Dystopian society or sci fi literature study for Middle School? Feel free to join the discussion...

[Critterfixer]

 

ALso, I always go into a funk after a dystpian book, though I really love them.  I'd try to mix them up with some more hopeful titles! 

 

Preachin' to the choir, but amen! 

[Tanaqui]

Another I didn't include earlier would be The Handmaid's Tale.  This might be more "post apocalyptic" than utopian though- I'd put Ender's Game in that category as well.  Basica premise is a society in which only  a small percentage of women have fertility due to something (radiation damage?  can't remember) and so they are basically bought and sold amongst the rich and have no rights.

 

1. Unsurprisingly,  post-apocalyptic fiction and dystopias overlap quite a bit, although I can name  a few post-apocalyptic books that are not dystopian in nature. Alas, Babylon!, Sky Jumpers, Stranger (by Rachel Manija). When it comes to Handmaid, I think the dystopian aspect has to do with the fact that they're living in an extremely repressive state. And of course, there are dystopias that are not post-apocalyptic, such as This Perfect Day or the Maddadam Trilogy - the apocalypse there punctuates the dystopia, it doesn't cause it.

2. I don't think the author ever makes it terribly clear why things were so bad, fertility wise. The protagonist knew, but she didn't feel it was worth mentioning, probably because everybody knew. There was clearly some sort of radiation or chemical damage done, though, as prisoners are mentioned cleaning it up. That might have been unrelated.

 

They are extremely violent, but what I appreciate about them is how they show the *reality* of the "games"- the lead character suffers PTSD and mental breakdowns as a result, and I feel this element of reality is missing from a lot of "escapist" style lit that might be equally violent.

 

 

1. I'm of the opinion that Katniss not only is suffering from PTSD since the games, she's been suffering from complex PTSD since before the start of the book, ever since her father died.

 

2. Grasping the extent of her PTSD is the key to understanding the last book, I think. So many people complain that her actions make no sense or that she's "whiny", but she's really not getting the help she needs. People have sympathy for other obviously mentally ill* people in that book, but not Katniss just because she superficially is coping better. The PTSD also helps explain why she's never a terribly pro-active character. Things happen to her, and she reacts, but she doesn't do things on her own.

 

* Wait, is PTSD considered a mental illness or is there another term I should have used?

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

2. Grasping the extent of her PTSD is the key to understanding the last book, I think. So many people complain that her actions make no sense or that she's "whiny", but she's really not getting the help she needs. People have sympathy for other obviously mentally ill* people in that book, but not Katniss just because she superficially is coping better. The PTSD also helps explain why she's never a terribly pro-active character. Things happen to her, and she reacts, but she doesn't do things on her own.

 

* Wait, is PTSD considered a mental illness or is there another term I should have used?

 

Yes!  It is hard to like Katmiss because she is wishy-washy, indecisive, she doesn't WANT to be in a revolution, she really just wants to crawl back into a hole where she has been hiding her whole life.  And yet, she is so much more real as a character than had the author written a happy-go-lucky Robin Hood/Luke Skywalker combatting the evil empire.  This is part of the reason why the books are inappropriate for twelve year olds for the most part.  Katmiss is not a "hero" in the traditional sense of the word, but her actions are motivated but intrinsic virtues- loyalty mainly- that make her admirable in spite of faults.  I think most middle schoolers are still looking for main characters who they can identify with and like.  Heck, I prefer it that way!  I had the hardest time reading Emma (for the first time this year... ahem.) because she was so petty and unlikeable!  Compare that to Pride and Prejudice, which I loved. 

 

And yes that she- and everyone in the sectors- is living in a state of either PTSD or long-term mental abuse by the Capitol. 

 

--------- and now back to not derailing this thread... sorry OP! ------------------

 

[Pen]

...

 

--------- and now back to not derailing this thread... sorry OP! ------------------

 

 

I know OP was asking about study guides, but I am finding these discussions helpful, not a derailing to me, and I think themselves could be helpful both for people choosing what to read and also helping their children to understand the books!

 

So, unless OP objects, I wish people would continue to discuss these books, content, things like needing to understand that a character has PTSD, etc.

