My Take

This past Sunday the Knights of Columbus had their monthly pancake breakfast. I LOVE going to pancake breakfasts!

I enjoy drinking a cup of overly strong coffee, which I doctor up with lots of non-dairy creamer and sugar, eating pancakes, and talking with my fellow parishioners or reading both before and after 11am Mass. Since the hubby is a Knight, he volunteers at the pancake breakfasts. So, we go to just about every pancake breakfast the KoC puts on.

There was more going on in the social hall than just pancakes. The homeschooler co-op was sponsoring a Scholastic book fair. The only thing I love more than strong coffee and pancakes are books. Even though these were kids books, I was still drawn to the stacks. Immediately my eyes were drawn to the Hunger Game series.

This series is very controversial and popular. I won't reiterate what you have probably already read about the plot. I was very hesitant to read the books and watch the movie because while I did not mind what I learned what the books were about, I simply thought it was geared to an inappropriate age group. This series was written for your adults ages 12 and up. I don't relish the thought of my (future) 12 year old reading about teenagers killing each other for sport.

However, a number of my friends from church read the books and saw the movies, many of them with their kids, and did not have any objections to the story line. Since my friends and I are a lot alike, I thought that I would at least give the movie a try.

Keep in mind, I have NOT read the books. I have only seen the movie. In this story, these teens are forced into a situation where to kill or be killed. Most of them do not take joy in what they are doing, and those who do are villianized. The anguish and fear in anticipation of the arena is palpable. The scene where Katniss mourned for Rue was touching.

If I were a mom, I would allow my children to watch the movie. Since I have not yet read the books I cannot give an endorsement for those, but I find nothing wrong with the first movie. The world is violent, and that is a fact we cannot hide from out children.

My grandfather was a homicide detective for 20 years. My fondest childhood memories consist of being 6 years old and watching America's Most Wanted on his knee. I knew the horrors of the world, and it did not prevent me from having a magical childhood.

So, that's my take.