Movies That Encourage Reading

Unless you've been on another planet for the past few weeks, you've probably heard about a new little movie that's opening tomorrow in cinemas called The Hunger Games based on a book of the same title by Suzanne Collins.  The story takes place in a fictional North American country in which one boy and one girl from each of its twelve districts must literally fight to the death in a televised coliseum-style event intended to keep order and control in the districts.

Watching kids fighting to survive may not be everyone's idea of a good movie, but there's no denying that The Hunger Games has captured the imagination of teens (and adults), first through the book and second through the movie.  Or is that first through the movie and second through the book?

Many complain that younger generations today aren't into reading like their counterparts in the past, that their attention span is limited by various electronic devices, that they aren't able to appreciate low-tech technology like a book.

I'd like to argue that teens today are still into reading, and if they haven't read the book before seeing the movie, many decide to read the book after seeing the movie.  This is a good thing--movies that interest teens make them hungry (no pun intended) for more, which leads them to the books.  For teens who have difficulty getting into reading, movies based on books is the ticket (okay, pun intended) to get them into reading.  If they're interested in a book, they're going to read it.

So I say bravo to those movies that encourage reading.  If teens are reading now, they'll be reading as adults later.

Pondering about Panem on the perch.