The Hunger Games - Series
by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games

Grades 7 & up

Science Fiction: Dystopian Society

The Underland Chronicles

Book Summary:
Book 1: The Hunger Games
In futuristic North America, where poverty and hunger are common in most areas, the government demands an annual sacrifice from each district--a boy and a girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen. The "lucky winners" are selected from a lottery and sent to a televised competition, where they are expected to fight until only one remains.

The second book in this series, Catching Fire, features a surprise event: a hunger games made up of previous winners. These games are more about politics than sheer survival.

The third book in this series, Mockingjay, finds the districts in rebellion. It faces the question the previous two books raised, but never fully addressed: what should government do, and is it possible for government to be ethical and just?

 Book Review:
This book is a mix of The Running Man, Survivor (the CBS television show), and The Giver, with a splash of Uglies. It raises questions about  what societies value and what they will tolerate, as well as whether pop culture reflects societal beliefs or projects flashy, phony "ideals."

"What good is yelling about the Capitol in the middle of the woods?
It doesn't do any good. It doesn't make things fair. It doesn't change anything. It doesn't fill our stomachs."
p. 14

Dystopian Societies

Loyalty and Power
Responsibility to Do the Right Thing
Rites of Passage
Courage; Perseverance
Class Issues

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