The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy

A few weeks ago, I received an email asking me if I would be interested in reviewing an ARC of  Smart Pop’s newest anthology, The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy. I had used another Smart Pop anthology, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, when my 6th graders read Riordan’s Percy Jackson series, so I knew it would be a quality collection of essays.

I’m such a nerd, so needless to say I was thrilled when the ARC of The Girl Who Was on Fire: Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy arrived.  I immediately dove in and was not disappointed.  This is a collection of essays that examine the deeper issues within and without the Hunger Games trilogy.  I actually used a few of the essays with my classes already, as examples of well-written literary analyses.

Some of the authors included: Sarah Rees Brennan, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Mary Borsellino, Elizabeth M. Rees, Lili Wilkinson, Ned Vizzini, Carrie Ryan, Cara Lockwood, Terri Clark, Blythe Woolston, Sarah Darer Littman, Adrienne Kress, and Bree Despain.

Some of the essay titles?

  • Your Heart is a Weapon the Size of Your Fist
  • Panem et Circenses
  • The Politics of Mockingjay
  • The Inevitable Decline of Decadence (I used this one as an example in my classes!)
  • Community in the Face of Tyranny

All of the essays are excellent.  You can read them straight through, or pick and choose the essays for you.  Each one is a fantastic example of analysis and will make you think deeply about the series as a whole.

Plus, this is a fantastic book to give to those who say the Hunger Games trilogy is nothing more than child’s play, a silly young adult book.  ;)

 

 

Shine by Lauren Myracle

This book is important. It is a book that teens need to read. So do teachers, parents, administrators, and anyone else who works with teens. It’s not an easy book to read- not by any stretch. I found myself repulsed at times, horrified by the actions of some characters. Yet it’s realistic. There are adults who will hate this book, who will call it all sorts of names and demand that it be taken off the shelf. But we must not let that happen. Shine is too important, and I hope it is able to change the way teens think and act.

Cat is damaged. Something happened to her a few years ago, and she has buried the event. However, she knows the ugly is still there and it still changed her. After the incident, she pulled away from her friends and family. She is angry at her family for not protecting her and she hopes that by pulling away from her friends she can heal. Unfortunately, all she did was become a loner.

Now, how (former) best friend, Patrick, has been beaten almost-to-death, the victim of a hate crime. Cat knows that someone in their small town almost killed Patrick and she is determined to find out who it was. Patrick’s sexuality is no secret to the rest of the town, and there is very little acceptance for LGBT people. I hesitate to tell you anymore, but just know that you need to read this book.

Lauren Myracle has crafted a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, reality-checking book. It’s graphic. It’s horrifying. And yet- it’s real. Cat lives in a small town and the people she loves are small-minded. The regularly use derogatory terms around Patrick. Heck, even his friends mock him for being gay. But how many of our teens experience the same thing every day of their lives? How many teens laugh alongside their friends and don’t realize the damage they are doing?

One of my favorite characters in Shine is Robert, a supporting character’s tween brother. Myracle does a fantastic job showing the reader how kids and tweens learn to bully, how derogatory terms become a part of their vernacular even when they don’t fully understand the implications of those words. Then those kids grow up to be teenagers and adults who share their views with their own children. It’s a vicious cycle, and Myracle is trying to show teens that it needs to be stopped.

There will be some readers who are angry about the ending. Know right now that the issues at the heart of the book don’t get wrapped up in a nice little bow. But does life ever end that way? Myracle keeps this book realistic through and through. She is dedicated to changing the culture of hate that flows through so many cliques, high schools, and this country as a whole.

Shine is important. It begs to be shared with teens and to be discussed. I can’t see it being read aloud in school (language, drug references, etc), but high school literature circles and book clubs are the perfect playground for for this book. As teachers and librarians, we need to get books like Shine into the hands of our readers. They have the power to change the world and this book is one that might help get them started.

