I started The Third Annual Book-A-Day Challenge on May 26, 2011. I am going to have to read 77 books, this summer, to meet my challenge goal. I decided to start my challenge off with a series that many of my fifth graders have recommended to me, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Within a week, I have finished all three books of the series; The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay.
This series is about a country, that has rebuilt after their ancestors fought and destroyed the original country. To prevent another war from happening, President Snow has each of the twelve districts compete in the Hunger Games. A male and a female tribute, age twelve to eighteen, from each district are put in an arena and kill each other, until there is only one person left living. Katniss must decide if she is going to stand up for what she believes in, that the Games are wrong, or let President Snow have all the control, even though she knows it's wrong.
While I was reading this series, I couldn't help but to compare this situation to real life. This past school year, the school where I teach, was insistent upon teaching to the Ohio Achievement Assessment. All teachers went along with it, even when the reading coach and I would question the teaching techniques. Books were a rare treat for the students, because they were flooded by test prep and worksheets. I compared my situation to Katniss, a Hunger Games tribute for District 12, because I felt like I was fighting for the good of the students, even though everyone else just stayed and played the game of test prep, because it was easier than making themselves a target.
I think it will be hard to top this series, but with 74 more books to read, it may happen!!!
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