Hunger Games: have you read/seen it? Have your kids?
April 20, 2012
When our 11.5-year old daughter was picking out a new book at the store a few months ago, she snatched up The Hunger Games. More often, I feel like I want to tell them what to read. Less often, I feel like I want to tell them what NOT to read.
I knew nothing of the book, aside from the fact that 3 of my daughters closer friends had already read it and loved it. "She looooooved this book", my daughter oozed. Well, ok. Fine by me. I know her friends and their families and, though you can't judge a book by its cover, I felt affirmed that the book was fine/acceptable just based on that. I skimmed the back cover and thought it was curious my daughter was drawn to a fantasy-like, darker book. I actually was glad to have her branching out of her typical genre of Lauren Myracle's The Winnie Series.
When we got home, she devoured the book in a day. She did the same the next day. She begged for the second and third books in the series (buy, not borrow, since there were about 154 holds on each at the library). We bought them. She reads them over and over and over again, and then she reads them again.
When we talked about the content, I was surprised I didn't make myself know more: teens forced to kill themselves. Wow, really? OK. Starting to question myself, I started to read the book, but I haven't gotten past page 20. So, I went to Common Sense Media and read their book review on The Hunger Games.
A few weeks ago, The Hunger Games Movie came out. It is rated PG13, and our daughter is 11. Well, she's 11 and a half. Her friends went to see it with their parents on opening night. Some friends have seen it again since. Knowing the content of the book, knowing the movie rating, and knowing that seeing things is different than reading things, our daughter has agreed with our decision that she won't be seeing it until she's 13 (she's looking forward to her birthday)!
I have had mama friends who have read the book(s) (in one night, even), and I am curious to hear everyone's thoughts: have you read it? seen it? has your son/daughter read it? seen it?
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