Non-Fiction

The Girl Who Was on Fire – Movie Edition

Your Favorite Authors on Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games Trilogy

edited by Leah Wilson

Katniss Everdeen’s adventures may have come to an end, but her story continues to blaze in the hearts of millions worldwide.

In The Girl Who Was on Fire – Movie Edition, sixteen YA authors take you back to Panem with moving, dark, and funny pieces on Katniss, the Games, Gale and Peeta, reality TV, survival, and more.

• How does the way the Games affect the brain explain Haymitch’s drinking, Annie’s distraction, and Wiress’ speech problems?

• What does the rebellion have in common with the War on Terror?

• Why isn’t the answer to “Peeta or Gale?” as interesting as the question itself?

• What should Panem have learned from the fates of other hedonistic societies throughout history—and what can we?

The Girl Who Was On Fire covers all three books in the Hunger Games trilogy.

E-Book Version Only: Get access to special movie content from our writers right after the release of The Hunger Games end of March!

Already have the original edition? Get just the new content (including the special movie extra!) with the Booster Pack: for Kindle, Nook, or iBooks.

A Note from Diana on her contribution, “Hunger Game Theory”: I was fascinated by the way the players of the Hunger Games had studied and changed the way they participated over the years, creating “career tributes” or elaborate personal stories, true or otherwise, that might help them in the arena. Collins’ attention to detail in this matter was one of the highlights of the books for me, and showed a focus on the truth of how games are played that are missing in a lot of fictional games. This is what I examine in my essay, available only in the movie edition.

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Through The Wardrobe: Your Favorite Authors on C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia

 

Mind Rain: Your Favorite Authors on Scott Westerfeld’s UGLIES Series

Set in a future where cosmetic surgery is a requirement at age 16 and attractiveness is mandated, Scott Westerfelds popular Uglies series has received critical acclaim from the press and public alike. Chock-full of action, adventure and teenage rebellion, theres no question why Uglies has attracted thousands of fans. In Mind- Rain, popular authors examine the series and delve into the underlying themes. What sort of critiques are Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras making about the real world? Is there more behind Tally, David and Shay?

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The World of the Golden Compass: The Otherworldly Ride Continues

Edited by Scott Westerfeld

Would you really want people to see your daemon?
Lord Asriel—good, evil, or just grouchy?

His Dark Materials took you on a roller coaster ride through parallel universes, into heaven and hell, from our world to the strange villages of the mulefa.  Buckle your seatbelts, because the ride continues!  In The World of the Golden Compass we explore the most fascinating aspects of the HDM trilogy, from the mysterious attraction of the ultimate power couple (Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter, of course) to why Iorek is so darn cool, from the secret lives of angels to how to find your very own daemon (clue: it’s hidden somewhere in your brain).

[Note on Diana’s Contribution, “Ghost in the Machine”: A few years ago, I lost my beloved Apple iBook, Lancelot the Laptop, with all its contents. I was so bereft; I felt like a piece of myself had gone missing. Having just finished The Golden Compass, I had a vocabulary to describe my loss. Little wonder then, that I named my new iBook Pantalaimon.]

 

Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume

Edited by Jennifer O’Connell

Whether laughing to tears reading Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, or clamoring for more unmistakable “me too!” moments in Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, girls all over the world have been touched by Judy Blume’s poignant coming-of-age stories. Now, in this anthology of essays, twenty-four notable female authors write straight from the heart about the unforgettable novels that left an indelible mark on their childhoods, and still influence them today. After growing up from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing into Smart Women, these writers pay tribute, through their reflections and most cherished memories, to one of the most beloved authors of all time.

“Readers who similarly found solace in Blume’s work should relate easily to these writers through the Blumian characters and themes they evoke. Writing in the spirit of Blume, these women present their experiences as a series of personal truths: ‘girl moments. Women moments. Human moments.’”
– Publisher’s Weekly

“From bittersweet to laugh-out-loud hilarious, the essays in this collection sparkle with charm, style, and wit. No doubt about it, if you grew up reading Judy Blume, you will love this book.”
– Sarah Mlynowski. Author of Bras and Broomsticks and Girls’ Night In

Note on Diana’s Contribution, “Brave New Kid”: “My favorite Judy Blume story has always been the semi-autobiographical Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself. Like me, Sally was a Florida girl playing make-believe in a world she barely understood. I wonder if all the “Sallies” out there grew up to be writers as well, so we never had to let go of our make-believe.