Bibliographic Information
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Publication year: 2002 (Original book publication 1985)
Run Time: 11 hours 57 minutes
Narrators: Stefan Rudnicki, Harlan Ellison, Gabrielle de Cuir
Reader’s Annotation
Although he hasn’t yet hit his tenth birthday, Ender Wiggin is Earth’s greatest hope against an impending alien invasion. Taken from his parents and siblings to attend a prestigious battle school, Ender learns what he must do to survive the alien race called “Buggers,” and his own peers.
Plot Summary
Ender Wiggin is a “third,” a rare child with two older siblings in a population-controlled society. The government gave his parents special permission to have one more child in the hopes that he would be the perfect combination of his brother Peter’s detached tactical brilliance and his sister Valentine’s compassion. After Ender is enlisted in battle school, Peter and Valentine rise to anonymous fame writing commentary under pseudonyms and effecting political change. Meanwhile, Ender enters battle school as the runt of his class and rises through the ranks to commander of his own squad. His tests come in the form of virtual reality simulations and battles in zero gravity against the school’s other teams. After facing bullies, strict commanders, and a computer game controlled by his own thoughts, Ender faces his final and most important battle against the Buggers.
Critical Evaluation
Card has created an entire universe within the pages of Ender’s Game. The reader is completely transported into the world of the future where an alien invasion is an imminent threat, Mazar Rakam is a revered celebrity, and a third is one of the worst things you can be. Card effortlessly presents an answer to every possible question, from slang the children use to the content taught in school to typical family life. The transportation to a future world is completed by the experience of listening to the unabridged story on audiobook. The character of Ender adds to this complete worldview because he has been completely consumed with the universe in which he lives. As a child a world in which Buggers might attack any moment and child soldiers are the norm is all he has ever known. Seeing the world through Ender’s eyes, the reader sees how media coverage of wars can distort the truth to the detriment of society’s youngest and most impressionable members.
Author Information
Orson Scott Card is the author of the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Speaker for the Dead, which are widely read by adults and younger readers, and are increasingly used in schools. His most recent series, the young adult Pathfinder series (Pathfinder, Ruins, Visitors) and the fantasy Mithermages series (Lost Gate, Gate Thief, Gatefather) are taking readers in new directions.
Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Rachel and Leah), the American frontier fantasy series The Tales of Alvin Maker (beginning with Seventh Son), poetry (An Open Book), and many plays and scripts, including his "freshened" Shakespeare scripts for Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Merchant of Venice.
Card was born in Washington and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Besides his writing, he teaches occasional classes and workshops and directs plays. He frequently teaches writing and literature courses at Southern Virginia University.
Card currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card, where his primary activities are writing a review column for the local Rhinoceros Times and feeding birds, squirrels, chipmunks, possums, and raccoons on the patio.
Source: http://www.hatrack.com/osc/about.shtml
Genre
Science Fiction
Curriculum Ties
ROTC
Booktalking Ideas
Introduce the character of Ender as a young genius, emphasizing both his detachment when he knows what is necessary isn’t always pleasant and his empathy for others. Also introduce the characters of Peter and Valentine because their personalities are indicative of Ender’s and their parts in the story are often overlooked. Read the passage at the beginning with Peter forcing Ender to play a violent game and Valentine defending her little brother. Then give a rating from 1-5 and tell the audience why this is my rating, and take questions.
Reading Level/Interest Age
Amazon: Grade 5-12, Age 12-18
Challenging Issues
Bullying
Murder
PTSD
Racial Issues and Stereotypes
Violence
Preparing for Potential Challenges
http://jeselynsminiyacollection.blogspot.com/p/preparing-for-potential-challenges.html
http://jeselynsminiyacollection.blogspot.com/p/preparing-for-specific-challenges_6.html
Why the Item Was Chosen
Ender’s Game is a book a young adult will want to read over and over. Card expertly strikes the delicate balance between writing for a young person’s understanding and including such detail that several readings are required to catch everything. I included this novel in my collection because the universe Card has created is so complete and all-encompassing. I included it in the form of an audiobook because some books are meant to be read, and others to be experienced. I feel that listening to the narrators read Card's epic story makes the listener feel and understand everything Ender goes through. After listening to Ender’s Game, patrons will want to hear the rest of the series and continue Ender’s saga. One of the goals of my future career as a young adult librarian is to encourage reluctant readers to not only read, but genuinely enjoy books. Listening to a great story on audiobook could easily be a jumping off point for reluctant readers to begin appreciating literature without physically reading. Later on, after they've been hooked by the compelling tale, they might explore reading physical books. The compelling story and characters in Ender’s Game make it an excellent reference for librarians looking for material to motivate reluctant readers.
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