[Saddlemomma]

I haven't read the other replies, so please forgive me if I'm repeating a suggestion, but how about 1984 by Orwell?  There are plenty of study guides available for it.

 

• http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/study.html
• http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDEQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.penguin.com%2Fstatic%2Fpdf%2Fteachersguides%2F1984.pdf&ei=4g6GVKraNMOdgwT0koQ4&usg=AFQjCNGWlJ6iHHjSA3-PupwiRCVKFJxSHQ&sig2=9-6q0Jg2o5TjzwhT1HKpOQ&bvm=bv.80642063,d.eXY  (free PDF)
• http://pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pm198402.asp

 

Another one that comes to mind is The Stand by King.  However I only found one study guide available online: http://www.enotes.com/topics/stand .  Another option would be to read the book together, and then watch the miniseries, matching up episodes according to the chapters you read.  You could then compare and contrast the book with the movie.

 

A third option could be The Giver by Lowry.  Literature guides for this book:

 

• http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Giver/The_Giver01.html
• http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CDwQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scholastic.com%2Fteachers%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fasset%2Ffile%2Fthe-giver-bookfile.pdf&ei=GhOGVMH-CuTLmAX7l4CwAw&usg=AFQjCNGgck2I_M6Qp84SXr0y-uWv3esT_Q&sig2=gvUb5b7Jwl42ek6QZYdV6Q&bvm=bv.80642063,d.dGY
• http://www.bookrags.com/notes/giv/#gsc.tab=0
• http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/g/the-giver/about-the-giver
• http://www.enotes.com/topics/giver

 

HTH

[OneStepAtATime]

I know OP was asking about study guides, but I am finding these discussions helpful, not a derailing to me, and I think themselves could be helpful both for people choosing what to read and also helping their children to understand the books!

 

So, unless OP objects, I wish people would continue to discuss these books, content, things like needing to understand that a character has PTSD, etc.

Actually, I am thrilled that this thread is evolving the way it is.  So much to think about and read through and contemplate, for now and for later.  I am all for open discussion about this!  :)

[Nemom]

Another I didn't include earlier would be The Handmaid's Tale. This might be more "post apocalyptic" than utopian though- I'd put Ender's Game in that category as well. Basica premise is a society in which only a small percentage of women have fertility due to something (radiation damage? can't remember) and so they are basically bought and sold amongst the rich and have no rights. The chilling element is that the steps the women go through from regular citizens to property is exactly the sort of thing that the Taliban put in place in Afghanistan in our recent history.

 

For the record, Ender's Game is in my top ten favorite books in the whole world, just not one I'd class with dystopia. :-D

 

Maybe rather than limiting yourself to dystopian lit, you can do "social commentary" lit.

 

Personally, I would not give Hunger Games to a 12 year old, unless I had some compelling reason to do so. They are extremely violent, but what I appreciate about them is how they show the *reality* of the "games"- the lead character suffers PTSD and mental breakdowns as a result, and I feel this element of reality is missing from a lot of "escapist" style lit that might be equally violent. For the most part, the torrute is done off scene, but it is there and characters do suffer from it.

 

If you are Christian, you might want to add in something like C.S. Lewis Abolition of Man and look at dytopian lit through Lewis's lens. This book is definitely one that would need to be read and re-read together.

 

ALso, I always go into a funk after a dystpian book, though I really love them. I'd try to mix them up with some more hopeful titles!

Since the OP doesn't mind if we veer off topic...

 

Why would you say Ender's Game is one of your top ten favorites? I've been on the fence with this series for dd. It is something that I would also read. No spoilers if possible because I have a hard time reading a book if I know what is going to happen or that a big twist is coming.

 

Did you see the movie? DD likes reading and watching.

[ocelotmom]

Since the OP doesn't mind if we veer off topic...

 

Why would you say Ender's Game is one of your top ten favorites? I've been on the fence with this series for dd. It is something that I would also read. No spoilers if possible because I have a hard time reading a book if I know what is going to happen or that a big twist is coming.

 

Did you see the movie? DD likes reading and watching.

