a message of courage for the audience.  I also personally love the quotes in the book, too!  This famous piece of literature has also been interpreted into a film.

Response questions...
1.  Why is Boo Radley related to a mockingbird, at the end of the story?
2.  Do you think the story would have unfolded differently if Scout's mother was alive?

NOTE:  THIS BOOK DEALS WITH ADULT THEMES AND SHOULD ONLY BE READ BY MATURE AUDIENCES.  TEACHERS MUST BE AWARE OF THIS WHEN INTRODUCING IT TO STUDENTS.

Atticus Finch

In the classroom...

1.  Have students choose a personal hero, and write a letter to him/her explaining what qualities they value in him or her.

2.  Students can develop a collage, while collaborating in a group, and it must depict scenes from the novel, as the students see it.

About the author...

This is the first and only novel that Harper Lee has written, but is still as much of a success today, as it was when it was first published.  An interesting fact about Lee is that she is a descendant of the General, Robert E. Lee!

References:

Lee, Harper. (1960). To Kill a Mockingbird. New York: JB Lippincott & Co.

http://www.harperlee.com/bio.htm
http://en.wikepedia.org/wiki/To_kill_a_Mockingbird

 

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor



Historical Fiction

This Newberry Award winner was written in 1976 and tells the story of racism in the deep south during the Depression era.  The novel is unique because it narrates the story from Cassie Logan's point of view, an adolescent African-American girl who is naïve to the racism of white people.  The Logan children live on a farm in Mississippi, their Mama is a school teacher, and they have to walk an hour to and from school each day.  This is a powerful story of determination through the eyes of discrimination. I remember reading this book in middle school, and it is still a classic today.  It's motto of perseverance rings true, despite the attempts to ban the book due to censorship.  This is great piece of literature for our youth because it teaches compassion, hard-work, and equality for all people. 

Response question...
1. Why didn't Mama defend her children when Miss Crocker disciplined them in the beginning of the story?
2. Why doesn't Papa live on the farm with his children?

In the Classroom...
1.  Start a chain letter to a member of the Logan family, stating how you would do things differently if you lived in the same time era when racism was rampant throughout the south.
2.  Play a game with the map of Mississippi, because this is where the story takes place.  Ask students to pinpoint the geographical location, on the map, of specific events in the book.
About the author...
Mildred Taylor grew up in similar conditions, although this is a fictional story, it is drawn from her own experiences.  Taylor is famous for her exploration of African-American struggles in the Deep South.  Check out these other books by Taylor, The Land and Let the Circle Be Unbroken.  She currently lives in Colorado with her daughter.

References:

Taylor, Mildred. (1976). Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry.  New York:  Dial Books.

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Where the Sidewalk Ends is a book filled with fantasy inside through the use of poetry by Shel Silverstein, author and illustrator.

Poetry with a hint of fantasy

This classic poetry book addresses many common childhood concerns and is engaging for the audience to read.  Silverstein uses black and white cartoon type animations in his drawings and is famous for playing with the white space to make his pictures and words more alluring to readers.  I loved many of his poems when I was little because they were simple and fun to read.  I could relate to the author's message easily, which is why I think Silverstein's books are so popular.  This book could easily be introduced during poetry week in the class, and students would love it!

In the classroom...
1.  Have students re-write their least favorite poem in the book, with a picture explaining why.
2.  Put various poem titles in a hat and have children pick a title and play charades with the class.  This can be done in teams, but no words can be used.

This is one of my favorite poems in the book, and I love the details in the stack of pancakes.  I can just picture little Theresa smiling mischievously when she tries to pull her pancake from the middle!
Response questions...
1.  Why do you think Silverstein typically illustrates in black and white?
2.  How do the illustrations enhance or detract from the words in the poem?
About the author...
Shel Silverstein is famous for his work in children's literature, especially poetry, and loved to draw!  Check out these other books by Silverstein, The Giving Tree and A Light in the Attic.

References:
Silverstein, Shel.  (1974). Where the Sidewalk Ends.  New York:  Harper Collins Children's Books. 
www.shelsilverstein.com

Superfudge by Judy Blume

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

This is a great intermediate contemporary realistic fictional book, that some people consider historical fiction because it was published in 1980.  Superfudge is part of a series of books, written by Judy Blume, and follows Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing.  This book is about Peter Hatcher and his younger brother, Farley, who is nicknamed Fudge because he does not like the sound of his name.  Fudge is a nuisance to Peter, but never seems to get into trouble by their parents.  This comical book is filled with adventure on every page.  I remember reading this series when I was younger, and I loved it because I felt like I could relate to the plot.  In Superfudge, Peter is distraught because he finds out that his parents are going to have another baby and his worried that it will be like Fudge!  It is a must read for any middle school student with younger siblings!

Response questions...
1.  How do you think Fudge will react when the new baby arrives?
2.  Why does Fudge create some of the mishaps that continue to annoy Peter? 
In the classroom...
1.  Have the children take a personality quiz that reveals who they relate more to, Peter or Fudge, then write about it. 
2.  Create a prompt for students, that is the beginning of a new book in the series, from Fudge's point, once the new baby is born.

About the author...
Judy Blume has written many children's books including Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great.  She lives on the east coast with her husband, has three children, and continues to write books that keep her readers exploding with laughter.

References:

Blume, Judy. (1980). Superfudge.  New York:  Dutton Children's Books.

www.judyblume.com

We Are The Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Historical Non-fiction

This Coretta Scott King Award winner is a wonderful illustration about the love of the favorite American past time, baseball!  This non-fiction intermediate book is about the negro league of baseball and it discusses how the league paved the way for African-American's today.  It talks about the great Jackie Robinson and introduces many players from the early twentieth century, who I had never heard of.  I love this book because of the beautiful and realistic oil paintings done by Nelson and for its story of perseverance.  African-Americans were treated badly then, but they kept on playing because they loved baseball.  I think the author does a great job of retelling the strength of African-American players because they kept on pushing forward, no matter what the consequences were, which is a great lesson for students!  This is actually the first book Nelson wrote.  Before We are the Ship he only illustrated books.

Response questions...
1.  Who was Rube Foster and why was he significant?
2.  How are the major leagues of baseball different today than in the past?

In the classroom...
1.  Have children play an indoor game of baseball and sequence or retell the story with each base they run.
2.  Do a writing prompt where students discuss a similar struggle they faced, and how they came through it.

About the author...
Kadir Nelson was first known as an artist, but has recently written books such as Baby Bear and Nelson Mandela.  It took him eight years to complete this book, and he currently lives in California with his wife and children.

References:
Nelson, Kadir.  (2008). We are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball.  New York:  Jump at the Sun Hyperion.

www.kadirnelson.com