Mocking Jay – Weekly Reading Response Blog

1. Tell what you like or dislike about the book and why

So far in Mocking Jay, I dislike how there is not the annual Hunger Games like there is in “Catching Fire” and “The Hunger Games.” The book is the conclusion of the series so it’s a bit different, usually when The Hunger Games take place, it makes the book more thrilling and suspenseful. However, I do like how right now in the story, I’m approaching the climax so it’s very interesting. There is a war about to happen, with Katniss and some of District 13 against the Capitol. Katniss is hoping to kill Snow, who is a leader in the Capitol, and basically he’s her number one enemy. Now that District 12 has been destroyed, all the survivors are in District 13 to keep safe, they are all hoping to overthrow the Capitol and end their destruction of the districts, and end The Hunger Games for good. So although there are no Games in the book, the war still makes it interesting and action-packed.

2. Tell parts of your book that puzzled you or made you ask a question

Recently in my book, Boggs who is one of the main characters, and he was the leader in Katniss’s war training group, has died. He died in the war, and his last words were to Katniss, “Don’t trust them. Don’t go back. Kill Peeta. Do what you came to do.” I was confused when he said this, and in the book, Katniss didn’t know what he meant by “Don’t trust them” because she doesn’t know who ‘them’ is. And I also don’t really understand why Boggs wants Katniss to kill Peeta.

3. Tell what you noticed about the characters, such as what made them act as they did or how they changed

I have noticed in the final book, some of the characters have changed a lot. Like for example a major change in character is Peeta. At the end of the second book, “Catching Fire”, after the Quarter Quell, which is the Hunger Games with all the previous winners, Peeta was taken by the Capitol and held hostage until recently in Mocking Jay, he was rescued. After being tortured in the Capitol for so long, he is not himself and he can’t remember good memories of his friends and family. When he came to see Katniss for the first time when he was rescued, he wanted to strangle her because he forgot that they had a close relationship, all he could remember were bad things, or things that weren’t true. Everyone is District 13 is trying to get him back to normal.

8. Write about the author’s style and how it makes you feel

I really like the author, Suzanne Collins because she is a very descriptive writer and she makes her books suspenseful and exciting to read. I read the other two books in The Hunger Games series as well and I think she’s done a great job writing them. Plus, a lot of people of different ages have read these books and loved them too! I think it’s worth reading Suzanne Collins’ books, and I hope to find more of them.

Reading Response Prompts

1. Tell what like or dislike about the book and why.

2. Tell about parts of your book that puzzled you or made you ask a question.

3. Tell what you noticed about the characters, such as what made them act as they did or how they changed.

4. Write about something in the book that surprised you or that you found interesting.

5. Write your predictions and about whether your predictions were right.

6. Ask for help in figuring out meaning of your book.

7. Tell about the connections that you made while reading the book. Tell how it reminds you of yourself, of people you know, or of something that happened in your life. It might remind you of other books, especially the characters, the events, or the setting.

8. Write about the author’s style and how it makes you feel.

9. Write about the language the author used and why you think the author wrote this way.

10. Write about the author’s craft – what was effective about the way the author wrote.

11. Write about anything else that you may think of that deals with the book.

12. Do you relate to any of the characters in the book? Explain how and why.

13. If you abanded the book, why did you?

14. Name 3 examples of signals that went off in your head while you were reading and explain them.

15. Explain what happened at the climax and explain why you think that is the climax.

16. Tell what you think could be changed in the book to make it better for readers.

Reading Response Rubric

Level 3 (B Range)
In your response you:
- have written at least one post a week
- demonstrate that you have read a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials
- reflect on the books you read effectively- relate to the books you read
- retell only the most important information in your responses
- explain your interpretation of a written work clearly, supporting it with evidence from the work and from your own knowledge and experiences clearly.
- demonstrate that you are a critical thinker that examines characters, plot, setting and literary - devices effectively

Level 4 (A Range)
In your response you:
- have written more than one post a week
- demonstrate that you have read a good variety of fiction and non-fiction materials
- reflect on the books you read very effectively
- relate to the books you read very effectively
- retell only the most important information in your responses
- explain your interpretation of a written work clearly, supporting it with evidence from the work and from your own knowledge and experiences clearly and concisely.
- demonstrate that you are a highly critical thinker that examines characters, plot, setting and literary devices effectively