 

I'm not the person who said this, but used to be a big EG fan (I still like it a lot, but I'm not devoting much of my time and attention to participating in fandom anymore )).

 

It's a book about extremely smart kids who feel alienated from those around them because of their intelligence. As such, smart, alienated kids (or former kids) tend to be drawn to it. There are strong, well-characterized male and female characters, giving it broad appeal in that respect. It's relatively well-written, with an intelligent, multilevel, plot. It raises interesting moral/ethical questions. It has a similar appeal to Harry Potter in that select kids go off to a boarding school where they do exciting stuff, and kids who don't identify strongly with it from the gifted kid standpoint often still enjoy it from that perspective.

 

I saw the movie, and felt it was a reasonably good adaptation, given the inherent time constraints.

 

I felt that the original three sequels (Speaker for the Dead, Children of the Mind, and Xenocide) are stronger than the more recent ones, but very different from Ender's Game, and not necessarily as appealing to kids/young teens (as well as covering more adult content). I'm not crazy about most of the more recent ones (and have stopped reading them).

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

Since the OP doesn't mind if we veer off topic...

 

Why would you say Ender's Game is one of your top ten favorites? I've been on the fence with this series for dd. It is something that I would also read. No spoilers if possible because I have a hard time reading a book if I know what is going to happen or that a big twist is coming.

 

Did you see the movie? DD likes reading and watching.

 

EG is not necessarily a book for middle schoolers either, though I did read it about that age.  As previously stated, it is a book about super smart kids saving the world, and as a smart kid, it appealed to me.  It is also the first real science fiction I read, and that launched me into a love for SF.  The book does have some real violence in it.  I would not call it graphic, per-se, but the fact that the violence is between small children makes it a lot worse.  There is some locker room humor as someone else mentioned, I don't mind that though.  I would pre-read this for the younger audience. 

 

EG is well-written, as is Speaker for the Dead.  Things go downhill a bit from there, but I do like the original four books.  The Bean spin-off seems mostly like a money-making ploy. 

 

EG deals with a lot of themes, a big one being that wars are often times based on complete cultural misunderstandings, love and hared, guilt and redemption... there is a lot in there.  And in addition to all that, the sci-fi elements (the battleroom for example) are just superbly well done.  The ending is mind-blowing.  It's just fabulous.  :-)  For a relatively small book, it is just PACKED.

 

The movie:  I would have loved the movie if it had been titled, "Scenes from the book Ender's Game".  I felt the movie was disjointed and would have been hard to understand plot-wise for someone who wasn't familiar with the book.  However, as a book fan, I thought the scenes that were included were very well done, the special effects were great as well.  It just didn't really flow.  I also wished they hadn't tampered with the ending quite as much as they did. 

 

Card recently (?) wrote a book that takes place between Ender's Game and Speaker, and it is pretty good. 

[Nemom]

EG is not necessarily a book for middle schoolers either, though I did read it about that age. As previously stated, it is a book about super smart kids saving the world, and as a smart kid, it appealed to me. It is also the first real science fiction I read, and that launched me into a love for SF. The book does have some real violence in it. I would not call it graphic, per-se, but the fact that the violence is between small children makes it a lot worse. There is some locker room humor as someone else mentioned, I don't mind that though. I would pre-read this for the younger audience.

 

EG is well-written, as is Speaker for the Dead. Things go downhill a bit from there, but I do like the original four books. The Bean spin-off seems mostly like a money-making ploy.

 

EG deals with a lot of themes, a big one being that wars are often times based on complete cultural misunderstandings, love and hared, guilt and redemption... there is a lot in there. And in addition to all that, the sci-fi elements (the battleroom for example) are just superbly well done. The ending is mind-blowing. It's just fabulous. :-) For a relatively small book, it is just PACKED.

 

The movie: I would have loved the movie if it had been titled, "Scenes from the book Ender's Game". I felt the movie was disjointed and would have been hard to understand plot-wise for someone who wasn't familiar with the book. However, as a book fan, I thought the scenes that were included were very well done, the special effects were great as well. It just didn't really flow. I also wished they hadn't tampered with the ending quite as much as they did.

