Sunrise on the Reaping: What You Need to Know Before You Read Suzanne Collins' New Book

Suzanne Collins, along with Scholastic Press and Lionsgate, announced that her new book, Sunrise on the Reaping, will be published March 18, 2025 and the corresponding film will be released November 20, 2026. This post serves to recap what we already know about the setting and characters to prepare for this fifth installment in The Hunger Games series. I don't know about you, but I am so excited! March cannot get here quickly enough.
SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read the excerpt released by People or any of the other books in the series, the information below WILL be spoilers for Sunrise on the Reaping.

What we already know

• With the release of an excerpt of the novel, we know it will be told in first person point-of-view (POV) by Haymitch Abernathy. This POV follows the first three novels, which were told in first person from Katniss Everdeen's perspective. This differs from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which was told in third person from the perspective of Coriolanus Snow.
• We also know that it begins on Reaping day for the 50th Hunger Games (and a Quarter Quell), which is also Haymitch's 16th birthday. We learned in Catching Fire (and are reminded in the new excerpt) that this Quarter Quell (which happens every 25 years) will reap double the number of tributes: instead of two from each of the 12 districts, there will be four children from each, totaling 48 participants.
• Haymitch has a younger brother: Sid, who is 10. He is not eligible for the reaping.
• His mom is a widow; Haymitch's dad was killed in a coal mine fire when he was younger. 
• Haymitch has a love interest: Lenore Dove. We first learn of her in Mockingjay when Haymitch says that President Snow had everyone he loved killed within two weeks of his victory: "My mother and younger brother. My girl. They were all dead two weeks after I was crowned victor." (page 172) 
• We know from Catching Fire (pages 196-202) that Maysilee Donner, Madge Undersee's aunt and the original owner of the mockingjay pin, is one of Haymitch's fellow tributes. Maysilee was also Katniss's mom's best friend. We also know that we'll see Katniss's mom at the reaping because they hug before Maysilee takes the stage.
• From these same pages we learn that Haymitch is young, strong, and quite good-looking. His hair is dark and curly and he has gray Seam eyes. In his interview with Caesar Flickerman he exudes arrogance, snarkiness, and indifference.
• We know that Haymitch goes straight to the Cornucopia for weapons and a backpack of supplies when the gong sounds. His weapon of choice becomes a knife. The arena is described on page 198 of Catching Fire as "...the most breathtaking place imaginable." It's a flower-filled meadow with woods and a snow-capped mountain in the distance. After grabbing his supplies, Haymitch heads for the woods.
• The beauty of the arena is an illusion, as most of the fruit and flowers are poisonous. The only things safe to consume are rainwater and items from the Cornucopia. Haymitch has to fight off carnivorous squirrels and contend with deadly butterflies.
• Maysilee grabs one small backpack with a blow-dart weapon that she easily utilizes with the poisons available in the arena.
• On the fourth day of the Games, a volcano erupts, taking out at least a dozen tributes and all but five of the Careers.
• Haymitch and Maysilee use the woods for concealment. On page 199 of Catching Fire, we learn that Haymitch encounters three of the Careers. He kills two of them with his knife but the third is able to disarm him. Maysilee comes to his rescue by killing the third Career with her blow dart. The two become allies.
• Haymitch is determined to find the end of the arena. When they find a cliff, Haymitch decides to stay there and allow the remaining tributes to come to them. (p. 200) Maysilee disagrees with this and the two part ways. There are only five tributes left, including them.
• Haymitch accidentally comes across the invisible force field when he kicks a pebble off the side of the cliff and it flies back up at him a minute later. He realizes the force field acts like a boomerang. (p. 201)
• Maysilee is killed by a flock of "candy pink birds" that "skewer her through the neck" (p. 201). Much like Katniss with Rue, Haymitch holds her hand as she dies.
• In the end, it's Haymitch and a District 1 female tribute left. They get into a bloody fight and she ends up disarming him. His injuries are life-threatening (he has to hold his intestines in) as he makes his way for the cliff. He reaches the edge and waits for the girl to throw her ax at him. When she does, he ducks and allows it to fly off the cliff. Both tributes are dying, but Haymitch knows in a minute that ax will fly back and kill her. (pages 201-202)
• As punishment for manipulating the Games and making the Capitol look bad, President Snow has everyone Haymitch loves killed (his mom, brother, and girlfriend) within two weeks of being declared the Victor, as mentioned above in Mockingjay.

