The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins
- Lexile
- 810L
- Grade range
- Grades 6–9
- Age range
- Ages 11–15
- Pages
- 374
- First published
- 2008
- Genre
- Young Adult Dystopian
- ISBN-13
- 9780439023528
About this book
In a future North America of twelve impoverished districts dominated by a wealthy capital, sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers as tribute for a televised survival tournament in which only one of twenty-four teens can live. Collins's novel anchors many middle-school dystopian units and is the first of the best-selling trilogy.
Themes
- authoritarianism
- survival
- media and spectacle
- class inequality
- adolescent agency
- sacrifice
Content notes
- violence (teens killing teens)
- death of a child (implied)
- starvation
- trauma
Common Sense Media recommends age 12+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 7th grade · Californiasource: CA CCSS ELA grade 7 commonly taught text
- recommended· 8th gradesource: Common Core aligned summer-reading list — rising 8th grade
- supplementary· 8th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B adjacent — commonly read independently in grades 6-9
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is The Hunger Games?
- The Hunger Games is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–9, with a Lexile measure of 810L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of The Hunger Games?
- The Hunger Games has a Lexile measure of 810L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign The Hunger Games?
- The Hunger Games appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Hunger Games banned in schools?
- The Hunger Games has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 2 states (TX, FL) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
- What themes does The Hunger Games explore?
- Central themes in The Hunger Games include authoritarianism, survival, media and spectacle, class inequality, adolescent agency. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.