Freshman reading, give or take a few years

Thanks, Kansas State University, for assigning "The Hunger Games" to this year's freshman class as summer reading. I grabbed the paperback copy you gave my daughter at orientation and didn't return it until I'd finished it four days later with a hearty: "Wow, you're gonna love it!"

And of course, she did.

Suzanne Collins' deceptively simple tale of postapocalyptic America will give students the framework for discussing the ethics of self-defense, rebellion, government control, bio-engineering and even hunting. Along the way, she borrows elements from the Greeks' Minotaur myth, Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" and "American Idol" to create an altogether new story.

Chances are good, however, that before classes start Aug. 23, many students will have already blasted their way through the second book in the trilogy: "Catching Fire" — just in time for the concluding "Mockingjay," which is due out Aug. 24. This is, of course, exactly what 18-year-olds need: Books that light up their minds, that provoke discussion and discourse.

Can't wait to hear all about it at Family Weekend.