What this could mean for Sunrise on the Reaping

Movies don't always follow everything in the books, as we know all too well from the Hunger Games movies. For example, Haymitch was always described as having dark, curly hair. He was from the Seam, after all. But Woody Harrelson, a blonde actor, has always portrayed him without dying his hair (unlike Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, who both colored their hair to match their character's). Will they try to find an actor that genuinely portrays Haymitch from the books or someone who looks like a young Woody Harrelson? Personally, I want someone true to the book. 
The similarities between Haymitch and Katniss are noticeable. Both are raised by single moms. Both lost their fathers in coal mine fires/explosions. Both have a younger sibling to care for. Both use the woods for hunting and feeding their family. Both ally with their fellow district tributes. Both have to watch a friend die in the arena. Both defy the Capitol in the Games, manipulating the outcome to become Victors. I think this book will be a great opportunity for teachers to have students compare and contrast the two protagonists. 
According to the book jacket synopsis, Haymitch's fellow District 12 tributes include "...a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town." Obviously, Maysilee is the "stuck-up" girl. But knowing that there will be a young girl who is like a sister to him will be excruciating to see her death. Will they ally right away? Will it be another Rue situation all over again? 
I love that we will see a glimpse of Katniss's mother. Because the book is told from Haymitch's perspective, we won't see much as she is not from the Seam, but perhaps we will see Katniss's father? Maybe Haymitch was even friends with him? Will we finally learn their names?
Lenore Dove: Haymitch identifies her in the book with both names, indicating perhaps she has a double first name like Lucy Gray Baird. In addition, her second name Dove not only represents the peaceful songbird but a shade of gray. Members of the Covey all had second first names that were colors. Could Lenore Dove be a descendant of one of the members of the Covey? 
Also, the name Lenore has many references in literature. If you've taught Edgar Allan Poe, you know he not only wrote a poem named "Lenore," but her death was the source of the narrator's grief in his famous poem "The Raven." There is also a poem called "Lenore" by German author Gottfried August Bürger written in 1773. Teachers can use these poems for analysis and comparison of themes.
There is no doubt that this will be just as emotionally charged as The Hunger Games (and all the books, honestly). Will it be worse because we know it's coming? 
If you'd like to chat more about things, you can find me on Instagram and Facebook. Just comment on my post about this! I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks for reading!-Tracee

Happy New Year! Resolutions, Freebie, & Hunger Games Haymitch Humor

Happy New Year, Friends!

I apologize for my lack of posts lately. I've been pretty busy this month working on my Divergent novel unit (I'll post the link as soon as I get it up), so my blogging has been obsolete lately.

RESOLUTION...
My resolution is to blog a little more here and on my other blog: Mrs. Orman's Classroom. How about you? What do you resolve to do in 2014?


FREE ACTIVITY DOWNLOAD...
In case you haven't seen it yet, here's my 2014 New Year Activities FREE download. Enjoy!

HAYMITCH HUMOR...

And last but certainly not least, here's some Haymitch humor for you. Seemed fitting on New Year's to include him. ;)

From my Facebook Fan Page:

Post by Hunger Games Trilogy Teaching Resources.

Please be responsible. Unlike Haymitch.

Post by Hunger Games Trilogy Teaching Resources.

