Vampire Haiku By Ryan Mecum

1.  Bibliography
Mecum, Ryan.  2009.  VAMPIRE HAIKU.  Ohio:  How Books.  ISBN 9781600617720


2.  Plot Summary
William Butten embarks on a journey to the New World on the Mayflower.  He becomes enchanted with a beautiful woman during the voyage.  "Like a siren song, each night she calls to me to her and I am in love" (5).  Late one night she bites him and he is turned into a vampire.  When they arrive in America his beautiful companions disappears.   William is desperately in love with Katherine and starts searching for her.  "Like hide-and-seek, all America inbounds, she is hard to find" (31).

3.  Critical Analysis
The book of poetry is written in haiku and in the format of a journal.  Haiku is the rhythm that brings Williams words to life.  "Five syllables first, then followed by seven more, and then five again.  I will document all my New World adventures into small poems" (2).  Each word is carefully chosen by its sound and syllable to fit into the journal.  "The syllable count for "vampire" is confusing.  Two?  Three?  I'll guess two" (9).  The language within the book matches the time periods that the character is living in and grows and changes with him and the new centuries.  "Redcoats line the road.  Patriots hide in the woods, and vampires above" (34).  The entries in the journal share Williams emotions and create a visual image of the world around him.  "She never came back, but by the way she bit me-I know it's true love" (31).  

The pages of the book are yellowed and have black ink spots and smudges has though they have been written with a quill and ink.  There is also drops of blood and pages with burn marks to make the journal more realistic.  There are drawings and photographs to bring the poems to life.  On one page William remarks, "One thing I despise as much as cross necklaces- turtleneck sweaters" includes a picture of a woman wearing a turtleneck sweater (79).  The photographs that go with the haiku's are funny and sometimes disturbing.   "Sometimes I hang out outside emergency rooms; get some blood work done" (88).  Above this statement is a photograph of a man wearing a hooded jacket waiting outside of a emergency room door at the hospital.  This illustrations gives the reader the creeps and makes the journal more realistic.  The format of the journal makes it exciting and interesting to read. 

4.  Review Excerpts
"One of the best books of 2009. Not only does Mecum follow the traditional pattern of haiku poetry to the syllable (go ahead and count -- they're all there!), but his writing also conveys a very clear, narrative, logical story while adhering to this strict structure." -- Kelly Melcher, Fandomania
"A classic story is told through the eyes of a newly turned vampire in sweet haiku verse and every passage is as cool as they come... One haiku will make your belly jiggle with laughter, the next will make your skin shiver, and sometimes both occur at once." -- Mark L. Miller, Ain't It Cool News

5.  Connections 
Other book written in haiku about monsters:
Mecum, Ryan.  DAWN OF ZOMBIE HAIKU.  ISBN 9781440312861
Mecum, Ryan.  WEREWOLF HAIKU.  ISBN 9781440308260
Mecum, Ryan.  ZOMBIE HAIKU:  GOOD POETRY FOR YOUR...BRAINS.  ISBN 9781600610707
 

Heart To Heart New Poems Inspired By Twentieth-Century American Art edited by Jan Greenberg

1.  Bibliography

Greenberg, Jan.  (2001).  HEART TO HEART NEW POEMS INSPIRED BY TWENTIETH-CENTURY AMERICAN ART.  New York:  Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated.    ISBN 9780810943865

2.  Plot Summary
Images from an unique art collection is used to inspire poems about the pieces.  The poems have been written by forty-three American poets.   The variety of pieces used in the book are the most important artwork from the twentieth century.    The poets show the reader a new way to look at each piece.  The poems range from being sad, funny, happy, and inspiring.  "How would you paint a poem?" (55)  The combination of art and poems give the reader a new perspective.