*ARC provided courtesy of the publisher

Calamity Jack by Shannon and Dean Hale

I loved Shannon and Dean Hale’s (and the incomparable Dean Hale- no-relation’s illustrations) Rapunzel’s Revenge. See my review here.
Calamity Jack is the rip-roaring sequel to the first graphic novel and is so.much.fun! Tweens will gobble this one up, as it appeals to boys and girls. A retelling of “Jack and the Beanstalk”, the Hales have rewritten the story with a steampunk twist. This time Jack takes the reins, and he and Rapunzel are headed back to his hometown to settle a few financial issues.  But when they get there Jack learns that a few things have changed since he ran away.  The “giant” tycoons have taken over and the city is dirty, gritty, and full of thieves.  Have no fear, though- Jack and Rapunzel are here to save the day!

Hand this one to graphic novel lovers, fairy tale retelling lovers, and adventure lovers.  The illustrations are gorgeous, the dialogue will have you laughing out loud, and the story is perfect.  Highly recommended for middle school libraries!

*review copy courtesy of the publisher

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

When Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King won a Printz Honor back in January, I was mad at myself because it was on my TBR-pile and I hadn’t picked it up yet. So I reshuffled the pile and made sure I got to it that week. Boy, am I glad I did!  A worthy-winner, it’s the perfect combination of literary and teen appeal.

Vera Dietz would really like to be invisible.  She is perfectly content going through life without anyone noticing her.  But since the death of her ex-best friend Charlie, that’s been a lot harder to do.  See, Vera knows what happened to Charlie that night.  But can she bring herself to clear his name?  Can she forgive him enough to do that? Part mystery, part coming-of-age, all amazing- this is a book you must read.  No summary can do it justice.

I really loved how King crafted Please Ignore Vera Dietz.  The story is told from a variety of perspectives- the living, the dead, even inanimate objects.  Everything weaves together into a web of intrigue, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat.  At the same time, the mystery is not overbearing.

Teens will love Vera and I think most will identify with her in some way. She is sarcastic, quirky, angry, smart, full of love, at times full of hate, and  just… real.  She jumps off the page and it feels like she is telling you her story while sitting next to you.   You can’t help but root for her (and her dad, whom I loved).  I even found myself rooting for Charlie by the end, despite his numerous issues.

A worthy book of the Printz sticker.  Get this one in the hands of your high school readers ASAP!

*review copy courtesy of publisher

Atlas of Remote Islands:Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot On and Never Will by Judith Schalansky

During Christmas break I noticed that Pamela Voelkel (one half of author due J&P Voelkel) tweeted about a book she received for Christmas-Atlas of Remote Islands. My goal in 2010 was to read more nonfiction and to find more nonfiction for my students.  I was intrigued by the title and added it to my Goodreads.  Plus, my husband is a cartographer and we have lots of atlases around the house. I figured it was about time to add one of my own.  Later that week I took a few Christmas gift cards and picked up a copy.

What a fun book!  Atlas of Remote Islands is an expose, an encyclopedia of sorts, of islands around the world that are still cut off from civilization.  The fact that these islands still exist fascinates me.  The book is divided into sections, like an atlas, based on geographic area. Each island receives a page dedicated to a cartographic representation of their location and the opposite page with a write-up of the history of the island.  The cartography is very basic and nothing to be excited about.  The colors are bizarre and actually make it hard to see the maps. But the information about island is what made me love the book. This isn’t a history book, but reads more like a narrative. It’s not Wikipedia- the islands aren’t explained in great detail.  Instead, a one-page anecdote is shared.  But I will admit I was intrigued by almost every page and found myself googling more information on all of the islands.

This is a great book to share with teens.  For those who don’t like to read non-fiction, this book isn’t intimidating and reads like a story.  Teens will find themselves wanting to know more about some of the islands and may go seek out more information about them.  What more can you ask for? The concept of the book is cool and kids will find themselves engrossed in the bizarre stories.

*definitely high school and up

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John was the YA winner for this year’s Scheider Award so I picked up a copy the last time I was at the bookstore.  It had pinged my radar a few times but the award pushed it to the top of my pile.  Thank goodness for the Schneider, because this a book that begs to be read!  So glad it won and more teens will get to read it!