Catching Fire Movie Review Part 2: Least Favorite Moments *Spoiler Alert*

While I actually really liked the sequel "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire", there were a few things that kind of disappointed me. Are these deal-breakers? Not really, though the subtle hint at what is to come kind of worries me (I address this in my final point, below). Overall, I think the movie was a much better representation of the novel than the first. You can read all my favorite moments HERE. Continue on for my least favorite (which is a much smaller list, by the way).

*This list contains SPOILERS to the Catching Fire novel and movie AND Mockingjay novel.*


Moments that disappointed in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" movie:

• Plutarch's missing watch...why leave it out? Was it going to be too obvious? Too much of a giveaway? I don't know, but it seemed such an important part of the book and I couldn't help being disappointed when it was left out.

• Peeta training with the morphlings...This isn't really a disappointing scene since it was left out. We're teased about it in US Weekly, but it never made it to the final cut. I really hope they put the deleted scenes on the DVD extras. I'd like to see more of everything from the movie!


• Katniss's Jesus-like sacrificial crane ride into the hovercraft...This was a little too overdone for my taste. I get that it's symbolic; I get that she thinks she is dead (anyone who read the book knows this already). So when she takes this ride up I really didn't need the arms-out Jesus-on-the-cross image to reinforce it. Besides, the flames below only made her outline look even more green-screened and fake.


• Finnick's unemotional appeal on the hovercraft...In the book, Finnick is ready to die alongside Katniss; he's an emotional wreck. The fact that Annie will probably be tortured by President Snow is too much to bear. And yet, here he is in the movie scheming along with Haymitch and Plutarch, not at all frazzled and desperate.


• The final scene with Katniss on the table...The second time I saw the movie, all I could think about was how much it reminded me of Bella in Twilight's Breaking Dawn Part 1 final scene. *Cringe* I know there is absolutely no comparison, but this really didn't do it for me for the ending.
  I see the look of terror in her eyes, then she slightly squints, telling us that she wants to seek revenge against the Capitol. But that's not how the book ends. Nor is it how Mockingjay starts. She wants nothing to do with this rebellion. She doesn't want to be the damn mockingjay. It infuriates her when she realizes she's just a pawn. She is so against the rebellion, it takes five chapters in Mockingjay to convince her to be the mockingjay. And even then she only does it on certain conditions.
  But, the look in her eyes at the end of the movie tells us she has committed to the cause, like a soldier who has signed on to fight in a war, not realizing the horrors that come next. Like she has it all together and will help lead the revolution. Somehow that look in her eyes at the end felt fake, contrived, because Katniss never really feels this way in the novels. Not once does Suzanne Collins glorify war in her novels. Not a single death is gratifying, including those of Presidents Coin and Snow. Katniss is an utter wreck at the end of Catching Fire; if she had squeezed her eyes closed and let a single tear fall, that final scene would have been more fitting.


My final notes:

After Katniss shoots the forcefield,
none of the characters are ever the same again.

  If Francis Lawrence wants to show how war hurts everyone, he can't show Katniss as a strong warrior anymore. We know from the books that as soon as Katniss lets that arrow fly into the forcefield, none of the characters–besides maybe Beetee–are ever the same again, including the Girl on Fire. They are merely survivors in a world they don't even want to belong. Depressing? Yes.
  But we must put aside this desperation to make Katniss commercially appealing in order to stay true to the message of the novels: war is completely depressing. Everyone loses. Everyone is broken. And we spend our entire lives trying to put the pieces back together.


Which moments were less-than-stellar in your opinion? Please share in the comments below.

Sources--All references to and images from the movie and novel are credited to:
©2013"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" Lions Gate Entertainment Inc.® http://www.lionsgate.com/
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins ©Sep 2009, Suzanne Collins, publ. Scholastic Press, 978-0-439-02349-8 http://www.scholastic.com/home/
Other images: Hunger Games Explorer - http://www.thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/
http://mockingjay.net/2013/11/13/hi-res-stills-the-hunger-games-catching-fire/peeta-morphling/

Which Catching Fire Quotes MUST Make the Movie?

