The Hunger Games

Title: The Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

ISBN: 978-0439023528

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Copyright: 2008

 Plot Summary:  This book tells the story of Katniss Everdeen, who is living in a country called Panem, which was formally North America. Panem is divided into 12 districts. Every year two tributes from each district are chosen to participate in the Hunger games, a literal fight to the death, that is televised across districts. Katniss is volunteers as her district's tribute in place of her little sister Primrose and an acquainted from school named Peeta is chosen as the male tribute. 

Critical Evaluation:  Collins describes the nation of Panem and the poverty that District 12 is in great detail. This story is well written and the reader is compelled to keep turning the pages to see what will happen next, and who will be the last to survive. There is a particularly compelling death scene within the book that is very moving to the reader.

 Reader's Annotation: Katniss has been chosen to compete in the Hunger games, a fight to the death, will she be the last one standing?

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

 Author Information:  Suzanne Collins has written other young adult books such as The Underland Chronicles and the sequels to The Hunger Games. To learn more about Suzanne Collins and her books visit http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/.

Book talks: Family, fighting, Death, Future, government control, fear

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School/ Adults. 13-100+.

Challenge: Violence and death. This book is about 24 kids fighting to the death in a televised match. There is some violence and death. It is not too excessive and it is not violence for violence sake. Without these two things there would be no ending to this story.

Why was this book chosen?: This book is a fantastic book and well-written. I enjoyed it very much.

The Giver

Title: The Giver

Author: Lois Lowry

ISBN: 978-0547424774

Publisher:  Bantam Books

Copyright: 1993

 Plot Summary: This book focuses on a utopian society where Jonas, who lives with his parents and his sister, Lily. Jonas is about to get his life assignment at a ceremony because he is turning 12, at the ceremony he is told that due to his special abilities, the ability to see color and hear music, he will become the next receiver of the memory. He is given the information telepathically from The Giver, and Jonas can now feel what sadness is as well as true happiness, and love. He decides, with The Giver, to escape, releasing the memories back into the community.

Critical Evaluation:  Lowry paints an amazing picture in this word where everyone is just existing. No bad things happen, but nothing extraordinary happens either. Lowry leads the reader into this world and then starts to point to the cracks in it. The writing is beautifully done and leads the reader to question, would I really be willing to give up happiness in order to be rid of sadness?

Reader's Annotation: Jonas is about to receive the memories of his community, which exists without bad things, what will he do with his new knowledge?

Genre: Science Fiction, Young Adult

 Author Information:  Lois Lowry did not write her first young adult book until she was 40. Lowry has written numerous other young adult books including Number the Stars and A Summer to Die. For more information about Lois Lowry and her work go to www.loislowry.com.

Book talks: Utopian society, emotions, death

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 12-18.

Challenge: This book mentions things like supressing sexual awakening with a pill, artificially inseminating birth mothers, and being "released" which is a lethal injection and being dumped down a garbage chute. This ideas while controversial, are necessary to this book. This book is a science fiction book where the norm is different. It is meant to make the readers think about certain issues. It is not too graphic for young adults to read.

Why was this book chosen?: This is one of my favorite books so I decided to include it in the database. 

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Title: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Author: Douglas Adams

ISBN: 978-0345453747

Publisher: Pan books

Copyright: 1979

 Plot Summary:  This book starts as Arthur Dent is saved from the destruction of Earth by his friend Ford Perfect. They hitch a ride on the aliens destroying the Earth's ship, which is against alien policy, so they hitch a ride upon another space ship. They discover the purpose that Earth served, what's in the universe out there but not exactly what 42 is the answer to. 

Critical Evaluation:   Adams does something in this book that is hard to do and amazing to read, combines science fiction and humor. This is an amazing read and hilariously written. 

 Reader's Annotation:  Earth's about to be destroyed by aliens, what's your escape route?

Genre:  Science Fiction, Humor

 Author Information: Douglas Adams is most widely known for writing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and the four books that follow it. For more information go to Douglasadams.com.

Book talks: Aliens, earth, destroyed, universe, life outside universe

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School/ Adults. 13-100+

Challenge: I don't see any challenging issues with this book.

Why was this book chosen?: This is a hilarious, fun, scientific novel. 

The Host

Title: The Host

Author: Stephenie Meyer

ISBN: 978-0316043045

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Copyright: 2008

 Plot Summary:  This book focuses on Mel Stryder, one of the few rebel humans who remain after "Souls" take over. "Souls" take over human bodies and use the for information and habitat. Mel is then taken over by The Wanderer who is gathering information for The Seeker. However, the Wanderer grows attached to Mel's family and boyfriend, and begins to help the rebel humans instead of her intended task.

Critical Evaluation: Meyer has a knack for placing the reader inside of the main character's head. She writes this interesting dichotomy of Mel inside her own head fighting with the Wanderer, and the Wanderer dealing with her emotions of inadequacy for not being able to shut out Mel. This is very well thought out plot and includes well developed characters within well developed characters.  

 Reader's Annotation: Mel fights to keep her own mind after it is taken over by an alien "Soul".

Genre:  Science Fiction, Romance

 Author Information: Stephenie Meyer has written other young adult books like the Twilight Series. To learn more about Stephenie Meyer visit http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/.

Book talks: Aliens, Souls, respecting other beings

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 13-18.

Challenge: I did not find any of this book challenge worthy. People could find humans experimenting on other humans to remove the "souls"occupying them as something troublesome, but they were fighting to save friends and family and their race. They tried many different things and began to get desperate. 

Why was this book chosen?: This science fiction book seemed less intimidating than others. 

Turnabout

Title: Turnabout

Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix

ISBN: 978-1416936534

Publisher: Aladdin

Copyright: 2002

 Plot Summary:  This story follows Amelia and Anny Beth. In 2001, they were living in a nursing home getting older by the minute when they signed an agreement to partake in a study that could "unage" them. They signed paperwork they did not really understand and started to age backwards after they were administered the drugs. The problem was the scientists could not stop the "unaging" without killing the participants. Amelia and Anny Beth decide to leave the nursing home and live in society always moving around so as not to raise suspicion and looking out for a trusted person to care for them when they became infants.

Critical Evaluation:  Haddix writes Amelia and Anny Beth through different time periods and different ages seamlessly. The overall lesson that Haddix seems to conclude with is that Amelia and Anny Beth did not regret aging backwards which is a surprising conclusion. Overall, this is a fantastic book, and very well written. 

 Reader's Annotation:  If you had the opportunity to go back in time would you?

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adults

 Author Information: Margaret Peterson Haddix has written many other young adults books, most famously The Missing series. For more information on this author or her work visit www.haddixbooks.com

Book talks: Unaging, going back in time, learning from mistakes, scientific experiments

Reading Level/Interest Age: Middle School/High School. 12-16

Challenge:  Some may find the topic of "unaging" controversial, but this is a science fiction book and it is meant to be an idea in a world that is always focused on looking younger. 

Why was this book chosen?: This is an interesting science fiction book that is hard to put down.