Books like The Hunger Games
Looking for books like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Young Adult Dystopian · 810L · grades 6–9)? It’s most often read for its themes of authoritarianism, survival, and media and spectacle. The 10 titlesbelow are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.
These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 6–9 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.
10 books similar to The Hunger Games
Life of PiYann Martel · 830L
RefugeeAlan Gratz · 800L
A Long Walk to WaterLinda Sue Park · 720L
The Graveyard BookNeil Gaiman · 820L
ChainsLaurie Halse Anderson · 780L
The Secret Life of BeesSue Monk Kidd · 840L
HootCarl Hiaasen · 760L
Esperanza RisingPam Muñoz Ryan · 750L
When You Reach MeRebecca Stead · 750L
The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)Rick Riordan · 740L
Why each is a match
- Life of Pi830L
- Shares themes of survival and a close reading level (830L vs 810L).
- Refugee800L
- Shares themes of survival and a close reading level (800L vs 810L).
- A Long Walk to Water720L
- Shares themes of survival and a close reading level (720L vs 810L).
- The Graveyard Book820L
- A close reading level (820L vs 810L) and the same era (2000s).
- Chains780L
- A close reading level (780L vs 810L) and the same era (2000s).
- The Secret Life of Bees840L
- A close reading level (840L vs 810L) and the same era (2000s).
- Hoot760L
- A close reading level (760L vs 810L) and the same era (2000s).
- Esperanza Rising750L
- A close reading level (750L vs 810L) and the same era (2000s).
- When You Reach Me750L
- A close reading level (750L vs 810L) and the same era (2000s).
- The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)740L
- A close reading level (740L vs 810L) and the same era (2000s).