1. The Hunger GamesBy Suzanne Collins Mandy Dang

2. About the Author • She was born in Hartford, Connecticut, 1963 • She was inspired by both the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and her father’s career in the Air Force to write The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay • She has also written 5 books in the Underland Chronicles, When Charlie McButton Lost Power, and also a few children’s television shows for Nickeledeon • Received: 2004 NAIBA Children’s Novel Award, 2008 CYBIL Award– Fantasy and Science Fiction, 2010 Georgia Peach Book Awards for Teen Readers, and more

3. Setting • It is set in the future • There are multiple settings: • Panem (future United States) • The Capitol – once called the Rockies, in control of the 12 districts. This is where they prepare for the Hunger Games • District 12 – the poorest of the districts, make money from coal, located in region known as Appalachia • The main setting is in the Hunger Games arena

4. Characters • Katniss- is 16 and lives in part of District 12 called the Seam. She goes hunting illegally with a bow and arrow. Her father died in a mine explosion. She lives with her mother and 12-year-old sister Prim. On the reaping, Prim gets chosen to be in the Hunger Games. Katniss volunteers to go to keep Prim alive. • Peeta- is also 16 and the baker’s son. He is chosen to be in the Hunger Games as well. He has a crush on Katniss and during an interview he tells all of Panem. The rules of the Hunger Games are changed because of this and acting “in love” was their strategy in the Games.

5. Plot • Katniss volunteers to go to the Hunger Games after her sister’s name gets chosen. Peeta’s name gets chosen for the boys. They travel to the Capitol, where they train and do interviews. • During an interview, Peeta tells everyone he is in love with Katniss to get more popularity and more sponsors. From then on, they’re supposed to be “in love” even though she is mad at him. • The Games begin and they’re battling to get necessities for living. Katniss figures out Peeta teamed up with the Careers, the tributes from the richer districts. From then on, she tries to kill him. • After he tries to save Katniss’s life, Peeta gets stabbed in the thigh. He gets excluded from the Careers and Katniss teams up with Rue, only to blow up the Careers’ supplies and watch Rue die. Then, they announce there can be 2 winners if they are from the same district. Katniss looks for Peeta. • Katniss finds Peeta and nurses him back to health. They take shelter in a cave and are still pretending to be in love with eachother. When Peeta gets blood poisoning, Katniss receives sleep medicine and puts Peeta to sleep while she goes to a feast. She gives him the medicine and he is healthy again. • When the last tribute dies, they find out one of them has to kill the other. Katniss and Peeta try to commit suicide, but then they announce they are both winners. They do more interviews and go home. • When the train stops to refuel, Katniss and Peeta go for a walk. Peeta finds out Katniss was only pretending to be in love when he actually was. He gets mad and Katniss is confused. • When they are pulling into the train station, they hold hands one more time for the audience.

6. Conflict/Resolution • Tributes vs. Tributes • All the tributes from every district battle eachother to death to try and win the Hunger Games. It is usually a huge honor to win. This conflict is resolved when only Katniss and Peeta are left and win the Games. • Katniss vs. Hunger Games • Katniss despises the Hunger Games because they are made to remind the districts that the Capitol is stronger than them all. She also says she will never have kids because of the possibility they would have to battle in the Games. When they announce there can only be one winner, Katniss has the idea to commit suicide, which is going against the rules of the Games (there has to be a winner). The Gamemakers change their minds and let them both live, although they are angry at her for doing this.

7. Theme • The theme is to persevere and keep trying to beat the odds • Always try your best to accomplish a goal and people can never underestimate you • This theme best represents the story because it describes Katniss’s efforts to win the Hunger Games and make it back home. Most of the other tributes were bigger and thought she was weak, but when she received a training score of 11 (out of 12) she showed them she is a fighter and has the ability to win.

8. Personal Book Review I enjoyed the book The Hunger Games and I would recommend it to boys and girls in middle school. Due to some of the parts in the book, I would recommend this to a mature audience. It was exciting and filled with action. Some people might say it is very long, but I think it is an easy read because once you pick it up you can’t stop reading. Every page leaves you wondering what will happen next, and it has a cliff-hanger ending and leaves you wanting to read the next book. This was one of my favorite books and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!