 

Card recently (?) wrote a book that takes place between Ender's Game and Speaker, and it is pretty good.

Thank you for the replies. I may deep digger into this book and use it next year.

 

Dd really enjoyed The Maze Runner series and did not need to be pushed to read. She has not read Divergent or the Hunger Games books but loves those movies. Sticking with this type of book may be what she needs to really get her reading on her own. We did see The Giver movie and she loved it and asked to read those books. I picked up the first one for Christmas. Whatever it takes to ignite that passion works for me...

 

As long as it's age appropriate.

[momto2Cs]

Sparknotes has guides (free but they're not too bad) for:

1984

Hunger Games (all 3 I think)

Enders Games

Fahrenheit 451

Lord of the Flies

The Giver

 

Not sure where to get a guide but I would think Maze Runner would be another option. I liked the movie a lot but haven't read the book yet, it's on my list (still haven't gotten the newest Percy Jackson).

 

My ds loved Maze Runner, and is reading the second book now. I did some searching for any guides for Maze Runner, and ound the following ( no opinion on them yet, just sharing what I found):

 

http://www.gradesaver.com/the-maze-runner

 

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Maze-Runner-by-James-Dashner-Discussion-and-Activity-Guide-154242

 

http://betterlesson.com/community/document/1068220/the-maze-runner-unit-pdf

 

Thank you all for the great suggestions on other titles! Ds is really into dystopian lit, ever since reading The Hunger Games last year. I think after he finishes the current series, I might suggest City of Ember, or I'll just hand him a list of titles from this thread. :)

[LaughingCat]

Since the OP doesn't mind if we veer off topic...

 

Why would you say Ender's Game is one of your top ten favorites? I've been on the fence with this series for dd. It is something that I would also read. No spoilers if possible because I have a hard time reading a book if I know what is going to happen or that a big twist is coming.

 

Did you see the movie? DD likes reading and watching.

 

I really like Ender's Game - but I don't recommend the rest of the books.    

 

Fortunately I am ok with only liking one book out of a set.

[Pen]

As a clarification, my ds says that the Divergent series is certainly now in his top favorites of all series he has ever read. But the last book is his least favorite due to the first thing put in my tiny print spoiler.

 

 

Also adding, I did not especially like the Gatekeepers series, but ds did quite a lot, and it does have, in the midst of fantasy monsters coming out of ground and so on that are not especially dystopian, some parts about corporate power, governments, and so on that are in the dystopian realm.

 

He may go to Maze Runner soon--can any of you who have read it say more about it?

 

[OneStepAtATime]

We watched the Maze Runner movie in theaters.  The kids really liked it a lot.  DH and I found it o.k.  We have not read the books.  

[OneStepAtATime]

I'm with Pen, anyone have a comment about the Maze Runner books?

[foxbridgeacademy]

I'm with Pen, anyone have a comment about the Maze Runner books?

Just started it this morning so I'll let you know tomorrow.

[OneStepAtATime]

Just started it this morning so I'll let you know tomorrow.

Thanks!  :)

[Nemom]

We watched the Maze Runner movie in theaters. The kids really liked it a lot. DH and I found it o.k. We have not read the books.

I liked The Maze Runner series better than Divergent. Dd really enjoyed it as well. There is mind control and death.

 

I have not seen the movie yet so I do not know how it compares.

[OneStepAtATime]

Ran out of likes, by the way....like, like, like everyone....

[TrixieB]

I would be cautious about both 1984 and Brave New World with some middle schoolers - there's an awful lot of sex. Some middle school kids might not want to read it, and some of their parents might really not want them reading it. That's the same reason I wouldn't suggest Handmaid's Tale.

 

I just remembered reading Parable of the Sower at that age. It really, and I mean *really* stuck with me. Octavia Butler is an excellent author. It's just as classic a book as the other classics mentioned, of course. It's a pity she never was able to finish the trilogy.

 

I read 1984 in middle school... guess the s3x thing went right over my head because I sure don't remember it at all.

[OneStepAtATime]

I read 1984 in middle school... guess the s3x thing went right over my head because I sure don't remember it at all.

