# The Hunger Games **Author:** Suzanne Collins **Lexile:** 810L **Grade range:** Grades 6–9 **Age range:** 11–15 **First published:** 2008 **Page count:** 374 **Genre:** Young Adult Dystopian **ISBN-13:** `9780439023528` **ISBN-10:** `0439023521` **Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/the-hunger-games **License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing. ## 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 age recommendation: 12+ ## Where this book is assigned ### Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Arizona — [source: Arizona Library Association — Grand Canyon Reader Award (student-choice; Intermediate + Tween divisions; annual since 1977)](https://www.azla.org/page/GCRAaboutpage) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Arizona — [source: Arizona Library Association — Grand Canyon Reader Award (student-choice; Intermediate + Tween divisions; annual since 1977)](https://www.azla.org/page/GCRAaboutpage) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Arizona — [source: Arizona Library Association — Grand Canyon Reader Award (student-choice; Intermediate + Tween divisions; annual since 1977)](https://www.azla.org/page/GCRAaboutpage) ### Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award - **recommended** · 9th grade · Ohio — [source: Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award — official winners list (Ohio, K-12 grade bands, voted biennially/annually since 1982)](https://bcbookaward.info/childrens-previous-nominees/) ### California Young Reader Medal - **recommended** · 6th grade · California — [source: California Young Reader Medal — statewide student-choice program sponsored by CRA, CSLA, CLA & CATE (Intermediate/Middle School/Young Adult divisions; annual since 1974)](https://californiayoungreadermedal.org/) - **recommended** · 7th grade · California — [source: California Young Reader Medal — statewide student-choice program sponsored by CRA, CSLA, CLA & CATE (Intermediate/Middle School/Young Adult divisions; annual since 1974)](https://californiayoungreadermedal.org/) - **recommended** · 8th grade · California — [source: California Young Reader Medal — statewide student-choice program sponsored by CRA, CSLA, CLA & CATE (Intermediate/Middle School/Young Adult divisions; annual since 1974)](https://californiayoungreadermedal.org/) ### Common Core State Standards (ELA) - **recommended** · 7th grade · California — [source: CA CCSS ELA grade 7 commonly taught text](https://www.cde.ca.gov/) - **recommended** · 8th grade — [source: Common Core aligned summer-reading list — rising 8th grade](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699) - **supplementary** · 8th grade — [source: CCSS ELA Appendix B adjacent — commonly read independently in grades 6-9](https://achievethecore.org/page/2699) ### Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Connecticut — [source: Connecticut Library Association + Connecticut Association of School Librarians — Nutmeg Book Award (student-choice; Elementary/Intermediate/Middle/Teen; annual since 1993)](https://nutmegaward.org/) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Connecticut — [source: Connecticut Library Association + Connecticut Association of School Librarians — Nutmeg Book Award (student-choice; Elementary/Intermediate/Middle/Teen; annual since 1993)](https://nutmegaward.org/) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Connecticut — [source: Connecticut Library Association + Connecticut Association of School Librarians — Nutmeg Book Award (student-choice; Elementary/Intermediate/Middle/Teen; annual since 1993)](https://nutmegaward.org/) ### Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Book Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Vermont — [source: Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Children's Book Award — official winners list (Vermont grades 4-8, annual since 1957)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Golden_Dome_Book_Award) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Vermont — [source: Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Children's Book Award — official winners list (Vermont grades 4-8, annual since 1957)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Golden_Dome_Book_Award) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Vermont — [source: Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Children's Book Award — official winners list (Vermont grades 4-8, annual since 1957)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont_Golden_Dome_Book_Award) ### Land of Enchantment Book Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · New Mexico — [source: New Mexico State Library — Land of Enchantment Book Award winner/nominee lists (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1981)](https://nmstatelibrary.org/land-of-enchantment-book-awards-40th-anniversary/) - **recommended** · 7th grade · New Mexico — [source: New Mexico State Library — Land of Enchantment Book Award winner/nominee lists (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1981)](https://nmstatelibrary.org/land-of-enchantment-book-awards-40th-anniversary/) - **recommended** · 8th grade · New Mexico — [source: New Mexico State Library — Land of Enchantment Book Award winner/nominee lists (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1981)](https://nmstatelibrary.org/land-of-enchantment-book-awards-40th-anniversary/) - **recommended** · 9th grade · New Mexico — [source: New Mexico State Library — Land of Enchantment Book Award winner/nominee lists (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1981)](https://nmstatelibrary.org/land-of-enchantment-book-awards-40th-anniversary/) ### Nebraska Golden Sower Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Nebraska — [source: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)](https://nebraskalibraries.org/GoldenSower) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Nebraska — [source: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)](https://nebraskalibraries.org/GoldenSower) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Nebraska — [source: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)](https://nebraskalibraries.org/GoldenSower) ### Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Oklahoma — [source: Oklahoma Library Association — Sequoyah Book Award, Children's (gr 3-5) + Intermediate (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1959); winner roll 1959-2025](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoyah_Book_Award) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Oklahoma — [source: Oklahoma Library Association — Sequoyah Book Award, Children's (gr 3-5) + Intermediate (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1959); winner roll 1959-2025](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoyah_Book_Award) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Oklahoma — [source: Oklahoma Library Association — Sequoyah Book Award, Children's (gr 3-5) + Intermediate (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1959); winner roll 1959-2025](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequoyah_Book_Award) ### Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) - **recommended** · 6th grade · Oregon — [source: Oregon Library Association — Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) winners by division (statewide young readers' choice program; students vote)](https://oregonreaderschoiceaward.wordpress.com/past-winners/) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Oregon — [source: Oregon Library Association — Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) winners by division (statewide young readers' choice program; students vote)](https://oregonreaderschoiceaward.wordpress.com/past-winners/) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Oregon — [source: Oregon Library Association — Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) winners by division (statewide young readers' choice program; students vote)](https://oregonreaderschoiceaward.wordpress.com/past-winners/) - **recommended** · 9th grade · Oregon — [source: Oregon Library Association — Oregon Reader's Choice Award (ORCA) winners by division (statewide young readers' choice program; students vote)](https://oregonreaderschoiceaward.wordpress.com/past-winners/) ### Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Illinois — [source: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)](https://www.rebeccacaudill.org/past-awards/past-winners-list) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Illinois — [source: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)](https://www.rebeccacaudill.org/past-awards/past-winners-list) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Illinois — [source: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)](https://www.rebeccacaudill.org/past-awards/past-winners-list) ### Vermont Golden Dome Book Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Vermont — [source: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 2010 winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Canfield_Fisher_Children%27s_Book_Award) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Vermont — [source: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 2010 winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Canfield_Fisher_Children%27s_Book_Award) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Vermont — [source: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 2010 winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Canfield_Fisher_Children%27s_Book_Award) - **recommended** · 9th grade · Vermont — [source: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 2010 winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Canfield_Fisher_Children%27s_Book_Award) ### Wisconsin Golden Archer Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Wisconsin — [source: Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award (student-choice; Intermediate + Middle/Junior High; annual since 1974)](https://www.wemta.org/golden-archer-award.html) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Wisconsin — [source: Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award (student-choice; Intermediate + Middle/Junior High; annual since 1974)](https://www.wemta.org/golden-archer-award.html) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Wisconsin — [source: Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award (student-choice; Intermediate + Middle/Junior High; annual since 1974)](https://www.wemta.org/golden-archer-award.html) ### Young Hoosier Book Award - **recommended** · 6th grade · Indiana — [source: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award Past Winners (Intermediate grades 4-6 + Middle Grade grades 6-8; annual since 1975)](https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ilfonline.org/resource/resmgr/yhba/yhba_pastwinners.pdf) - **recommended** · 7th grade · Indiana — [source: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award Past Winners (Intermediate grades 4-6 + Middle Grade grades 6-8; annual since 1975)](https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ilfonline.org/resource/resmgr/yhba/yhba_pastwinners.pdf) - **recommended** · 8th grade · Indiana — [source: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award Past Winners (Intermediate grades 4-6 + Middle Grade grades 6-8; annual since 1975)](https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ilfonline.org/resource/resmgr/yhba/yhba_pastwinners.pdf) ### Young Reader's Choice Award (PNLA) - **recommended** · 6th grade — [source: Pacific Northwest Library Association — Young Reader's Choice Award winners (1940-2022), via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Reader%27s_Choice_Award) - **recommended** · 7th grade — [source: Pacific Northwest Library Association — Young Reader's Choice Award winners (1940-2022), via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Reader%27s_Choice_Award) - **recommended** · 8th grade — [source: Pacific Northwest Library Association — Young Reader's Choice Award winners (1940-2022), via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Reader%27s_Choice_Award) - **recommended** · 9th grade — [source: Pacific Northwest Library Association — Young Reader's Choice Award winners (1940-2022), via Wikipedia — 2011 Winner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Reader%27s_Choice_Award) ## Banned / challenged record Documented removals or formal challenges in at least one school district in 2 states: TX, FL. Source: [PEN America's Index of School Book Bans](https://pen.org/banned-book-list/) 2022-2024. --- _Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. For the full HTML view with reading-list cross-references, see https://readinglist.school/book/the-hunger-games._