Suzanne Collins
Suzanne Collins is the author of the dystopian Hunger Games trilogy.
From her Q & A with Hannah Trierweiler Hudson at the Scholastic website:
The Hunger Games is hugely popular with both boys and girls. Why do you think that is?The Hunger Games appears on Annalee Newitz's list of 10 great American dystopias, Philip Webb's top ten list of pulse-racing adventure books, Charlie Higson's top ten list of fantasy books for children, and Megan Wasson's list of five fantasy series geared towards teens that adults will love too.
Whenever I write a story, I hope it appeals to both boys and girls. But maybe in its simplest form, it's having a female protagonist in a gladiator story, which traditionally features a male. It's an unexpected choice. Or I don't know, maybe the futuristic, grim nature of the story is larger than that. I wouldn't care who was the lead in a good dystopian story. You know what I mean?
What's been the most memorable feedback you've gotten from teachers and kids?
One of the most memorable things I hear is when someone tells me that my books got a reluctant reader to read. They'll say, "You know, there's this kid and he wouldn't touch a book and his parents found him under a blanket with a flashlight after bedtime because he couldn't wait to find out what happened in the next chapter." That's just the best feeling. The idea that you might have contributed to a child's enjoyment of reading.
Who contributed to your love of reading and writing?
In fifth and sixth grade, I went to school in an open classroom. And the English teacher, Miss Vance, was wonderful. On rainy days, she would take whoever was interested over to the side and read us...[read on]
--Marshal Zeringue