Me, too.  :)  

 

But then I missed all the sexual innuendo in the original Star Trek series when I watched it in syndication, too.  I was an older teen, but I guess I was clueless. :)  Later, when I was older, I watched the episode where the Enterprise encounters a civilization taking up the same space but existing at a much faster rate.  In one scene Kirk is sitting on the edge of a bed putting on his boot while a girl is combing her hair in front of a mirror.  It finally hit me they were implying hanky panky had been going on.  TOTALLY MISSED THAT the first time around.   :lol:

[foxbridgeacademy]

I'm not a literary critic, I've never been good at writing summations or critics so please bear with me.

 

 

So I'm a fan of series like Percy Jackson, Artemis Fowl, Ashtown Burials, 100 Cupboards, Harry Potter (of course), not a fan of Hunger Games (probably would be okay but I just couldn't get into it)  I won't read Divergent because of how it ends.

Maze Runner is pretty good.  The writing and dialogue is not at the level of Rick Riordan but it's not bad either.  I like the story and the mystery (downloaded book 2 because I need to know what happens next).

There are a few holes in the plot that I think the author thinks you understand but really the details (how many kids are really there and when they all showed up) should have been better explained up front.  The protagonist is a bit pouty and demanding but I think I would be too if I had all my memories erased and no one would tell me what was going on.

I liked it well enough that I downloaded the second book.  

 

As for the comparison of book and movie:  They changed some things especially near the end.... it doesn't effect the storyline but does change how you feel about a few of the characters. I usually like the book better then the movie probably because I read before i watch.  This time I watched the movie first which has colored my perception. I think I liked the changes in the movie, they made more sense for where this story seems to be going.  

 

Possible objections for the book:  They replace most of our curse words with a version of their own.  The fact that they show little mercy to their own is going to be hard to take, the protagonist isn't always brave and good, he has some seriously (IMO) bad thoughts but not objectionable just human.

 

HTH

ETA: I just finished book three.  If you have a sensitive child or you have an issue with violence then I would suggest skipping Maze Runner series.  Otherwise I understand why it's becoming so popular.  The writing gets better as does the dialogue.  There are some parts of the books that only a teenager could believe, adults will scoff and think that no one acts that way.  The poutiness of Thomas is about the same but you start to to not mind so much (guy gets the stuffing beat out of him on a regular basis).  Some of it is very cliche but I cried even though I knew what was coming. These next two books are going to make even better (non-stop action) movies then the first. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

It sounds like House of Stairs by William Sleator might be popular with kids who like Maze Runner.  I read it myself recently and really enjoyed it.  I've not handed it to Shannon, because I think it will be more interesting to a kid who knows a little bit about behaviorism and conditioning (i.e. Skinner) and so I think she'll like it more once we've studied some psychology.  But it was a really interesting, thought provoking book with an excellent twist ending.

[Chrysalis Academy]

Just remembered one of my eldest daughter's favourites.

I'm holding it off from my youngest for another year or so. She would be fine with the first of the series now but would want to race through the lot and I'd prefer her older for the later ones.

It's an Australian one so you can study a bit of our country at the same time. Depiction of Aussie rural kids is accurate.

 

Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden.

Here's a study guide for the DVD.. http://www.filmeducation.org/tomorrowwhenthewarbegan/pdf/Tomorrow_WTWB_study_guide.pdf

 

Here is a study guide from the author (who started up his own fantastic bush school).. 

http://www.johnmarsden.com.au/novelassignments/tomorrow_when_the_war_began.pdf

 

I'm reading this right now.  Wow!  It's intense and gripping.  I can see waiting to read it with a kid till they're high school aged, just given the age of the kids in the book, but I sure am enjoying it.  

 

Pod's mum, when you said you would want a kid to be older for the later ones, can you elaborate at all? Do they get more violent, darker, or what?  And have you seen the movie, is it good?

[Pod's mum]

I'm reading this right now.  Wow!  It's intense and gripping.  I can see waiting to read it with a kid till they're high school aged, just given the age of the kids in the book, but I sure am enjoying it.  

