Hey guys! It’s Michael here for another piece of pie for you to byte on! I thank you for hanging on since last time!
Today, I will be reviewing The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It is an amazing book, really, but I have a thing for killing off people one by — oh, I’m sorry, I meant people getting killed off one by one.
The Hunger Games is about a girl named Catniss Everdeen (age 16) living in future North America, which is called Panem. Panem is then divided into 12 districts with 1 being the highest district and 12 being in the lowest. In Panem, there are these live games called the hunger games where 24 people (2 in each district, 1 boy and 1 girl) fight to the death for fame, fortune, and food. Catniss, who lives in the twelfth district, volunteers to fight in these games after her sister Prim is chosen.
Catniss, along with another boy named Peeta Mellark, must fight to the death in the games, but there are little traps and surprises everywhere.
This book reminds me of another book called Battle Royale by Koushun Takami,
which was very popular in Japan (with a movie and a manga based off of the book), but not so popular in the U.S. Now, my friend says that there is another book that is similar to these two books (in that there are people who get killed one by one) called The Lord of the Flies. However, I do not know, because I didn’t read it since I was busy reading The Hunger Games.
Over all, I give the The Hunger Games an A (9.5 / 10). I liked the book because you could not put it down! But I did subtract .5 points off, because for me, the book ended at an awkward place.
For the guys: violence, death, and girls fighting (you know you like that)
For the girls: romance, pretty dresses, friendship, and a hint of love triangle in there
See you guys next time! Author Kaza Kingsley is coming to my school soon, and I am hoping to get an interview with her!
Until next time, remember: Life is always sweeter with a little chocolate!
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Since the tributes are treated like royalty, I thought it would be good to do something that only the rich would enjoy!
Crown Roast of Lamb
(Original recipe from Alton Brown)
Ingredients:
- 2 racks lamb, 6 to 8 ribs each, approximately 1 1/2 to 2-pounds each (ask butcher to French them if you’re lazy like me or use above link for instructions)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Bend each rack into a semicircle (meat side in and fat side out) and using kitchen twine tie them together at the base and center, in order to hold the racks together. The rib ends should be pushed outward to create the look of a crown.
Rub the lamb with the olive oil. Combine the salt, pepper, garlic, thyme and coriander and press all over the lamb. Place the roast in a Bundt pan with the center of the pan coming up through the middle of the roast.
Place on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F. This is approximately 8 to 12 minutes per pound. Remove from the oven, transfer the roast to a rack, cover with aluminum foil and let the meat rest for 20 minutes. While the meat is resting add the sherry vinegar, mustard and rosemary to the juices that accumulated in the Bundt pan while cooking. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed. Cut the string away from the roast and place cooked stuffing, rice or barley in the center if desired. Serve the warm sauce with the roast.
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About Michael
Michael is a seventh grade student who loves to read and cook. That’s right, cook! He joined Kids Need to Read because he thought that it would be a great opportunity to help everyone open up to literacy. “When you read, you read. When you watch TV, you watch TV. When you create a story, you open your mind.” — Michael
