The Hunger Games--Our Own "Read-Alike" Suggestions

Are you a Hunger Games fan pining for something new and exciting to read? Here is our list of read-alikes!

The Watch that Ends the Night: Voices from the Titanic by Allan Wolf

The Watch That Ends the Night: Voices From the Titanic

2012 marks the 100 anniversary of this famous disaster, and many books, both fiction and nonfiction, are being published this year. This novel is a stand-out - pulling the reader effortlessly into the experience of being on board this fateful ship. It's written in free-form verse from the perspective of various participants – including first and third class passengers, crew members, the rats and even the iceberg . This unique offering packs a powerful emotional punch, none more chilling than the undertaker’s comments “Bodies scattered for miles, in every direction./Bodies as far as my indifferent eyes can see.”

The author has done extensive and meticulous research and it shows on every page. Morse code messages, Titanic miscellany and an impressive bibliography including Internet sources and societies are a welcome resource for readers interested in learning more. Highly recommended. 2012

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A Ball For Daisy by Chris Raschka

A Ball for Daisy

This wordless book features Daisy, a sweetly illustrated dog who obviously loves her red ball – to the point that she sleeps with it. Then one day on an outing to the park, another dog accidently bites it too hard and deflates it. Her joy now gone, Daisy is also deflated as she sadly makes her way back home.

But it all turns out well in the end. On her next outing to the park, Daisy gets a wonderful surprise from the puppy that accidentally broke her beloved toy – the gift of a new ball (this time blue). Both dog’s exuberance is contagious as they rush off playing together.

Packed with heartfelt emotion in every brush stroke, this is the perfect book to spark the imaginations of both young and old. 2011

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Chime by Franny Billingsley

Chime

A National Book Award Finalist, Chime, is a highly original tale that blends elements of dark folk lore, supernatural creatures and gripping suspense, with a tender, endearing love story. Seventeen-year-old Briony is a self-proclaimed witch who possess the gift of second-sight and can see the “Old Ones.” Believing herself responsible for her sister’s mental infirmary and the arsenic poisoning of her beloved stepmother, Briony’s crushing guilt has slowly turned to self-loathing. But when a beautiful young man, Eldric, comes to live at the family parsonage, he awakens Briony's true spirit and allows her to hope that she might not be as wicked and horrible as she first thought.

As the drama and mystery build within the tightly woven plot, Billingsley’s poetic, stylistic prose and fast-paced dialogue pull the reader totally into this supernatural world. A memorable book that many readers should enjoy and fantasy fans will treasure. 2011

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Sick Boy by Sean Waller

 Sick Boy

Kudos to Westfield author Sean Waller for writing a sensitive, informative and very real story about an 8th grade boy diagnosed with cancer. Tim is a likable, typical middle school student – focused on his friends, girls and his quest to make the freshman high school baseball team. Yet all that changes the instant he gets the devastating news that he is sick – seriously sick – with cancer.

His courageous fight against this dreadful disease is filled with poignant moments of hope and humor and reveals an underlying strength of character. The “middle school” dialog rings true in this fresh, well-paced story that never resorts to melodrama. An uplifting story on a serious, emotional subject. Highly recommended. 2011

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Revolution, by Jennifer Donnelly

This novel is an unusual pairing of realistic, contemporary fiction and historical fiction that works on many levels. Music lover Andi is devastated when her brother is killed and blames herself, because she was supposed to be watching him. Unable to cope with her grief, she barely hangs on by playing her music and using antidepressants. When her mother is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, her estranged father takes Andi to Paris, where she reluctantly begins researching her senior thesis on a famous French composer.

In Paris, she stumbles across a diary belonging to a servant of Louis Charles, son of Louis XVI and Maria Antoinette. The story then alternates between revolutionary Paris, and the servant’s valiant efforts to save the Prince, and Andi’s struggle to fight her demons and suicidal urges. The reader becomes fully invested in these two poignant stories as the suspense builds and the intense emotions of the plot lines converge.

This compelling, character-driven story is well-paced, with meticulous historical research/details and complex, engaging characters. Highly recommended. 2011

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The Replacement, by Brenna Yovanoff

This dark fantasy with horror elements offers unusual, well-developed characters and a tense, exciting plot. High school student Mackie is a changeling, a fairy child exchanged for a stolen human baby by the underground dwellers. He cannot stand on consecrated ground, the smell of blood and contact with iron cause him pain. Everyone in town knows it, yet they all pretend that nothing is wrong in order to preserve the unspoken agreement with the dwellers for the town’s prosperity – a baby is stolen and exchanged every seven years. Still, Mackie lives in fear that one day soon the community will turn on him.

Mackie is the quintessential outsider, leading an isolated life, except for his family and best friend, who love and accept him. When he realizes that he is dying, in order to survive, Mackie is drawn in the centuries old battle between the Morrigan and the Lady, the two sisters who lead the rival changeling clans.

