“BOOK REVIEWS: 'Catching Fire' tackles suspense, romance, mystery - Wausau Daily Herald” plus 1 more

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BOOK REVIEWS: 'Catching Fire' tackles suspense, romance, mystery - Wausau Daily Herald Posted: 13 Oct 2009 01:56 AM PDT A girl who is forced to smile when everything is not all right, a choice between the boy who wants to fight back and the boy who wants to comply, and a country on the brink of rebellion. These are the issues of which "Catching Fire" is centered. Suzanne Collins' combination of suspense, romance and mystery elements make "Catching Fire" the book to read this fall. "Catching Fire" is the sequel to the very popular book, "The Hunger Games." The heroine of the books is Katniss, a teenage girl who lives in an America of the not-to-distant future. This futuristic America is run by a controlling, oppressive government, and instead of states there's one capital surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Each year, the government forces the residents of the districts to participate in the Hunger Games, a reality TV show competition where the contestants fight to the death. Now, Katniss has survived the games, but to do so she went against the government's wishes. She has to convince the people of the districts that what she did was an act of innocence, not an act of rebellion. Katniss is about to take off on her victory tour where she will be presented to every district and her performance is crucial. Can Katniss pull it off? And what happens when the tour ends? Will Katniss ever be able to stop the act and be herself again? I love these books. They are fast-paced, gripping and surprising. Katniss is an exciting heroine and narrator; I can't wait to hear more from her. "Catching Fire" is an excellent follow up to an outstanding beginning. Because both "Catching Fire" and "The Hunger Games" can be violent at times, they are most appropriate for ages 12 and older. All in all, "Catching Fire" is one book you won't want to miss. Note: At the library, we love these books so much we've planned events around them. Join us for our Teen Book Club at 6:30 p.m. today to discuss "Catching Fire" and for our Teen Read Week Party based on "The Hunger Games" from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 22. (Haven't read "The Hunger Games"? That's OK, stop by the party anyway!) Rachel Cornelius is a library assistant at Marathon County Public Library. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Children’s author shares secret to successful writing - StJoenews.net Posted: 16 Oct 2009 10:02 PM PDT The secret to writing was right there for the taking. All the students at Coleman Elementary School had to do was make a promise. "When all of you write books that push my books off the shelf, you have to promise to remember where you got the secret. And send me lots of money," said Roland Smith, a children's author from Portland, Ore. A former zookeeper, Mr. Smith has written more than 25 books — mostly about animals — aimed at young adults. The third- and fourth-graders who sat in the gym were surprised to hear that the author re-wrote novels like "Thunder Cave" or "Cryptid Hunters" more than a dozen times. And there lies the secret. "The secret to writing is this: revision," Mr. Smith said. The visit provided more than a chance for readers to meet an author and get books signed. Mr. Smith gave students pointers on selecting story ideas and even shared pictures of his writing process. Slides showed stacks of facts on notecards that became a story, which Mr. Smith mapped out on a story board. Once everything was placed in the right order, Mr. Smith turned the story into a book. The author spent most of Friday's school day at Coleman, where he held workshops with different age groups and even ate lunch with a select group of children who wrote book reviews of his work. Coleman principal Molly Pierce said she was glad Mr. Smith visited for a whole day of workshops, instead of a short assembly that might provide more entertainment than educational value. "It's always been a dream of ours to have a well-known children's author come and speak to the kids about the craft of writing," Ms. Pierce said. Mr. Smith's St. Joseph visit was part of a 10-week national tour. He said he enjoys school visits because they give him the chance to show children the goal of becoming a writer is attainable. "The first author I ever met was me," Mr. Smith said. "I don't believe authors are special. I believe writers are made, not born. It's something that I've practiced a lot, and I hope that after the kids hear me talk, they see they can become a writer, too." Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

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