3.  Critical Analysis
The editor took photographs of many important art pieces from the 20th century.  Each art piece is shown in a full page reproduction in full color.  The pictures are breathtaking.  The reader can clearly see all the detail and colors used in each piece of art.  The images are the perfect size they do not distract the reader from the poem.  "Coupling large-type poems with full-page reproductions 47 out of 48 in full color editor Jan Greenberg puts ekphrasor and ekphrasee in happy proximity" (Publisher Weekly).   A person's eyes are drawn to the images which they can look at.  Once they have looked at the pictures they are drawn to the words to see what they poet says about the picture.  "It all started when a new teacher held up this picture and asked, "What's going on here?" (23)

The text in the format of a poem gives the reader new ideas about the picture.  The poems are written from four types of motifs, stories, impressions, expressions, and voices.    The different verses the poets used are; free verses, sonnet, patterns, and repeated lines or parts of speech.  Each poem has its own rhythm, rhyme, and sound depending what the poet was inspired to use to make the image come to life.  "And what would the lady be studying there but a book of matches?" (68).  Some poets used imagery and emotions to capture a specific feeling and mental picture to share with the reader.  "The coffee urns are beaming over his shoulder like stainless steel angels" (68).  Other poets used language to create similes, metaphors, and to put their words in a specific pattern that would be meaningful to the reader. The poets that contributed to this book each used their own techniques to share their feelings about the artwork.

The editor of the book organized the items into four different sections by the motifs used in the poems.  "The poems are grouped according to how the writer responded to the art: some tell a story about the whole painting; some speak from the perspective of an object within the artwork; some transform the visual elements into poetic metaphors; some talk about the artists and their techniques" (BookList).  There is a table of contents to find out where each section of the book is located and also includes, biographical notes on poets, biographical notes on artists, photograph-poetry credits, and an index.  Their are reference aids for all the artwork and poets if more information is desired.  The book is well organized to find specific of information by the reader.  The poems and illustrations are balanced on the pages.  On one side of a page will be a poem or a image of artwork or they will be combined on one page.  All of the text and images can be easily seen.   This book is recommended to 5th grade and up.  This book has current and classic appeal to its audience.  Some of the images are classic and others are very modern.  The book will appeal to all types of art lovers. 

4.  Review Excerpts
Michael L. Printz Honor Book
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  "The art glows, the words reflect the images and create more light-"Florine, we would live inside your colors! Red joy,/golden rushes of hope-" Naomi Shihab Nye writes about Florine Stettheimer's The Cathedrals of Broadway. If a picture book is defined as a marriage of word and art, then Heart to Heart is not only a wonderful poetry collection, but also a picture book of the highest quality."
BOOKLIST:  "Younger children, for example, will love Deborah Pope's "On Lichtenstein's 'Bananas and Grapefruit,'" which melts quickly down the page to a delicious ending: "gulppulp / sweet part / eat / art." Teens (and adults) will enjoy the inquisitive depth of such selections as Ronald Wallace's "Mobile/Stabile." Concluding with biographical notes on each poet and artist, this rich resource is an obvious choice for teachers, and the exciting interplay between art and the written word will encourage many readers to return again and again to the book."
ALA Children's Notable Book 2002
School Library Journal Best Book 2001


5.  Connections
Other books using words and pictures to convey information to the reader:  
Janeczko, Paul and Henri Siberman.  STONE BENCH IN AN EMPTY PARK.  ISBN 980531302590
Stolley, Richard B.  LIFE:  OUR CENTURY IN PICTURES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.  ISBN 9780318615895

 

Keesha's House By Helen Frost

1.  Bibliography
Frost, Helen.  2003.  KEESHA'S HOUSE.  New York:  Frances Foster Books.  ISBN 9780374340643


2.  Plot Summary
Keesha lives at Joe's house.  There she has found a place where she feels safe from the outside world.  Her father is an alcoholic who becomes mean when he drinks. "What would a real home be like?" (6)  She can stay in school and work part time and does not have to worry about her life.   Joe was taken in by his grandma when he was 12.  Now he is grown up and  taking in lost souls and giving them a safe place to stay.   Keesha meets other teenagers that she goes to school with and invites them to stay at Joe's house, so they can stay in school and feel safe.  "She'll go hone again tonight, but one night soon, she find her way here" (6).  Dontay's parents are in prison and he does not fit in with his foster family.  Stephie has found out that she is pregnant and is unsure what to do.  Harris is gay and his family has disowned him.  "Dad said if I didn't have enough respect for him to act normal, how could I expect him to keep supporting me?" (12)  Katie's mother does not believe that her new husband is abusing her daughter.

