Hungry for 'The Hunger Games'

From the Millburn Township Schools

To capture some of the excitement surrounding the opening of the movie blockbuster, The Hunger Games, Mrs. Amy Ipp, Millburn Middle School’s Media Specialist, held a trivia contest for students at the Middle School during the week leading up to the movie’s opening.

Prizes included official Hunger Games merchandise such as the iconic Mockingjay Pin, and posters and bookmarks. Grand prizes included a T-shirt and movie tickets donated by the Millburn Clearview Cinema. 

In line with the “hunger” theme that is part of the novel and film, students were asked to bring in a donation of canned goods which were then donated to the food bank.

Ms. Ipp says, “The Hunger Games has definitely been the hottest book of the year at the Middle School Library. The library owns 10 print copies and one Ebook copy of the popular novel, which have circulated 140 times among the students. As soon as a copy comes in it’s guaranteed to go out again to the next student on the list.”

The library also offers a shelf full of Dystopian “read-alikes” similar to The Hunger Games so students who have finished this series may find another book to keep them reading.

When asked why she thinks the books are so popular, Ms. Ipp says, “Dystopian novels are very popular among young people today. Even if they are not that well versed in current affairs, they know that life is difficult around the globe. We’ve experienced a recession in the U.S. since 2008, governments in the Middle East are being toppled and kids today have grown up with war as a constant in the background.” 

“This novel’s elements of survival, with kids being at the center of conflict and being successful without adult help, along with the action and plight of video games make for a winning combination. And unlike the Twilight phenomenon, The Hunger Games trilogy appeals to both boys and girls. It exposes students to inhumanity within the safety of a novel, which as always had a role in children’s literature from fairy tales to novels like Lord of the Flies. 

The student winners were unanimous in their critique of the movie vs. the book – all agreed, “The book was better.”