Which quotes from Catching Fire are must-haves for the movie? 

Some of my favorite lines from the novel aren't actually quotes, but thoughts from Katniss's stream of consciousness (or internal monologue). I think they are essential to tell the story, but I don't know how they can be portrayed in the movie. This, of course, is where good acting comes in and I have no doubt that Jennifer Lawrence will be able to express these things without words. And we probably agree that some thoughts are just better if they aren't spoken aloud because it diminishes their meaning or sounds awkward.

For example, I love these lines from the book, but I know they would not have the same impact if they were spoken out loud:

“I realize the answer to who I am lies in that handful of poisonous fruit.” -Katniss, p. 118

“...everything will just get more complicated and I really can't think about kissing when I've got a rebellion to incite.” -Katniss, p. 125-126

“I have only one real friend in here.  And he isn’t from District 4.” -Katniss, p. 276

“I have always known who the enemy is. Who starves and tortures and kills us in the arena. Who will soon kill everyone I love.” -Katniss, p. 378

“The bird, the pin, the song, the berries, the watch, the cracker, the dress that burst into flames. I am the mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol’s plans. The symbol of the rebellion.” -Katniss, p. 386-387

Therefore, I am counting on Jennifer Lawrence to do another phenomenal job expressing these lines, conveying their meaning.

The actual quotes I do hope make the movie include:

“You could do a lot worse, you know.” -Haymitch, p. 45

“I only ever spoke to Thresh one time. Just long enough for him to spare my life. I didn't know him, but I always respected him. For his power. For his refusal to play the Games on anyone's terms but his own. The Careers wanted him to team up with them from the beginning, but he wouldn't do it. I respected him for that.”  -Katniss p. 60

“But I feel as if I did know Rue, and she'll always be with me. Everything beautiful brings her to mind. I see her in the yellow flowers that grow in the Meadow by my house. I see her in the mockingjays that sing in the trees. But most of all, I see her in my sister, Prim.”  -Katniss, p. 61

“Well, with an uprising in District Eight, I doubt he's spending much time choosing my wedding cake!” -Katniss, p. 99

“You could live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve him, you know.” -Haymitch, p. 178

“I just want to spend every possible minute of the rest of my life with you.” -Peeta, p. 244

“You just remember who the enemy is.” -Haymitch, p. 260

“I don’t care if you are knocked up, I’ll rip your throat out.” -Johanna, p. 328

“If they really killed her like this, they’d probably have an uprising on their hands...Don’t want that, do they? Whole country in rebellion? Wouldn’t want anything like that!” -Johanna, p. 346

"So it's you and a syringe against the Capitol? See, this is why no one lets you make the plans." -Haymitch, p. 384

“We had to save you because you’re the mockingjay, Katniss.” -Plutarch, p. 386

“I wish [Annie] was dead...I wish they were all dead and we were, too. It would be best.” -Finnick, p. 389

I am sure there are many more. Which ones are your favorites that you think are essential to the movie? Post your feedback in the comments below.

Read more about using quotes as a classroom activity here.

All quotes are from:
Collins, Suzanne, and Elizabeth B. Parisi. Catching Fire. New York: Scholastic Press, 2009. Print.
ISBN-10: 9780439023498
ISBN-13: 978-0439023498

Happy St. Patrick's Day, Haymitch Style: Exploring Heritage in The Hunger Games

St. Patrick's Day seems to be a fitting holiday for Haymitch: stumbling drunks are just part of the festivities.

But, it does make me wonder (perhaps I should write, "it's one of the Things That Make Me Go Hmmmm...") about different heritages and ethnic backgrounds of the characters in The Hunger Games trilogy.

