'The Hunger Games' Added to Granby Curriculum

"The Hunger Games" survived its own test in Granby on Wednesday evening when the Board of Education ultimately approved adding the book to the ninth-grade English curriculum.

The 4-1 decision - with one abstention - came after a spirited debate over whether the book, in which author Suzanne Collins tells the tale of a life-or-death competition set in a dystopian future featuring 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, is appropriate for a high school English course.

School board member Lynn Guelzow said that she had “serious concerns” over whether the book, which its publisher said is written at a fifth-grade reading level, presented sufficient rigor for ninth graders.

“Despite it being highly entertaining, it’s not appropriate reading for a ninth-grade English class and I cannot support it,” said Guelzow, noting that she would prefer to see literary non-fiction added to the reading list.

Guelzow also said that the new common core standards handed down by the state warns school districts to select texts that are more complex. Guelzow noted that while 90 percent of Granby students go to either a 2- or 4-year college, 7 percent of those students drop out after just one semester and 13 percent leave school after the first year.

“I’d hate to see us further water-down the curriculum,” said Guelzow, though she later clarified that statement to mean that she was speaking about curriculums nationwide over a 40-year period and not specifically to Granby.

But school board member Rosemarie Weber, who chairs the curriculum subcommittee, said that the wildly popular book (it’s been made into a movie that set a record by grossing over $150 million in its opening weekend) is appropriate for the the ninth-grade English class, which focuses on writing and composition.

“Yes, you read it for the text, but you have the opportunity to discuss the different themes and composition work,” said Weber, adding that the curriculum subcommittee unanimously supported adding the text to the ninth-grade reading list. “We felt there were appropriate topics and themes for writing.”

Weber also added that the college dropout rate of students from Granby was not necessarily tied to the rigor of the curriculum, but could also be attributed to other factors such as finances.

Diane Dugas, the school district’s director of curriculum, added that while the text may be at a fifth-grade reading level, the themes contained in the book were far more sophisticated and intense than what might be appropriate for that age group. In addition, the book, because of its popularity, would generate interest and classroom discourse at the high school level, factors that also needed to be taken into consideration.

“Student engagement weighed into” the decision, according to Dugas.

School board member Edward Ohannessian, who abstained from the vote, wanted to know if other texts were considered by administrators before "The Hunger Games" was passed on to the school board’s subcommittee.

Dugas gave the impression that other works were not discussed, while Superintendent of Schools Alan Addley wondered if it was necessary for the school board to engage in such a detailed debate.

“Is the board really going to get into the rigor of every book?” asked Addley, repeating that the school district’s administrators and school board curriculum subcommittee approved the text.

“My concern is [whether we are approving] a book four grades below grade level,” school board member Matt Wutka responded. “My concern is is it the best book? … Just because the administration says to do it doesn’t mean we should do it.”

In the end, the board approved the text, with Guelzow being the lone vote in opposition.