Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Hunger Games: The whole series


The last book in The Hunger Games series is finally out! For anyone who hasn't read the books, they are about a futuristic America in which The Capitol rules twelve districts with an iron fist. To show their power, the Capitol forces the districts to send two teenagers to the hunger games in which they must fight for survival - and against each other. This series questions just how would a person be willing go to protect those they love or for an ideal? How much of themselves would they be willing to sacrifice to stay alive? These questions persist throughout the entire series. It is a fun read, but at the same time, it makes you question what is really the right thing to do. I would suggest this series to everyone I know.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Breakfast Club and 25 years


I have been thinking about Breakfast Club lately and just learned that the 25th (!) anniversary collection is coming out today.

All of that angst and all of the issues about identity and "fitting in" are still universal themes which are appearing in novels for young adults. An example that comes to mind is Perfect Chemistry by Elkeles, one of the titles nominated this year for the Abe Lincoln award. Check out reactions to this book and others at our companion blog, Uber Abe 2011. Leave a comment and let us know ... do these books realistically portray issues that teens face today? Will we be seeing them at the movies or being reissued in 25 years?