I first read about the topic on a guest post by Elizabeth Baird Hardy (EBH: Don't Go Down Into That Hole...) on the Hogwarts Professor website April 14, 2010. We then had a nice exchange in the comments section about the roots of the characters from District 12, especially Katniss and the other Seam characters (I posted as "Tracee"). 

Obviously in the movie Haymitch is portrayed with blonde hair; but in the book, he is "Seam" like Katniss and Gale with gray eyes, olive skin, and dark hair. The term "Melungeon" is brought up by commenter "Laurelkat" in the article, which sparks everyone's interest. This was the first time I had heard that term used to describe the Seam characters, but it certainly isn't the last time it's explored.

Classroom Connections

Have your students use inductive reasoning (context clues of character descriptions: physical traits, personalities, habits, dialects, location in Panem, etc.) to infer the District 12 citizens' background/ethnicity. 

As an added challenge, have students try to infer the other district citizens' roots. Depending on which book your students are reading, some districts may have no context clues to draw from. For readers of The Hunger Games, have them attempt District 11. Readers of Catching Fire can attempt Districts 3, 4, 7, and 11. And readers of all three can try to attempt them all. 

Hunger Games Inspired Valentine Cards

Last year I was inspired by our friends over at Novel Novice and their literature-inspired Valentines, so I created some fun Hunger Games Valentines (shown on right).

This year I've expanded my "collection" into a full-blown download (in higher-quality for better printing).  You can download them in my store {HERE}, or on Scribd {HERE}.

Here's a preview of some of the newer Valentines that you can share with your students. Or, better yet, have them create their own, inspired by any book! You can download a template {HERE}.

New Hunger Games Character Posters Have Your Head Swooning?

 

Oh my goodness. Is your heart swooning over the new Lionsgate® Hunger Games movie posters?  I just love seeing all the actors in character, especially Peeta and Katniss. 

Last night the Hunger Games Fireside Chat had a special broadcast to discuss these new releases. Highlights included discussing Cinna's gold eyeliner (airbrushed or naturally applied?),  Haymitch's long blonde hair (a super-long comb-over, perhaps?) and formal attire, Peeta's sad look, Katniss's flawless skin (but logo placed on the side of her head that looks like Princess Leia as Shylah pointed out via Hunger Games DWTC), Gale's scowl and unnaturally long neck, the beauty and innocence that Rue encompasses, Cato's non-menacing look (and the fact that Cato was included with this bunch) and Effie's pink (or grayish?) hair and outlandish Capitol style. It was an interesting episode and you can catch up by listening here and follow the tweets under the #HGFiresideChat hashtag on Twitter or TweetChat.

Warning: there are some minor spoilers as I discuss my thoughts on the posters.

I have to say that I do love Gale's scowl. I think it is fitting with his character: he is an angry man. The Capitol has taken his father and left him, like Katniss, responsible for his family's survival. He has a lot of angst inside, ready to unleash. 

Rue is perfect. Innocent, sad. Exactly how I pictured her. Can anyone say that Lenny Kravitz is not Cinna now? He is perfect. I was expecting a black t-shirt rather than the bluish button-down (and gold chain), yet it works. Savanna brought up the question about whether he has a pendant at the end of the chain. The way it falls it seems very plausible. And I would love to see what it would be. What do you think Cinna would have hanging on the end? A ring to hold glasses? A simple stone pendant? A token of his own, like some sort of swirly symbol that defines who he is? Perhaps bottled flames? A tape measure or pins? (I love guessing.)

Effie is great: she looks Capitolish with her crazy make-up. I just thought her hair would be brighter. And Haymitch...well, he is not at all how I pictured. I thought balding with darker hair. An observant listener pointed out that Katniss describes his black curly hair in Catching Fire when they watch Haymitch's reaping tape. But, this small matter doesn't upset me. I know Woody will be perfect as Haymitch, so the blond hair is OK with me. I was just surprised at the length of it. And his upturned collar was odd. But it made sense if he was being dressed and cleaned up by Capitol hands, as another panelist pointed out (I have a hard time keeping voices straight while listening, except for Sam's and Adam's, of course). This is most likely how they would, indeed, dress him. Although I pictured the fashion to be more futurish rather than classically-styled.