3.  Critical Analysis

This story take place in a normal suburb of America to bring to life the voices of teenagers trying to survive.  The way the author has organized the book makes the story strong and conveys the feelings of the characters.  Each character shares their own thoughts and feelings through individual poems from their point of view.  "You fell like jumpin' in the nearest car and drivin' outta town, keepin' goin' till you find someplace that feels like home" (11).  The author has included not only the teens in the stories point of view, but also the adults that are in their lives.  "They need more than I can give them.  I ain't up to the task of tryin' to be their legal foster dad.  But I can give them space-and space is time" (35).  The adults parts are brief but they give the reader a complete perspective of what is happening in the book.  Every one's thoughts and feelings are mentioned.  The emotions in the poem are natural and the reader can feel the pain the characters are in.  "It's like having sisters being here" (96).    "Frost has taken the poem-story to a new level with well-crafted sestinas and sonnets, leading readers into the souls and psyches of her teen protagonists...engaging" (School Library Journal).  The words have a rhyme and rhythm to fit the meaning of the poem and bring the characters voices to life.  Every letter used to convey the characters story was careful chosen to add to the emotions of what is happening in the story. "This moving first novel tells the story in a series of dramatic monologues that are personal, poetic, and immediate" (Booklist).   The language used in the poems is written the way teenagers talk in present day.  The words that they use to convey information are set up in patterns to make sonnets and sestinas.  The words of the poem invoke images for the reader to picture what is happening in the book.   "Spare, eloquent, and elegantly concise"  (VOYA).  

This is a wonderful book that conveys the troubled lives of teenagers by using poetry to tell the story.  The poems are balanced with the perspective of both teen and adult.  The theme of the book is self vs. society.  Will the teenagers be able to grow up and become who they want to be with all of the outside influences?  The age range for this books is 12 and up.  The author has made the story appealing to all age groups with the interesting way the information is written and the strong emotions in the poems.  

4.  Review Excerpts

Michael L. Printz Honor Book

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL remarks:  "It sounds like a soap opera, but the poems that recount these stories unfold realistically. Revealing heartbreak and hope, these poems could stand alone, but work best as a story collection. Teens may read this engaging novel without even realizing they are reading poetry."
BOOKLIST says:  "Interwoven with the angry, desperate teen voices are those of the adults in their lives: caring, helpless, abusive, indifferent. In a long note, Frost talks about the poetic forms she has used, the sestina and the sonnet. But most readers will be less interested in that framework than in the characters, drawn with aching realism, who speak poetry in ordinary words and make connections."

5.  Connections
Other books about growing up in a poem format:
Frank, E.R.  LIFE IS FUNNY:  A NOVEL.  ISBN 07894263
Frost, Helen.  CROSSING STONES.  ISBN 9780374316532

 

33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History By Tonya Bolden

1.  Bibliography
Bolden, Tonya.  2002.  33 THINGS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WOMEN'S HISTORY.  New York:  Crown Publisher.  ISBN 9780375911224


2.  Plot Summary
Tonya Bolden has compiled 33 informational facts that every girl should know that are in chronological order.  The author starts with the first fact a poem by Elizabeth Johnson called PAST IS PROLOGUE.  The book continues with a letter from Abigail Adams to her husband John Adams while he was working on the Declaration of Independence.  "I long to hear that you have declared an independancy-and by the way in the new Code of Laws which I suppose it will be necessary for you to make I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors" (12).  But the ladies were not remembered until the 1920's when they received the right to vote.  This is a wonderful book filled with facts that all women should know.

3.  Critical Analysis
The author has created a wonderful book filled with information about women to meet the curiosity and reading level of young adults.  The text is at the appropriate level for adolescents to understand the context of the book.  This book would interest young adult woman who want to learn more about the woman that made their life and rights possible today.  "33 THINGS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT WOMEN'S HISTORY is hardly the whole story.  It is a point of entry, a beginning, to the true (and quite intense) tale of women's woes and women's winnings in America, from the eighteenth through the twentieth century" (8).   

