If THE HUNGER GAMES Were Real...

In this season of resolutions and diets, it can be hard to remember that in some countries most of the population is undernourished.  In the post-apocalyptic world of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, the line between the Haves and the Have-nots is painfully clear, as members of 12 Districts (some of which are severely impoverished) kill each other in The Hunger Games - a reality TV show conducted for the entertainment of those who live in the super-wealthy Capital.

If The Hunger Games were real, which country would be which district?  The library display poses this question and some possible answers, which are, as always, open to debate.  Students can guess which country corresponds to each District by examining pictures of the country's "signature dishes" before  flipping open the card that reveals the answer.

For example, in The Hunger Games, District 3 is a prosperous district.  In the library display, District 3's signature foods are Fish Head Curry and Noodles.

If you know international foods, you may be able to guess that District 3 is Singapore, where the average income, Infant Mortality Rate, percentage of population with access to clean and adequate water supply, and unemployment rate indicate that Singapore is a reasonably prosperous country (see more information on statistics below).

In the library's less-prosperous District 12 (Katniss' home in the books) the signature foods are Fufu (a paste made from a root vegetable) and Piri Piri peppers.  This country is the Congo, which in 2011 was ranked by the Global Hunger Index as the hungriest country in the world.  The Congo also has a low average income ($2,074) and a high Infant Mortality Rate (10.4%).  Only 71% of the population has access to clean and adequate water, and 69% of the population is undernourished.

In the Middle School Nook, another display invites students to guess in which countries certain desserts are a signature dish.  Colorful signs quote famous food-related scenes from books by Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling, and more.

Students learn that chocolate chip cookies hail from the United States, that Indian ice cream is called Kulfi, and that Laos' signature dessert is sticky rice steamed in a banana leaf.

Students looking to explore the issue of world hunger further are invited to check out What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio.  Menzel photographed families around the world together with what they consume in a week; also check out their corresponding photo essay, available online here.

A Note on the Statistics:

For each country in this display, I give statistics on average income, Infant Mortality Rate, water supply, unemployment, undernourishment, and the Global Health Index rank, wherever possible.

For the first four statistics, I used databases from the United Nations website, available here.

For statistics on undernourishment and hunger, I used the Global Hunger Index, a report published by the International Food Policy Research Institute and also cited by the United Nations.  The Global Hunger Index report, a summary, and classroom materials such as an interactive map and a short video are available here.