Cato. Why the inclusion of Cato with this group? Why not Prim? Why not Thresh? Here's my take on this: Cato is the antagonist in the novel for Katniss. All along, he is the real threat, the one standing in her way to victory. Even though we see little of him in Katniss's narrative, I believe he'll play a much bigger role in the movie. He has to. We'll see Peeta interact with him, making a deal with the Careers, and follow their path of hunting Katniss. Cato is the Career leader. This is a bigger role than Prim. Prim's spotlight will come later in Mockingjay, where Katniss spends so much more time with her beloved sister. Thresh and Foxface seem to operate alone, so their parts will be slightly smaller than Cato's. So I was not surprised with Cato's presence amongst the others.  As far as his expression, I'm actually glad we don't see a menacing look. In the end, we do feel for this boy, who is, after all, only human and a product of his environment. Another Capitol pawn who has had no life of his own.Will we see more of this Cato throughout the Games instead of the very end, where he pleads with his eyes for Katniss to end his misery? It could help Katniss realize sooner who the real enemy is. I like the idea of Cato's evil being toned down.

Interesting tidbits: The listeners from Victor's Village (@VictorsVillage) pointed out that Cato, Peeta, and Gale are all missing their Adam's apples. They were surely trimmed and smoothed over in Photoshop, but it is kind of odd once it's pointed out. President Snow (@PresidentSnow) wondered why his poster wasn't released. And others expressed interest in seeing Prim, Caesar Flickerman, Thresh, Foxface, and Clove.

So, what do you think of the new posters? Any thoughts on Katniss's facing to the right and the rest facing to the left? 

Will you buy any of them for your classroom? I think I might have to. I really love how so much emotion is expressed in their single poses. The innocence, the anger, the sadness, the strength. Perfect.

 All photos are courtesy of Lionsgate®, Entertainment Weekly, and the Hunger Games Examiner. 

T-Minus One Year and Counting...

Jennifer Lawrence will play Katniss Everdeen.

Just one year from today and we could be sitting in a movie theater (with or without our students) watching Katniss and Peeta come to life on the big screen! I don't know about you, but I am both excited and a little nervous about seeing The Hunger Games movie. Mostly excited. But nervous because very few of my favorite books ever satisfy me when they are played out in the movies.

For example, Twilight. Great book. Terrible movie (sorry fans, but the acting really stunk). And did it get better with New Moon? No. In fact, I think it was worse. I did find Eclipse to be a little better. But breaking up Breaking Dawn into two movies?? Seriously!? I mean, I just don't see how there will be enough material to do that. It's not like Harry Potter where there's plenty of scenes to choose from in order to break it up.

Another terrible movie made from a decent book is My Sister's Keeper. The ending really ticked me off but there were so many other changes I questioned that just didn't make sense. It's not like I really loved the book, so maybe that's why I really hated the movie.

 The Time Traveler's Wife was disappointing, as well. I really loved that book. But the movie left me...unsatisfied. I liked the actors and most of the changes were OK, but the final scene, again!!  Why mess up the end of the book, I ask!?  Why!?

So, besides the Harry Potter movies, I've been a little reluctant to get excited about novel-inspired movies lately. But there is hope. There are some really great role models. Some of my favorite movies-made-from-books include Gone With the Wind, The Outsiders, and The Joy Luck Club. And I shall include To Kill a Mockingbird. It is still good when comparing it to other movies-from-novels, but there are some parts that I really wish they hadn't changed because it defeated the author's purpose.

