Unit 7 Discussion Post

These are both stories that deal with dystopian futures - and they are both read by readers younger than the original intended audience - The Giver through use in classrooms (i.e. 4th & 5th grade) and Hunger Games through popularity.  Are these tween books?  Should they be read with guidance (book club?) Or does the dystopian future mitigate this concern?  You can argue that The Giver is, and Hunger Games isn't - be specific, and refer both to books and readings to this point

The Giver has been read by many children and adults over the years. Then the Hunger Games took the world by storm more recently. It is not surprising that tweens begin to read these books. Dystopian societies are very interesting to people of all ages, but especially to tweens and teens. There is something about the developmental age these tweens are in that makes them want to explore the possibilities of different societies. They are beginning to understand how society affects the individual and how the individual affects the society. Because of this, the books may not have a target audience of tweens, but I believe they could be considered tween books. 

In the Hunger Games and the Giver, the main characters are around the same age. They both take place in societies where everything is controlled. For tweens growing up in the freedom of democracy, this is a hard concept to fathom which could make it even more interesting to read. The heroine in the Hunger Games shows strength in the midst of chaos. She pulls from her inner strength to remain herself in a society trying to make something else of her. 

These books could be considered tween or teen books. The Giver is used in elementary schools and has been for years. The children can relate to the characters and the fact that they are told what to do on a daily basis. The students feel they are not always control of their future. The Hunger Games has caused a lot of problems in elementary and middle schools, but many librarians fight that there is a lot of reasons to have these books in the library. In the elementary school I work in, I have this series. The children love these books because there is adventure, strength and the bond of family in it. These are all themes that are in many tween books. For these reasons, I would say that the series is a tween series. The challenges come from the violence in the books. This could be argued as bad for children to read, but violence is everywhere in our society. Video games, television and movies use violence all the time. These books have other wonderful qualities that the violence is a small portion of the message.