Hunger Games

I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins last year and just reread it because the sequel, Catching Fire, was just released on September 1st. I can't wait to read Catching Fire and will definitely post a review here when I do, but for now let me strongly recommend that you read The Hunger Games. It takes place in the future in a new society built in North America from the ruins of the United States. The Capital has all of the power over the 12 outlying districts - keeping the people in poverty in order preserve their strength. As a testament to the absolute power of the Capital, every year each district has to send 2 teenagers to the Capital to compete in the Hunger Games. It is a battle to the death where the winner is the sole survivor. Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen is the female competitor from District 12, the coal mining district. Even before the Hunger Games Katniss has shown her strength by breaking the rules and going hunting to provide food for her family. Her strength, will, and cunning help her in the battle for her life in the Hunger Games.

Suzanne Collins does an amazing job of telling a compelling story of survival, bravery, and loyalty. I certainly can't do the book justice in this short review, but it is one of the best books I've ever read! Even Stephenie Meyer and Rick Riordan are fans.

"I was so obsessed with this book I had to take it with me out to dinner and hide it under the edge of the table so I wouldn't have to stop reading. The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it...The Hunger Games is amazing."
--Stephenie Meyer, author of The Twilight Saga

"The Hunger Games is as close to perfect an adventure novel as I've ever read. I could not put it down. Collins has transformed the ancient Labyrinth myth into a terrifyingly believable tale of future America. Readers will be hungry for more."
--Rick Riordan, author of The Percy Jackson Series and The 39 Clues

Here are some of the awards that is won:

• PUBLISHERS WEEKLY'S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: CHILDREN'S FICTION
• NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF 2008
• AN AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION TOP TEN BEST BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS SELECTION
• SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL BEST BOOKS Of 2008

We have two copies in the library, come check them out!

Wordle!

In School Library Journal this summer, I read an article about wordle.net and went to check it out. It is a website where you can paste any text and the software creates "word clouds" for you. Wordle disregards common words and makes the words that appear most often larger than the rest. It is a great way to see the most important parts or themes of a piece of writing. Above is a Wordle that I created using the text of the poem "Dream Big". You can edit the font, colors, layout to make a truly unique "word cloud" that can be used for just about anything - posters, t-shirts, book covers, etc. You can even use your wordle on items that you sell!

Check it out and let me know what you think.