The Most Dangerous Game

VOYA - Cynthia Winfield

This newly-expanded "Creative Short Stories" series includes sixteen classic short story titles often encountered in junior high curricula, each presented in individual hardcover books with period artwork and photographs. The large pages and double-spaced type make the text reader-friendly, although the font appears to be a standard 12-point type. Curiously the publisher chose to print most of the text in black but a few scattered lines on each page appear in shades of blue, green, red, or orange; this reader can neither discern a pattern to the colored text nor posit a rationale for why certain sentences were chosen over others for the colored type. Some colored lines seem pivotal to the stories while others do not. Each story is followed by a brief literary essay commenting on some aspect of the text and including quotes from the story (the lines for some of which are printed in color). The essay is followed by a biographical piece about the author. Illustrations complement the text and provide footholds for cross-curricular discussions. To a classroom teacher with a limited budget, purchasing class sets of any of the individual stories would seem extravagant; however, the hardcover presentation might make the text more enticing for reluctant readers and a few copies of a title could support small reading groups. The books are beautifully done and their unusual presentation could make them preferable for student readers over the tightly-packed text found in many standard short story anthologies. For schools, libraries, or parents with ample budgets, having these sixteen titles on the shelf would be an asset. Reviewer: Cynthia Winfield

Children's Literature - Amanda Ledbetter

Aboard a yacht crossing the Caribbean Sea late one night, Sanger Rainsford and his companion Whitney are discussing big game hunting and how the hunter and the hunted would vary in their viewpoints. When he is left alone on the deck, Rainsford hears gunfire in the distance and stumbles overboard in his attempt to spot the origin. His survival instincts kick in, and he manages to swim to a nearby island, the likely source of the gunshots. There, Rainsford meets General Zaroff, a fellow hunter whose quest to find a quarry worthy of his talents has lead him to hunting men instead of beast. Appalled by this revelation, Rainsford soon finds himself running for his life from this madman. This classic short story is one of twelve in the "Creative Short Story" series. Its fast-paced plot draws readers into Rainsford's world and keeps their attention riveted through its final words. The premise of this story provides great opportunity for reflection and debate, as the main character's opinion of hunting evolves through his personal experience. This particular printing includes sentences set apart by a different colored font, and though it may be designed to aid in story discussion, no key or directions are provided to help the reader understand its purpose, making it a distraction. This book also includes "a closer look" story analysis and a four-page author biography. Reviewer: Amanda Ledbetter

Amazon.com

This is a classic short story about hunting the ultimate game. We've probably all read this in high school and it stills works as a story. The bonus teaser story for the author's coming sequel picks up at the end of Connell's story without any hiccups, very important if you are trying to follow an original act. I got some good chuckles out of the author's words. The guy has the guts to write that the story basically didn't wow him and STILL he wanted to do more with it. I've read his other compa