"The Hunger Games"

Where do I turn when I need a good book recommendation? Very often, I turn to my students who are voracious readers. You know the ones. They have a new, large book every couple of days. They log thousands of minutes in their reading logs each week. Oh, and they know words like "obliterate" and "robust" without having to look them up in the dictionary.

This week's recommendation, "The Hunger Games," by Suzanne Collins, came from Rocco M., and it didn't disappoint. It's really a middle school/young adult book, but I have many students who read above grade level and can handle the subject matter. The plot of the "The Hunger Games" is driven by a contest in which kids 12 through 18 are thrown into an arena to fight to their deaths. There can only be one winner, and his or her family enjoys a life of luxury in a world where food and water are scarce.

I was glued to this book all day Saturday. I loved the main character, a girl named Katniss, and I just had to know what her fate would be. Super-tough, super-smart female characters who still have a heart and values are my favorites. If you read this book, I'm sure you'll be hooked, too. Remember, though, this is one of those books where once you're dead, you stay dead. No magic elixirs here.

After I take a short break to dip into another genre, as is my habit, I'll be sure to read the sequel, "Catching Fire". Do any of my wonderful students have a suggestion for what I should read next?