The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

annis · Post by **annis** » Fri March 30th, 2012, 6:05 pm

There's been debate about the rabid response to black characters in the movie. Can no longer relate to them now I know they're black?! Very bizarre and disturbing.
http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/index.ph ... nwarranted

Alisha Marie Klapheke · Post by **Alisha Marie Klapheke** » Wed April 4th, 2012, 3:35 pm

Well that is just sad. I loved the movie and thought the casting was terrific. Especially Cinna. He was great. Exactly as I pictured!

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Wed April 4th, 2012, 4:13 pm

[quote=""annis""]There's been debate about the rabid response to black characters in the movie. Can no longer relate to them now I know they're black?! Very bizarre and disturbing.
http://www.wildcat.arizona.edu/index.ph ... nwarranted[/quote]

That is sad and very disturbing. We saw the movie this weekend and I can't believe someone's movie watching experience was "ruined" by that beautiful little girl playing Rue.

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Wed April 4th, 2012, 4:17 pm

I always assumed that Rue and Thresh were black. They were described as dark-skinned when they were first introduced, and they came from a district that was as clearly the South as district 12 was obviously Appalachia. How could the compaint-mongers not get that?

Ludmilla · Post by **Ludmilla** » Wed April 4th, 2012, 5:46 pm

[quote=""MLE""]I always assumed that Rue and Thresh were black. They were described as dark-skinned when they were first introduced, and they came from a district that was as clearly the South as district 12 was obviously Appalachia. How could the compaint-mongers not get that?[/quote]

I remember them being described with dark skin in the book, but I also remember thinking they could be Hispanic or any ethnicity with darker (i.e., not fair) skin. I might have missed some other hint in the book that they were black. Can't remember now. Before they announced the cast for the movie, I remember reading some debates and many readers expressing that they would be disappointed if they did not cast black actors in those roles.

I did finally see the movie and thought it was a good adaptation of the book. They hit all the essentials and any changes were minor and made sense for the film.

annis · Post by **annis** » Thu April 19th, 2012, 5:41 pm

The irony of it all- now we have the Katniss Barbie doll. Also disturbing to me because it seems to be targeting the pre-teen market, and as far as I'm concerned The Hunger Games are definitely YA, not childrens'.

DanielAWillis · Post by **DanielAWillis** » Thu April 19th, 2012, 8:13 pm

[quote=""annis""]The irony of it all- now we have the Katniss Barbie doll. Also disturbing to me because it seems to be targeting the pre-teen market, and as far as I'm concerned The Hunger Games are definitely YA, not childrens'.[/quote]

I'm not copmfortable with it being marketed to "young adults" either. But, maybe I have become and old fuddy-duddy!

annis · Post by **annis** » Fri April 20th, 2012, 4:17 am

It's particularly the last book that I find a bit of a challenge to see as children's fare - the tone is so very bleak and nihilistic.

I have to say though, that I'm a bit conflicted about this. I believe in encouraging intellectual curiosity. As a kid I was a precocious reader and devoured absolutely anything in print that came my way, "suitable" or otherwise and to be honest I don't feel in anyway scarred by having done that. What happened was that I only took on board what my experience allowed me to comprehend, and later on when I re-read some of these books as an adult I saw things I just hadn't noticed earlier. In fact I think I must have been a bloodthirsty little soul, because when I read Rider Haggard's King Solomon's Mines to my own kids (aged then about 10-11), it totally freaked them out and I had to stop!

So on the whole I have to agree with the sentiments expressed in this very reasonable discussion about Mockingjay expressing the views of both adults and younger readers - it really depends on the child- how sensitive is he/she, how emotionally mature?

Is Mockingjay a children's book?
http://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/hunger ... rens-book/

Alisha Marie Klapheke · Post by **Alisha Marie Klapheke** » Fri April 20th, 2012, 5:46 pm

I agree with what Annis said "...depends on the child-how sensitive is he/she, how emotionally mature?" because I work with teens and children daily and I know some who could benefit from the discussion that results from these books and others who would be freaked out. Although I enjoyed the first two books, I personally found the last very depressing. And I'm 36!

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sat April 21st, 2012, 12:51 am

[quote=""DanielAWillis""]I'm not copmfortable with it being marketed to "young adults" either. But, maybe I have become and old fuddy-duddy![/quote]

While I havent read the book, you should see some of the stuff that is in my library. I have a lot of sex and violence in it, and guess what books fly off the shelves.

Try reading Living Dead Girl about a girl who is kidnapped and raped and then told to go find a young girl cause she is too old(16) and the captor wants a young thing. My students love it!

Not all teens are into these books, of course. One girl I dealt with yesterday hates them. It was a challenge to find her something cause a lot of YA has it in there.