I know that Gary Ross will do a great job directing; he has already listened pretty well to fans and kept an open mind. Suzanne Collins is involved, which is great because it is her vision, ultimately, so having that source's input is never a negative for a movie. And the more I read/see/hear about Jennifer Lawrence, the more I really like her in the role as Katniss. To be honest, I could not picture anyone in either her role or Peeta's. So I do like that they selected someone mature who can act and who can pull off the toughness of Katniss, as well as the glamorous Katniss.Yep, Jennifer does have both qualities.

Josh Hutcherson should be Peeta.

OK, so the second most important role is Peeta and I do believe Josh Hutcherson would be a perfect compliment to Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss. Like I said, I really couldn't picture anyone until I had read that Josh was a contender. Then light bulbs went off and I thought, "YES!"  I really loved him in "Bridge to Terabithia" and "The Kids are Alright". And even though "Zathura" wasn't the greatest movie, I really liked him in that, too. He has that sweetness–a special quality as a person that you can't act or learn. You can just see it in him. A mixture of innocence and modesty. That is how I picture Peeta. So what if he doesn't have blond hair and blue eyes now? Plenty of people are able to change hair & eye color, so I'm sure Hollywood would have no problem helping him look the part.

So the other roles? I'm not sure. The voice I've always heard in my head for Haymitch has been that of Brian Doyle-Murray (think "Groundhog Day"). It's that scratchy, rough voice. I can totally hear him saying, "You got about as much charm as a dead slug." But he's probably too old. I also pictured Nick Nolte, but again, too old, probably. Robert Downey, Jr. could look the part, but his voice would need to be a little gruffer, I think. Haymitch isn't a big word-slurrer; he's just a rude drunk. The part shouldn't be overacted, which I could see someone like Downey doing. Now that Charlie Sheen is available, he may just be insane enough to pull off Haymitch.

So who would fit the bill for Gale or Prim? Those two I just don't know. Gale needs to be a tough guy; cocky and a little rough. Prim needs to be sweet and caring, petite. I really think Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch are the real stars in the series, so those are the ones that are the most important to cast correctly. The rest have minor roles (yes, even Gale's role really is minor until Mockingjay, but even then it's not as important as Peeta's, in my opinion).

A younger Josh Hutcherson...yes, that sweetness is definitely Peeta!

I just hope Alex Pettyfer is NOT cast as Peeta. That role is not right for him at all. Have him be Finnick or Cato...but please not Peeta!

Ok, so that is my two cents. Feel free to put your own two cents in the comment section. :)

Inspire Creativity with Hunger Games Valentines

Novel Novice's Hunger Games Valentines

As Valentine's Day quickly approaches, why not have your students create unique Valentine cards, inspired by The Hunger Games or their favorite novel? This brilliant idea came from Novel Novice's excellent Hunger Games-inspired Valentines! (Check them out by clicking on the link.)


Use it as a class activity or assign as an enrichment project. Have your students create a Valentine that one character might send to another character, or use a quote from the literature in the design. This can work well during a poetry unit, as well; have students write short love poems on index cards and decorate them as Valentines.

You can find more of Novel Novice's literary Valentines here: http://novelnovice.com/features/downloads/valentines/ or here for younger students: http://www.mrsp.com/Activities.aspx.

And because I can rarely resist the temptation to do anything creative, here's one I created, Haymitch-inspired:

 

And another more generic one: 

 

Here they are in printable pages to cut & hand out. Works best if printed on card stock:

Hunger Games Pencils Make Perfect Prizes

The Hunger Games-inspired pencils are fun, inexpensive, and last longer than candy!

    Let's face it, as teachers we'll pretty much do anything to motivate our students to do their best. It's amazing what a little piece of chocolate or Jolly Rancher® candy can do to inspire greatness in a 15-year-old boy. One of my favorites is giving out "Smartie Pants" awards using Smarties® candy. But buying candy can add up (unless you stock up right after a holiday) and it's not really a healthy choice. 

    Using homework coupons or free homework late passes are good, but what if they use it on an assignment you really wanted them to practice? A better alternative might be a coupon to drop their lowest homework assignment score; they still have to practice the skill, but get a break if they don't do well on one of them.