Piper is on the fringe of high school society.  She prefers to be invisible, especially since her best friend moved away.  When Dumb, the latest band to emerge from her Seattle high school,  wins a Seattle music contest, she somehow ends up as their manager.  This wouldn’t be a big deal, except that Piper is deaf.  But while Piper’s deafness is a vital part of the story, this isn’t a book about being deaf.  It’s a book about music, about grunge, about being yourself.

If Dumb expects to get any farther than the high school auditorium, they need Piper’s help.  They are a mess- barely playing in time, constantly fighting, and not even sure of their sound. Piper needs money (her parents raided her college fund to pay for her baby sister’s cochlear implant) so she negotiates a contract- she gets Dumb a paying gig within a month and they share profits.  She only needs 3 weeks to score their first gig, but it doesn’t exactly work out as planned. So what if they are a hard rock band and she books them at the local college soft rock station?

I love Piper.  She is mature but real.  Teens will identify with her struggles to be noticed at to fade into the crowd (all at once, if possible). Her issues with her family are easy to understand and typical of many teens. While the issues might vary from teen to teen, the underlying feelings are the same.  And the music. Oh, the music. The nods to Nirvana, Hendrix, and classic rock are perfection. Piper doesn’t know a lot of rock and the journey she takes is one that the reader will be glad to take with her.

This is a book that will appeal to guys and girls alike.  I see no reason not to share it with mature 8th graders and high schoolers.  It’s a book about someone with a disability that doesn’t preach, doesn’t talk down to readers.  Instead, it’s a book that happens to star a character that is deaf.  It affects the plot but doesn’t drive it entirely. For that reason, lovers of realistic and contemporary fiction will adore this book. At the same time, those readers who love a book about “issues” will flock to it.

I highly recommend Five Flavors of Dumb for teen readers. It’s got a fresh voice, a kick-butt heroine, and humor galore. It’s pretty close to perfect!

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I’ve been hearing about Beth Revis’ Across the Universe for months. No ARC came my way, so I ran out last weekend and bought a copy with a Barnes and Noble gift card I got for Christmas. Before I started reading, I posted the book trailer on our class Edmod0 (something new I have been trying) and immediately had a waiting list of students.  I knew I had to read it before school or risk not getting my hands on it again for a few weeks.  I sat down and read it. And read it. And read it. All in one sitting.  Across the Universe delivers everything it promises and more.  A genre-bending book, it combines science fiction, dystopian, romance, mystery, and action/adventure, blending it all into one fantastic story.

Seventeen-year old Amy has been cryogenically frozen, alongside her VIP parents, on the Godspeed.  She will awaken 300 years in the future, on a new planet.  But when she is awakened 50 years earlier than expected, she knows that nothing is the way it was supposed to be.  The spaceship has become a world unto itself, with new laws, norms, and expectations.  And when Amy realizes that someone unfroze her on purpose and has been trying to kill others in the cargo area, she begins to investigate.  Fearing that her parents will be murdered before she can find the person responsible, Amy risks her own life by standing up to the leaders of the Godspeed.

The story is told in alternating chapters by Amy and Elder, the next-in-line to lead the people of the Godspeed. The ship is massive- it contains a city built for thousands, pastures, farms, labs, and more secrets than anyone has imagined possible.  Elder  has never breathed fresh air, never seen the sun, the moon, or the stars.  He has no parents and is being raised/trained by Eldest, the current leader of the ship.  When he meets Amy, the only person his own age on the ship, his feelings start to confuse him. Why does Eldest seem to hate Amy? Why doesn’t Eldest trust him?

Amy and Elder band together to protect her parents and figure out who is trying to murder the cryos. In the process, they come to find out that that the “truth” that Eldest shares with the people of the Godspeed maybe isn’t so true after all.