 

Pod's mum, when you said you would want a kid to be older for the later ones, can you elaborate at all? Do they get more violent, darker, or what?  And have you seen the movie, is it good?

 

I don't think they get more violent, but continues. The violence still disturbs the characters, however they can see themselves becoming desensitised and the situation they are in deteriates.

Several books in (might even be in the second series), a relationship between main characters is consumated and fairly descriptive. It would be worthwhile reading ahead so you can be open to ensuing conversations over many issues that are covered, not just this one.

I think the author deals very well with very difficult topics, but his target audience is mid teens (and up).

 

We did see the movie but sorry I didn't retain a lot. There was a bit much happening IRL at the time.

I think I remember us picking on small discrepencies rather than being upset by it not following the book.

 

We bought and read all of the 'Tomorrow' and 'Ellie Chronicles' books and I do recommend this author for older kids. John Marsden is very apt at understanding teens and disturbing his readers.

 

[Just googled, and discovered So Much To Tell You, was his first book and written in just 3 weeks!

It is powerful, I've read it a couple of times. It is about a girl with 'voluntary' mutism.]

 

Anyway, hope this helps.

 

[OneStepAtATime]

DD loved Red Dawn, both the original and the remake.  I told her I would screen the Tomorrow movie and the book and see if I thought one or the other would be a good fit for a fun side thing.  She tends towards the conservative side of things, so we'll see but it looks really interesting!

 

Thanks, Pod's mum!  And your description, CA, has me wanting to start reading the book myself right away (but I need to finish 3 others I am in the middle of first, KWIM?  :) ).

[Chrysalis Academy]

Thanks!  Totally agree that this is a book for older teens.  The last chapter I read last night the characters were talking about their loss of innocence.  How when they stopped having fun playing with dolls and got interested in boys, they thought they had lost their innocence, but that they truly were still innocents until they lost the thing they had always taken for granted - their sense of being safe in the world.  My dd still finds it fun to play with dolls, and has no idea how scary the world can be.   So she's really not there yet! And I have no desire to rush it.  But I continue to enjoy the book and appreciate your comments.

[Pen]

What happened to the general 7th grade lit thread? I'd like to add something to it that is not dystopian.

[OneStepAtATime]

I don't know, Pen, and I am having a devil of a time doing searches right now.  Really frustrating since there were some threads I had been sort of looking in on from time to time but never actually officially clicked on to follow.  And now I can't find them.  Ugh!!!  If I find it I will link it here....if you find it, could you do the same?  I would really appreciate it.  Best wishes.

[Chrysalis Academy]

You mean this one?

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/533627-so-what-lit-for-7th-and-8th-grade-to-prepare-for-high-school-level-reading/

[OneStepAtATime]

Well, that was the one I was thinking of.  Thanks Chrysalis Academy!  :)

 

I hope it was the one Pen was thinking of.

[foxbridgeacademy]

There was a book I read when I was about 11-ish (I think it was part of a series.... I read it in 1985/86).  It was similar to the Ember series in that the kids, a boy and a girl, lived underground.  They lived in a city where no one could read except the girl's g-mother who taught the girl to read.  They all had these things in their hands(?) that lit up when it was their time to die.  They had to report to the government when their signal lit up.  After the g-mother's signal lit up the girl and her friend ran away through the tunnels because the girl could read that the signs pointed the way out (I feel like I have this part jumbled up a bit)....  

 

The book had a twist along the lines of Soylent Green (never seen it but I've heard).  They go through tunnels until they come out to a beautiful domed area with gardens, water, and people.  Down below they had always heard that the people above sent them the food, the people above had no idea there was even anyone besides them and the others stuck outside the dome...... So any one know what book I'm talking about?  Because my poor 11 y.o. self has always wondered what happened next.

[Pod's mum]

Thanks!  Totally agree that this is a book for older teens.  The last chapter I read last night the characters were talking about their loss of innocence.  How when they stopped having fun playing with dolls and got interested in boys, they thought they had lost their innocence, but that they truly were still innocents until they lost the thing they had always taken for granted - their sense of being safe in the world.  My dd still finds it fun to play with dolls, and has no idea how scary the world can be.   So she's really not there yet! And I have no desire to rush it.  But I continue to enjoy the book and appreciate your comments.