Katniss Everdeen-inspired pencils

Forget Team Edward or Jacob...I'm Team Katniss!

    Another option is creating pencils themed to your unit. I've been ordering personalized pencils through Oriental Trading for years. It's fun to use some of your favorite quotes from an author or character in the novel, or just to generate excitement for your unit. 

Peeta Mellark-inspired pencils

    Now I know as well as anyone that a pencil just does not "do it" for a high schooler, as far as prizes go.  BUT...what if the pencil had a quote from their favorite character? Or declared they were "Team Peeta"? My students went crazy over these and wanted one of each... of course, they had to earn them!

    Some past pencils I've done that were big hits included Twilight themed "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob", "I Drive Like a Cullen," and "Mrs. Cullen"; To Kill a Mockingbird themed "Hey Boo," and "Bob Ewell Fell on His Knife," and The Tragedy of Julius Caesar inspired "Beware the Ides of March" and "Et tu, Brute? Then fall, Caesar."

Rue & Thresh tribute pencils

The pencils I had printed for The Hunger Games trilogy include (some possible spoilers below):
The Hunger Games
Hunger Games Tribute
I Survived The Hunger Games
Hunger Games Victory Tour
Catching Fire
District 12 Survivor
Mockingjay
District 13 Rebel

Catching Fire-themed pencils

I Am The Mockingjay
Real or Not Real? Real.
Katniss: The Girl On Fire
Peeta: The Boy With The Bread
Peeta's Final Defense (On a camouflage pencil)
Rue: District 11 Tribute
Thresh: District 11 Tribute
Team Katniss:  Hunger Games
Team Peeta:  Hunger Games
Team Gale: Hunger Games

Mockingjay-themed pencils

Team Haymitch: Hunger Games
Here's Some Advice: Stay Alive
As Charming as a Dead Slug

    There were some I wanted to make but couldn't because of the 30-character length restriction (such as "May the odds be ever in your favor"). And these are the ones I have on order: "Still Betting On You" and "Always." I also want to do one for Prim & Buttercup. Buttercup's will probably read, "Buttercup: World's Ugliest Cat." I'd like to try to fit Boggs's quote, "We just saw Finnick Odair in his underpants" so I've been playing around with something like "As Impressive as Finnick in His Undies" but that is still too long.  Any suggestions?? Post below if you do!

Miscellaneous literature-inspired pencils

But how would I store that many pencils?
     If you buy these pencils in bulk like I do, you'll need to store them somewhere. Those who know me know that I have a hard time throwing away things. Surely everything can be recycled in some form, right!? One of the best pencil holders I've found is from recycling my CD cake boxes/spindles. Since I go through a lot of blank CDs, these are great for storing pencils or bookmarks or using them as a "hat" (as in "drawing a number out of a hat").  And the actual spindle itself can serve as a handy-dandy ring toss game if paired with a roll of masking tape (which most teachers have access to!). You can use the "ring toss" as an added element in your test-review games. If a student answers a question correctly, they get a chance to toss the ring for a bonus point. Make it harder using a smaller roll of tape or make them stand further back. It is harder than you think and you may have to tape the spindle to the floor or weigh it down with a paperweight so it doesn't tip as easily.

Recycle your old CD/DVD cake boxes...

The CD/DVD cake box: It's the perfect size for storing large quantities of pencils!

And don't forget the spindle: Add a roll of tape & you've got an instant game of ring toss!

All of my shipped items come with a themed pencil.  If you have a special request, email me to let me know. Each order of The Hunger Games Trilogy Teaching Unit CDs receives a set of 3 pencils. (UPDATED NOTE: Because orientaltrading.com raised their prices on the pencils, I haven't been able to include these with recent CD orders. I also found they sometimes damage the CD case.)

The Hunger Games Trilogy-themed pencils