This is a science fiction tale for sci-fi lovers and for those who are hesitant to read sci-fi.  The story contains just enough information about ship, and the science behind it, to satisfy the pickiest sci-fi fan. Yet the information isn’t overwhelming for those who tend to shy away from sci-fi.  It’s truly a genre-bender. The mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat and the science will cause you to question where humanity is headed.  Amy and Elder are both realistic characters that are easy to emphasize with, despite the almost 300 years between them.  The story builds slowy and by the midway point it’s like riding a roller coaster- your emotions are constantly twisting and turning, allegiances are changing, and the story becomes unpredictable.  While there is a budding romance between the two, it takes a backseat to the action of the story and should not scare off any anti-romance readers.

Revis raises some intriguing questions.  How does a person effectively rule a group of people on whom the fate of humanity depends? When their survival will ensure the survival of mankind, do the rules change? Is it right to sacrifice the life of the few to save the many? Should the truth always be shared with society at large, or should the rulers decide what is best? When we learn that the people on Godspeed have been taught that Hitler was an effective ruler, one to be emulated, what does that tell us about mankind’s future?

I loved loved loved this book.  I can not recommend it enough.  I’m impatiently awaiting the next book in the series and you will be, too!  Highly recommended for teen readers.

*Definitely a teen read.  There are mentions of sex and an assault scene. Nothing overly-graphic, but not for middle school readers.

The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante

The Trouble with Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante is a great middle grade novel that is perfect for those tweens who want to read YA and but might not be ready for all that comes with a YA novel.

Thirteen-year old Dellie blames herself for her little brother’s death. Now, he mother cries all the time and her parents are in therapy. And because of what happened to her brother, Dellie is no longer allowed to play outside or do any of the things the rest of the kids in the building are allowed to do. Her mother needs to know she is safe and it doesn’t matter that Dellie’s friends are starting to leave her behind, or that there is a boy interested in her.

Dellie lives in a building that is slowly becoming more and more unsafe. The setting is almost like a character and Vigilante does a fantastic job of bringing it to life. When a new family moves into the housing project, Dellie befriends Corey, the five year old boy. He reminds Dellie of her brother and she starts sneaking him food and inviting him over when her parents are not around. But when Dellie discovers that Corey’s mother is abusing him, she isn’t sure what to do. Can she help him in a way she never could her own little brother? Can she save Corey? Or will helping him only put her in more danger?

This is an emotional story and you ride the roller coaster of emotions with Dellie. Her brother’s mysterious death is a cloud hanging over the whole family and Dellie struggles with her feelings. She feels awful about what happened but she also wants her life back. She wants to hang out with her friends, she wants to find out why her best friend is mad at her, and she wants to get to know the boy who likes her. Is it wrong for her to be angry at her mother for tethering her to their second-floor apartment? Can she spend the rest of her life watching the world from her window instead of participating in it? And more importantly- should she get involved in Corey’s life? He needs someone to help him, but should it be Dellie?

Dellie’s mother’s grief is heart-breaking. As an adult I can understand her grief and her desire to keep Dellie safe. But I also know that her grief is preventing Dellie from growing up. Tween readers will identify with Dellie’s desire for freedom and will love her for her selflessness.

Highly recommended for middle grade readers.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Anyone who deals with teen/tween girls knows the symptoms of a crush- staring into space, making bad decisions, glazed over eyes, sometimes a whole new look. The sweet girl you thought you knew suddenly stands in front of you a completely different person. Over the span of a single school year, they can ride emotions like a roller coaster, from euphoric to despondent, over and over again.  I admit- there have been times in my teaching life when i have cursed teen/tween love.

Delirium is a dystopian novel is set in Portland, Maine.  But unlike many other YA dystopian novels, it isn’t set in the future.  Instead, it takes place in an alternate present.  In many ways, this makes the premise even more frightening.  The government has found a cure amor deliria nervosa. Mankind understands that love is the downfall of man, a disease that causes nothing but rot and ruin for those infected.

At age 18, teens undergo a surgical procedure to “cure” them of amor deliria nervosa.  They also sit through an extensive testing process in order for the government to decide upon their occupation and mate.  Lena is about to turn 18, counting down the days until she is cured.  Her life has always been in some sort of upheaval, ever since her infected mother’s suicide.  The surgery will be the final stamp on Lena’s life, ensuring that she is normal.