 

My girls both had to face up to an awful lot and we discuss in depth what others around us are going through, yet somehow they have/did still retain/ed their innocence.

 

Knowing bad things happen to people is very different from (as in the book) doing the bad things to people.

We have recently (carefully) discussed the child soldiers and child 'brides' of wars ie Sudan. Including the technique of breaking children by getting them to commit vile acts.

This (being damaged more by what you have done to others) is a factor that reoccurs through the Tomorrow When the War Began books, particularly in the second series.

 

The books are not all bleak, they do manage to be teenagers amongst the action.

 

[candicane]

There was a book I read when I was about 11-ish (I think it was part of a series.... I read it in 1985/86).  It was similar to the Ember series in that the kids, a boy and a girl, lived underground.  They lived in a city where no one could read except the girl's g-mother who taught the girl to read.  They all had these things in their hands(?) that lit up when it was their time to die.  They had to report to the government when their signal lit up.  After the g-mother's signal lit up the girl and her friend ran away through the tunnels because the girl could read that the signs pointed the way out (I feel like I have this part jumbled up a bit)....  

 

The book had a twist along the lines of Soylent Green (never seen it but I've heard).  They go through tunnels until they come out to a beautiful domed area with gardens, water, and people.  Down below they had always heard that the people above sent them the food, the people above had no idea there was even anyone besides them and the others stuck outside the dome...... So any one know what book I'm talking about?  Because my poor 11 y.o. self has always wondered what happened next.

 

This kind of sounds like Logan's Run. It came out in the 60s, and there was a movie from the 70s. I can't find any mention of a grandmother, but the rest seems to line up.

[Tanaqui]

There was a book I read when I was about 11-ish (I think it was part of a series.... I read it in 1985/86).  It was similar to the Ember series in that the kids, a boy and a girl, lived underground.  They lived in a city where no one could read except the girl's g-mother who taught the girl to read.  They all had these things in their hands(?) that lit up when it was their time to die.  They had to report to the government when their signal lit up.  After the g-mother's signal lit up the girl and her friend ran away through the tunnels because the girl could read that the signs pointed the way out (I feel like I have this part jumbled up a bit)....  

 

The book had a twist along the lines of Soylent Green (never seen it but I've heard).  They go through tunnels until they come out to a beautiful domed area with gardens, water, and people.  Down below they had always heard that the people above sent them the food, the people above had no idea there was even anyone besides them and the others stuck outside the dome...... So any one know what book I'm talking about?  Because my poor 11 y.o. self has always wondered what happened next.

 

Sounds like you mixed up two books, and one of them is This Time of Darkness, by H. M. Hoover.

 

[OneStepAtATime]

There was a book I read when I was about 11-ish (I think it was part of a series.... I read it in 1985/86).  It was similar to the Ember series in that the kids, a boy and a girl, lived underground.  They lived in a city where no one could read except the girl's g-mother who taught the girl to read.  They all had these things in their hands(?) that lit up when it was their time to die.  They had to report to the government when their signal lit up.  After the g-mother's signal lit up the girl and her friend ran away through the tunnels because the girl could read that the signs pointed the way out (I feel like I have this part jumbled up a bit)....  

 

The book had a twist along the lines of Soylent Green (never seen it but I've heard).  They go through tunnels until they come out to a beautiful domed area with gardens, water, and people.  Down below they had always heard that the people above sent them the food, the people above had no idea there was even anyone besides them and the others stuck outside the dome...... So any one know what book I'm talking about?  Because my poor 11 y.o. self has always wondered what happened next.

 

 

This kind of sounds like Logan's Run. It came out in the 60s, and there was a movie from the 70s. I can't find any mention of a grandmother, but the rest seems to line up.

 

 

Sounds like you mixed up two books, and one of them is This Time of Darkness, by H. M. Hoover.

 

 

I agree, foxbridgeacademy, it sounds like maybe you mixed up the book series Logan's Run with possibly This Time of Darkness or something else like that.  The things in their hands sound a whole lot like the life clocks in the Logan's Run books.  Would that be possible?

