To Hunger Games or Not

Recently I've been flooded with requests for copies of The Hunger Games from students in grades 3, 4, and 5. My answer is always the same, "No, that book is not appropriate for an elementary library." Students challenge that response. They want to read it, their friends are reading it. One third grader told me it was the best book she ever read. It did take five months for her to read because she kept losing it in her toy box. (I'm not kidding.)

I am not the reading police. The librarian's job is to assure access to a wide range of information. A librarian cannot eliminate books on the military if she were a pacifist or eliminate books on Creation or Evolution based on her religious beliefs. However, I do have to consider the audience of our school and the quality of the materials. Before purchasing any item for the library, I read reviews to assure the quality is high, and I consider the age a book is recommended for. Often age recommendations vary. If in doubt, I order the book from the public library to review the material before purchasing the item.

I also consult the website Commonsense Media. This site reviews all sorts of media- books, movies, games, and websites and gives each  item an age recommendation. It also breaks down the details as to why an age recommendation was given. Then the public can chime in with its own ratings. Commonsense Media rates all three books in the Hunger Games series for ages 12 and up. Read the review here.

It is up to each family to determine the appropriateness of reading material for its own children. I am happy to make recommendations if you'd like to find books for each of your children to read. For now, I won't be recommending any of your children aged 11 and under read The Hunger Games.