New Yorker Article Explores Massive Appeal of YA Dystopian Fiction
The greatly anticipated movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins' dystopian sensation The Hunger Games hits theatres this weekend.
In comparing dystopian fiction written for younger readers as opposed to that written for adults, Miller writes, "Dystopian fiction may be the only genre written for children that’s routinely less didactic than its adult counterpart. It’s not about persuading the reader to stop something terrible from happening—it’s about what’s happening, right this minute, in the stormy psyche of the adolescent reader. 'The success of Uglies,' Westerfeld once wrote in his blog,' is partly thanks to high school being a dystopia.'”
To read the entire article, click here.
ALSO, parents, teachers, homeschoolers, and other adults who live and work with children, be sure to check out the Utopia and Dystopia section of "Pairing Texts with Movies to Promote Comprehension and Discussion" on AdLit.org. Here you can find discussion questions and activities for comparing the text and movie versions of classic dystopian books and movies, which also can be used to help you delve deeper into The Hunger Games book and movie adaptation with your teens!