But nothing goes as planned. On the day of her evaluation she meets a boy. Assuming he is cured, due to the tell-tale scar on his neck, she hesitantly befriends him, spending time with him outside of home and school. But then Lena finds herself changing.  Is this fate? Or is she destined to walk the same dangerous path that her mother did?

Meeting Alex forever alters Lena’s life. Is her life a lie? Is her life any sort of life if she continues to live the way she is supposed to?

Lauren Oliver is a masterful writer.  I could not put Delirium down and I know my Hunger Games fans are going to devour it.  I also have this idea of pairing it with Romeo and Juliet. I am brainstorming here…

Oliver’s story starts out slow, so consider yourself warned.  However, it builds to a magnificent crescendo.  Oliver’s writing slowly gets under your skin and her setting, characterization, and everything else about the book seeps into your mind.  You can smell the salt air, your heart races alongside Lena’s, and you fall for Alex just as hard as she does. But the action builds and builds, and the twist at the end…oh my god!  I kept looking for another page after the last one, hoping I would suddenly find another chapter.  Or, ya know, the next book. Sadly, it appears that we have to wait for the next book in the series.  But I am sure it will be well worth the wait.

Delirium is a brilliant, fascinating look at what our world could be like. It is thought-provoking and heartbreaking and will leave you aching for more when you reach the conclusion. It will be released on February 1, 2011 and you should get to your local Indie store immediately to pre-order a copy!

*ARC from BEA

The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant

The Fortune of Carmen Navarro by Jen Bryant is a retelling of Carmen, best know for its gorgeous opera adaptation.  I admit that my familiarity with the story is only surface-deep, so I was not sure what to expect when I picked this one up.  However, I was not disappointed!

Carmen Navarro is a high school dropout.  She works at a convenience store with her best friend and plays in a band at night.  But Carmen isn’t your typical “loser” dropout.  First of all, she is extremely talented in the musical department.  She writes songs, and her voice is like honey.  Her band, Gypsy Lovers, actually has a good chance of being discovered one of these days and she focuses all her energy on her music. Music is her passion.

Carmen is also gorgeous. As in, stops-traffic-guys-can’t-look-away-stunning beauty.  And her magnetic personality charms them even more.  Carmen doesn’t even have to try and every guy she meets is falling all over themselves to be her boyfriend.  But the relationships never last very long. They are minor dalliances on the road to fulfilling her musical passion.

When Ryan Sweeney, a cadet at the local military academy,  comes into the convenience one day for lunch with his friend Will, he is immediately smitten with Carmen. When she deigns to flirt with him, he is on cloud nine.  Suddenly, the perfect student and perfect cadet is thrown off-course.  He skips assignments, messes up his cadet squad leader duties. You know- all the symptoms of a guy in love and lust.

But this doesn’t work for Carmen.  While Ryan is cute and sweet, he starts interfering with her life.  The Gypsy Lovers have a chance at a record deal and Ryan is all.over.her. He constantly texts, calls, texts again, calls her best friend, and shows up at her job.  This is not how Carmen operates. So she tells Ryan it’s over. And that’s when the real problems start.

This is a fantastic retelling of a story that a lot of teens are not familiar with.  However, the story will seem familiar because Carmen describes a lot of over-the-top teenage whirlwind romances.  And the story is told in four viewpoints- brilliantly, I might add- so the reader doesn’t know who to support.  At the end of the book, I could agree with each character, even through I did not like the choices they might have made.  I especially love love love Carmen.  She is gutsy, not afraid to go after her dreams, and the ultimate feminist teenage girl (at least in my mind).  I know a few teen girls who would do well to emulate Carmen’s best traits!

Everything about this book is well-done.  And it’s a short book, which I love.  As a rabid reader, I love thick tomes. But they can be a turnoff for a lot of young readers.  Jen Bryant has masterfully recreated the magic of Carmen in a way that will attract middle school and high school readers.  I hope it will lead them to learn more about the classic novella and the opera, too.

Highly recommended.  (Middle school/YA)

*review copy courtesy of the publisher

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