The text uses high quality writing to convey the information.  The use of the English language is professional and educational for the reader.  There is a variety of words that convey the knowledge in a fun and informative manner.  The author alters the text and style of the information to fit the time period that is being shared with in each number.  The writing blends and conveys the time period that is is from sending the reader to that time period.  "The Declaration of Sentiments contained the following words in its opening:  we hold these truths to be self-evident:  that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit if happiness" (18).

The book provides a table of contents to find each number 1 through 33.  A title of that chapter is listed and the page it can be found on.  The book contains an index in the back for quick reference.  There is also a glossary help the reader understand some of the words in the text.  An example from the glossary is "Feminism:  the theory that women deserve an equal place in society alongside men" (211).  The cover of the book portrays a young woman with her face painted.  On her check is an American flag and a peace sign encompasses her whole face.  A the top of the cover names are listed from the great woman of history for example, Sue Macy, Abigail Adams, and Nancy Gruver.    The organization of the text makes it easy for the reader to find information on topics they are seeking and the cover shows what is in the book.

The author uses a variety of illustrations to appear with the text.  There are black and white photographs from the past and black and white drawings.  Each illustration matches the information it accompanies.  If it is not obvious what the picture goes with there is a caption by it to provide more information.  The photographs are used in the book to go with the text.  They do  not take away from text has some very colorful pictures would they only go with the text.  In this book the author wants the reader to understand the knowledge contained within the pages the pictures are not important and should not take away from the words.  

Tonya Bolden is the editor of the book.  She has help published more than a dozen books for children, young adults and adults.  Some of the other books she is known for are:  AND NOT AFRAID TO DARE:  THE STORIES OF TEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN; STRONG MEN KEEP COMING:  THE BOOK OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN; ROCK OF THE AGES:  A TRIBUTE TO THE BLACK CHURCH; AND TELL ALL THE CHILDREN OUR STORY:  MEMORIES AND MEMENTOS OF BEING YOUNG AND BLACK IN AMERICA. 
The author has provided a well written book with information that is not commonly taught in school. "The tone throughout is positive and informative, empowering teens with neglected facts about and contributions of women to the history of the United States" (School Library Journal).   There is not any errors in the text to take away from its credibility.  The info is up to date and current.  There is an acknowledgment in the back of the book to share with the reader where Bolden found all of her information for such a wonderful book.  "And I hope what you've learned right here will inspire you..." (199). 

4.  Review Excerpts
PUBLISHER WEEKLY  remarks that "The impressive, chronologically organized 33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History: From Suffragettes to Skirt Lengths to the E.R.A., edited by Tonya Bolden, begins with Abigail Adams's 1776 letter to her husband, "Remember the Ladies," proceeds through Charlotte Perkins Gilman's groundbreaking "The Yellow Wallpaper" (excerpted) and includes thoughtful reflections on other leading women, such as Patricia McKissack's fictional essay narrated by Charlotte Woodward (the only woman in attendance at the Seneca Falls convention still alive to exercise her right to vote). Period photographs, quotes, timelines, bios and varied typography give the volume an attractive, accessible feel."
BOOKLIST:  "A chart shows the ways women's fashions have changed and a time line follows the progress (and lack thereof) of the women's rights movement. There are also bibliographies, biographical profiles, and poetry, with everything set down in a format that cleverly uses typeface and photographs to draw readers in. This is a very strong, highly readable offering that gives context to the feminist movement--and demystifies that controversial term
ALA Best Book For Young Adults

5.  Connections
Other books about women's history:
Bolden, Tonya.  33 THINGS EVERY GIRL SHOULD KNOW STORIES, SONGS, POEMS, AND SMART TALK BY 33 EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN.  ISBN 9780517709368
Kendell, Martha.  FAILURE IS IMPOSSIBLE!  THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN WOMENS'S RIGHTS.  ISBN 0833517442
Waisman, Charlotte S. HER STORY:  A TIMELINE OF THE WOMEN WHO CHANGED AMERICAN.  ISBN 978076124517