 

Which brings up an interesting question.  Anyone here read the entire Logan's Run series?  I don't own them.  I borrowed them from my best friend across the street when we were maybe 13 or so.  Quick reads.  The books were pretty thin as I recall.  But very impactful.  I found them fascinating.  I just don't remember the details that much anymore....

[foxbridgeacademy]

This Time of Darkness!!!!

 

Thank you!  I'm calling my sister right now because I have complained about not remembering and being unable to find this book for years.  And yes I obviously mixed up a couple books.  That was 5th grade and the week they did s*x ed, which I wasn't allowed to do so I got sent to the library.  I could read 2-3 book a day no problem, that was my favorite week of school ever.

 

Another dystopian that I read that same week was  A Rag, a Bone and a Hank of Hair .

[OneStepAtATime]

This Time of Darkness!!!!

 

Thank you!  I'm calling my sister right now because I have complained about not remembering and being unable to find this book for years.  And yes I obviously mixed up a couple books.  That was 5th grade and the week they did s*x ed, which I wasn't allowed to do so I got sent to the library.  I could read 2-3 book a day no problem, that was my favorite week of school ever.

 

Another dystopian that I read that same week was  A Rag, a Bone and a Hank of Hair .

:lol:   Man, I would have been in heaven if I had been sent to the library instead of s*x ed, just to read away to my heart's content!

 

And I don't think I have heard of the book you mentioned.  Going to look it up now....

[Tanaqui]

Yay! I love helping people find books they read as kids. It's like putting together a puzzle. The trick is to know what sort of books people usually ask about, there's a list of about 100 and it's usually one of those. Even if the details don't fit, it's still probably one of those :D

 

Incidentally, H. M. Hoover is one of the undersung authors of our childhood. Her books aren't particularly long or in-depth by modern standards, but honestly, I think kids today suffer from every single book having to be a doorstopper. Some kids are intimidated by longer books, and could benefit from having more access to the shorter books that were the norm only a few decades ago.

 

 

[foxbridgeacademy]

:iagree: Although I always thought there was a second book, that the story wasn't finished.  I think I "wrote" the sequel 100 times in my head that year. 

[Chrysalis Academy]

I hate dystopia. DS liked The House of The Scorpion and The Lord of Opium, which I only found because of Guest Hollow's biology. I was so glad to have found them for him b/c I never would have read those on my own. 

 

 

 

 

Wow, I am finding so many hits on this thread!  Shannon was blown away by The House of the Scorpion.  I really thought it was well done, too.  This is a great book for this age - it has really intense and deep issues, handled incredibly well, and strangely, not disturbing - Thought-provoking, but not upsetting, KWIM?

[Deee]

I know its almost unAustralian not to like John Marsden, but DS and I HATED Tomorrow When the War Began. Long winded, poorly written, tactically flawed. Just awful! We read it for bookclub. All the other kids liked it. I had to drag myself through it (I lead the bookclub). Don't watch the movie: even ardent fans of the books hate it.

[OneStepAtATime]

I am considering starting a book club with DD.  There aren't a lot of homeschoolers in our area so I am hoping to encourage more interaction among those that are around.  I am going to make a list of all the resources mentioned here and see if we can maybe find something they will all have an interest in.  DD and I can still do more on our own, too, but also have a fun book club get together....

[texasmama]

Nice thread.  :)

 

My ds14 will only read dystopian for free reading so I am all ears.  I bought him The Maze Runner series for Christmas, and he has not put it down for long.  He requested the series after watching the movie.

[OneStepAtATime]

We have not gotten to start our little mini lit study yet.  Life got in the way.  DD is now suggesting that we add it in to our Lit study for 9th grade (which I have not yet pulled together :tongue_smilie: )  this fall and possibly still do a lit club for 8th/9th graders that might include one or more of the above suggestions.  Or maybe even start the lit club during the summer.  So I was digging through this thread again, looking at all the resources and wanted to say how much I love all the responses here.  So many great ideas.  Thank you all for helping us out.

 

The Hive rocks!  :)