Though grim, and even gruesome at times, the dark mood of the story is balanced by the relationships between the teen characters, the engaging narrative and the somewhat hopeful ending. 2010

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The Deadly Sister, by Eliot Schrefer

Abby is shocked and frightened when she discovers the body of her sister Maya’s boyfriend in the woods with Maya’s bloody cell phone beside it. To further complicate matters, Maya is missing, making her the prime suspect. Vowing to protect her often troubled younger sister from the police – and their parents - Abby begins to investigate the crime. However, she soon discovers there were many people with motive and opportunity that could have committed this murder.

Twists and turns abound in this suspenseful, fast-paced mystery. Just when the reader seems to have figured out who the killer is, the author skillfully throws in another curve. The surprise ending does not disappoint, giving an entirely new perspective to the whole story. 2010

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Heart of a Samurai, by Margi Prerus

Shipwrecked on a rocky, uninhabited Pacific island in 1841, fourteen-year-old Manjiro and his fellow Japanese fishermen are rescued by an American whaling ship. Once on board, Manjiro learns English and whaling and gradually gains the respect of the crew. Fearing they will not be allowed to return home, due to Japan’s strict isolationist policy and distrust of all foreigners, the Japanese fishermen decide to take refuge in Hawaii. But Manjiro is an adventurous soul and he accepts the captain’s generous offer to come to America as his adopted son.

Based on a true story, Manjiro, renamed John Mung, embraces the remarkable challenge of adapting to and understanding Western culture. Facing prejudice, bullying and discrimination with grace and courage, he forges a satisfying life with his new family. Yet the memories of Japan and the loved ones he left behind never completely leave him. After ten years, he bravely returns, knowing he risks execution.

An adventure story with true heart, this book is highly entertaining. The well-placed illustrations throughout the narrative add to the intimacy of the story and the historical notes at the end of the book provide readers with the remaining details of Manjiro’s life. 2010

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Center Field, by Robert Lipsyte

Life is far from simple for high-school junior Mike Semak. He’s worked hard and fully expects to be the starting centerfielder on the varsity baseball team. Then Oscar, a new, talented student appears, threatening Mike’s life-long dream. Mike’s subsequent frustration results in actions that lead to community service with the Cyber Club. Coach demands he spy on these students, suspecting they are hacking into the school network. Mystery and relationship subplots enhance the story as Mike wrestles with increasingly difficult moral choices. Is pleasing his controlling, paranoid coach worth compromising his integrity? A thoughtful, entertaining tale with first-rate baseball action and a likeable, conflicted hero. 2010
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I Don’t Like Gloria! By Kaye Umansky

Gloria is the cat who arrives at the family home and immediately grabs all the attention away from our main character, Calvin, the dog. Calvin’s fantastic facial expressions and the heartfelt, repeated refrain, “I don’t like Gloria!” pepper this humorous tale. The two remain at odds throughout the story, until the end, when a new family pet (a bunny, named Jeffery) is added into the mix. Calvin and Gloria now have something in common. “I still don’t like Gloria, and Gloria doesn’t like me,” says Calvin. “But at least we agree on one thing. We really don’t like Jeffrey!” A great choice to share with the preschool storytime crowd. 2007
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Sisters Red, by Jackson Pearce

This modern-day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood is an action/adventure tale that grabs readers from the first page. Werewolves, known as Fenris, live among the population in the form of good-looking men who prey on pretty young girls. When a Fenris attacks Scarlett and Rosie March, it kills their grandmother and leaves them emotionally scarred. Aided by their childhood friend, Silas, the girls now try to destroy as many Fenris as they can. The story is told by the sisters in alternate chapters, highlighting their inner conflicts. Scarlett and Rosie are smart, tough and determined heroines, but their special bond is strained when Rosie and Silas’s relationship becomes more than just friendship. Fans of Stephenie Meyer, Melissa Marr, Donna Jo Napoli and Shannon Hale will find much to enjoy in the plots twists, romance, supernatural elements, and fairy tale references. 2010
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Living Hell, by Catherine Jinks

Cheney is a 17 year old who had never lived on Earth. His life is confined to the star-ship Plexus as its inhabitants search for a planet to call home. When Plexus passes through a radiation wave, life on the star-ship changes dramatically and the ship turns on its inhabitants. Cheney is among the teens and their families who try to fight back. Some of the "science talk" gets a bit technical at times, but it doesn’t intrude on the flow of the story. Recommended for fans of space travel and adventure. 2010
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Woods Runner, by Gary Paulsen

13 year old Samuel is a wilderness expert who provides meat for his entire settlement in colonial Pennsylvania. He returns home one day to find all the cabins burned to the ground and everyone slaughtered or missing (his parents are among the missing). He sets off for New York City to rescue them and along the way is caught up in the war. There is violence in the story, but it is more gripping and emotional than overly graphic. A superb reflection on the harsh nature of war. Highly recommended. 2010
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Hex Hall, by Rachel Hawkins

16 year old Sophie Mercer, whose absentee father is a warlock, finds herself at Hecate (aka Hex) Hall, a boarding school for delinquent witches, warlocks, faeries, shape-shifters and the occasional vampire. Sophie is a multidimensional character - both likable and believably flawed. Fast-paced, cleverly written, with touches of wry humor, a sharp eye for teen dynamics (popular vs. misfit crowds), and an ending that leaves you hanging. Highly recommended. 2010
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