Hattie Big Sky By Kirby Larson

1.  Biography
Larson, Kirby.  2006.  HATTIE BIG SKY.  New York:  Delacorte Press.  ISBN 9780385733137


2.  Plot Summary
After the death of her parents Hattie has been shuffled from relative to relative.  At age sixteen she receives a letter from her uncle in Montana who has passed away.  "A home of my own!  Montana!" (9).  She decides to be free from her relatives and start a new life on the claim. She shares her adventure through letters to her best friend Charlie who is fighting in World War I and her Uncle Holt back in Iowa.   "Something shifted in my heart as Charlie swung his foot onto the train steps" (3).  Through blizzards, drought, and back breaking work Hattie will discover the meaning of independence.   Along the way she makes friends with her neighbors and strives to be a good American.


3.  Critical Analysis
 The hero and teller of the story is a sixteen year old girl.  She is a realistic character who could of lived during this time period.  Hattie is a good person that feels that all people should be treated equally.  This belief makes her a heroine in the story. A marvelous story about courage, loyalty, perseverance, and the meaning of home. I gave my heart to the brave and determined Hattie,and I think you will, too."(Karen Cushman)  She has problems that any adolescent can relate to, she is growing up and trying to find her place in the world. 

Hattie story takes place during World War I.  The war add major conflicts to the story.  The people in Montana are know suspicious of their neighbors wondering what side they are on?  "This county measured up in the first two Liberty Loan drives," answered Mr. Saboe.  "No reason to doubt it won't happen again"  (132).  The main characters only connection to the war is her best friend who joined the army and the conflict in the town that is affecting her neighbors.  "As we bumped over the top, the smell hit me hard, like a wildly thrown pitch.  Smoke.  And it was coming from the direction of Perilee's" (137).  The events that happen in the story are plausible.  During war time people are nervous and want to help the soldiers.  The events in the novel are not exaggerated or romanticized the story could have taken place.

The majority of the story takes place in Vida, Montana Dec 1917 to Dec 1918.  The telling of the story is accurate.  People in the old west are still riding horses and a few have cars.  The clothing is correct and way the people lived in Montana during this time period.  "I turned around half thinking to jump back on the train" (18).  Two wood-block steps led up to a rough-hewn door.  A small window-the only window, I was to find out-left of the door stared dully at me.  This cockeyed, slapped together nine-foot by twelve-foot claim shack" (37).  They did not have the advances that the east coast of American was using to live.  The story was well researched and fits the life that was happening during this time period in history.

The theme of the story is that war is hard and can tear people apart.  Times are hard during war and emotions run even higher.  Life at home can be conflicting and has hard as actually being on the battle field fighting.  War is not easy on anyone.  "I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes.  So much had happened in one year's time" (282).  Even though the story is set in the past it could be related to problems between people during any war from the past to the present times.   "This is a great read for anyone who appreciates history or learning what life was like for teens in the past" (Detroit Free Press).

4.  Review Excerpts
2007 Newbery Honor Book
2006 Montana Book Award
School Library Starred Review
Booklist Starred Review
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
2006 Cybils Nomination
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL says “Larson creates a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered.”

5.  Connections
Other World War I historical novels:
Augarde, Steve.  CELANDINE.  ISBN 0385750498
Frost, Helen.  CROSSING STONES.  ISBN 9780374316532
Sedgwick, Marcus.  THE FORESHADOWING.  ISBN 0385908814

Lincoln Through The Lens How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life By Martin W. Sandler

1.  Bibliography
Sandler, Martin W.  2008.  LINCOLN THROUGH THE LENS HOW PHOTOGRAPHY REVEALED AND SHAPED AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE.  New York:  Walker and Company.  ISBN 9780802796660

2.  Plot Summary
Lincoln was born in a simple time.  But he used the latest technology of the time photography to send him on his way to becoming the President of the United States.  "When Lincoln became president, photography was new, and he joined “the very first generation of human beings ever to be photographed" remark from BookList.  This book provides over one hundred images of Lincolns life.  The photos begin with Lincoln has a young man and end with his tragic death by John Wilkes Booth.  A great journey through a very wise mans life with actual pictures that make the reader feel that they can gain a new perspective on Lincolns life.

