Rainer Maria Rilke

"Live a while in these books, learn from them what seems to you worth learning, but above all love them. This love will be repaid you a thousand and a thousand times, and however your life may turn,-it will, I am certain of it, run through the fabric of your growth as one of the most important threads among all the threads of your experiences, disappointments, and joys."--Rainer Maia Rilke


Pages

Saturday, August 4, 2012

For Adults Only

The Girl Who Was on Fire:  Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games Trilogy edited by Leah Wilson

Collected Essays

One of my middle school student brought this book to me, absolutely disgusted with it.  "It's not about anything," he said.  While I don't agree with his statement, I do agree with his premise==it is not a book than an adolescent would enjoy, no matter how many Mockingbird pins they have have.  This is for an older reader, adults only.

It isn't that it's inappropriate, only not very interesting for your average 12-year old.  The book is a series of random essays written by other authors on various aspects of the Hunger Games trilogy story.  many of the essays are on expected topics like the love triangle of Gale, Peeta and Katniss; the governmental aspect and even how reality TV is warping out children.  From the list of titles, I thought the fashion essay looked ridiculous when compared to the other topics, yet I found it to be one of the most fascinating. 

The lesson here is two-fold:  don't judge an essay by it's topic and don't judge a book by the cover, especially when it is trying to capitalize on a popular series and movie!

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