3.  Critical Analysis
The book has been written for 3rd to 5th grade and is appropriate for the age levels it was written for.  The words are not difficult to understand.  Here is an example of a typical sentence from the book:  "Lincoln was boisterous and he loved to play pranks"  (14).  The reader can easily figure out what the sentence means.  The author uses English words that are appropriate from the past and present day.  The language of the text is written to transport the reader to Lincolns world of language that he would use when he was alive.  Young readers will be interested in reading this book to get a glimpse of the life of a brilliant man through the high quality writing in the book. 

The text is logically organized.  The book begins with Lincoln interests of using photographs to further his career, so the reader can understand why the book includes all to the photographs.  "Before his days were over, photographs, even more than words, would not only reveal much about him but would shape his destiny" (6).  Then the book introduces Lincoln has a boy and concludes with his death.  There is no table of contents in the book with the organization from birth to death there is no need of one.  School Library Journal remarks that, "Each spread is a self-contained "chapter."At the end of the book is an index for quick use to find information.  When a person reads the cover they expect the book to inform them about the life of President Lincoln and include pictures through out his life.  The book completes this objective.

This book contains many interesting images from the life of Abraham Lincoln.  "Part history of early photography, part Lincoln biography, and part documentation of the period, this slim book speaks volumes in both words and pictures" (School Library Journal).   Each page contains a full size page picture and on the opposite page is text and a few little photos that go with the information provided in the text.  The images and the text in the book are balanced.  The photographs are realistic and of high quality. The pictures draw the readers eye and entice them to read the text to find out what the images are about.  All of the photos have captions, so the reader knows what they are and provides quick information about them.  "It was in frontier courthouses such as this one in Paris, Illinois, that Abraham Lincoln first gained his fascination with the law and legal profession" (20).

Martin Sandler is the author of over sixty books.  He has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.    "He has taught American history and American studies at the University of Massachusetts and Smith College."  He is a television writer and has been awarded five Emmys.  The information within the book is relevant to the subject being written about and is current.  There are no errors in the book to make it unbelievable.  This is a well written book with wonderful images to entice any reader to want to explore the life of Abraham Lincoln.

4.  Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  "Historical drawings and paintings, broadsides, and cartoons are also included. The text not only offers a fascinating updated history on the eve of the bicentennial, but also includes many colorful anecdotes and quotes about the mischievous Lincoln boys, Lincoln's beard, and Thanksgiving. This appealing, accessible title will be savored from beginning to end."

STARRED REVIEW FROM BOOKLIST:  "Every step of the way there are fascinating photographs, full-page portraits often followed by battlefield scenes, even death-bed pictures of both Lincoln and Booth. Although it’s the pictures that provide the “wow factor,” Sandler’s perceptive words have their own elegance. Well sourced and offering numerous ways to learn more (although, surprisingly, the fine Lincoln museum in Springfield is not cited), this will be an excellent tool for history classes; and browsers, too, will be caught up in Lincoln’s story."

5.  Connections
Other books about Abraham Lincoln:
Fleming, Candace.  THE LINCOLNS:  A SCRAPBOOK LOOK AT ABRAHAM AND MARY.  ISBN 0375836187
Phillips, Ellen Blue.  ABRAHAM LINCOLN:  FROM PIONEER TO PRESIDENT.  ISBN 9781402733963

Mockingjay By Suzanne Collins

1.  Bibliography
Collins, Suzanne.  2010.  MOCKINGJAY.  New York:  Scholastic Press.  ISBN 9780439023511


2.  Plot Summary
This is the third and final installment of the HUNGER GAMES series.  Katniss Everdeen is still alive after surviving the games.  "The bricks of the chimney, which collapsed in a charred heap, provide a reference for the rest of the house" (3).  District Twelve has been obliterated by bombs.  Gale and Katniss's family have survived the destruction and fled to District 13.  "To have a new home at all is seen as a wonder since, up until a short time ago, we hadn't even known that District 13 still existed" (7).  The revolution has started and Katniss has to decide which side she is going to join.
It was no coincidence that she was rescued from the arena.  The plan was all premeditated by the revolutionists.  District 13 is the headquarters of the revolution and it is no longer going to be silent and let the Capitol rule.  The one problem is that the leaders of District 13 are relying on Katniss to be part of the revbels.  "What they want is for me to truly take on the role they designed for.  The symbol of the revolution" (10).  She will have to become the Mockingjay.   


3.  Critical Analysis
The story takes place in a dystopian society created from the author's imagination.  The setting is in the distant future and is ruled by the Capitol who control society by the laws that they enforce on society.  The factors of the progression of science have changed the rules of society in this future setting, for people to survive they have to live by the rules of the Capitol or there are severe consequences.

Katniss is a teenage girl who is the protagonist.   She tells the story from her point of view.  "The memories swirl as I try to sort out what is true and what is false" (4).  This style is used because it is important that the reader is able to understand every emotion and action the main character will take from the story.  BookList remarks that, "The highly anticipated conclusion to the Hunger Games trilogy does not disappoint. If anything, it may give readers more than they bargained for: in action, in love, and in grief." The reader has to be able to releate to what the main character is going through to become immensed into the book.  She does not have any super human qualities.  She is a teen age girl that is really good with the bow and the arrow, due to the fact that she provides food for her family.  Surviving is very important in the story line.  "What am I going to do?  I whisper to the wall" (10). 
The antagonist in the story is President Snow.  He runs the districts unfairly and is cruel to his people.  Katniss is a victim from the actions that the Snow has enforced on his people.  He is an evil person who wants to control the world. "No one will fully understand-how it's not just a flower, not even just President Snow's flower, but a promise of revenge..." (15).  Everyone can relate to good versus evil. 
The plot of the story is fast moving and full of suspense.  The protagonist has to figure out what part she will play in the revolution.  "Another power player who has decided to use me as a piece of her games, although things never seem to go according to plan" (59).  The plot is self vs. society.  The events in the story are believable and progress along making the reader not want to put down the book until they have read the last page of the story. 

The way society has run and progressed into the future have been effected by the laws of science.  Technology has destroyed parts of the world, so that the government has made changes in society and new laws to make living possible. "In the seventy-five years since the Dark Days-when 13 was said to have been obliterated in the war between the Capitol and the districts-almost all new construction has been beneath the earth's surface" (17).   Science has changed the world and will be used to fix it, which is a theme that could take place during current times or in the future.  The world progressed to fast and these changes had consequences. 

4.  Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL SAYS:  "But being the Mockingjay comes with a price as Katniss must come to terms with how much of her own humanity and sanity she can willingly sacrifice for the cause, her friends, and her family. Collins is absolutely ruthless in her depictions of war in all its cruelty, violence, and loss, leaving readers, in turn, repulsed, shocked, grieving and, finally, hopeful for the characters they've grown to empathize with and love. Mockingjay is a fitting end of the series that began with The Hunger Games (2008) and Catching Fire (2009) and will have the same lasting resonance as William Golding's Lord of the Flies and Stephen King's The Stand. However, the book is not a stand-alone; readers do need to be familiar with the first two titles in order to appreciate the events and characters in this one."
#1 New York Times Bestseller
#1 Publishers Weekly Bestseller
A New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2010
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
A 2010 Booklist Editors' Choice
A 2010 Kirkus Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2010
#1 USA Today Bestseller
#1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller

5.  Connections
This is a great book for any book club to read, adults or teens.
Other female heroines in science fiction novels:
Aguirre, Ann.  ENCLAVE.  ISBN 9780312650087
Condie, Ally.  MATCHED.  ISBN 9780142419779
Roth, Veronica.  DIVERGENT.  ISBN 9780062024022