August 10 marks the birthday of Suzanne Collins, best-selling author of The Hunger Games book series. Let’s take a look at the life and career of one of the most well-known young adult dystopian novel authors who has sold over 100 million copies of her books worldwide.
Suzanne Collins was born on August 10, 1962 in Hartford, Connecticut. She began her career as a writer for children’s television in 1991 and eventually wrote her first fiction novel: Gregor the Overlander, the first installment in the five-part fantasy series The Underland Chronicles. The final book in The Underland Chronicles, The Code of Claw, was published in 2007 and quickly followed by the first Hunger Games novel in 2008.
The Hunger Games series has sold over 100 million copies across all five books. The most recent Hunger Games novel, Sunrise on the Reaping, is another prequel to the original trilogy and was released in March of 2025. Previously, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was the first Hunger Games prequel and also features a main character from the original Hunger Games trilogy as the protagonist. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was released in May of 2020. The first four Hunger Games novels have been adapted into films with Sunrise on the Reaping currently in production with an expected release date sometime in 2026.
As we celebrate Suzanne Collins’s birthday on August 10, it is a great time to either jump into the world of Panem for the first time or for current The Hunger Games fans to return to an old favorite series. Check out all of Suzanne Collins’s books for readers of all ages from the library below!
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1)
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.
Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2)
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
Mockingjay (The Hunger Games #3)
The third book in Suzanne Collins's phenomenal and worldwide bestselling Hunger Games trilogy is now available in paperback. "My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead." Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Though she's long been a part of the revolution, Katniss hasn't known it. Now it seems that everyone has had a hand in the carefully laid plans but her. The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay - no matter what the cost.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games Prequel)
It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.
Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games Prequel)
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
JUNIOR FICTION
Gregor the Overlander (The Underland Chronicles #1)
When Gregor falls through a grate in the laundry room of his apartment building, he hurtles into the dark Underland, where spiders, rats, cockroaches coexist uneasily with humans. This world is on the brink of war, and Gregor's arrival is no accident. A prophecy foretells that Gregor has a role to play in the Underland's uncertain future. Gregor wants no part of it -- until he realizes it's the only way to solve the mystery of his father's disappearance. Reluctantly, Gregor embarks on a dangerous adventure that will change both him and the Underland forever.
Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane (The Underland Chronicles #2)
Months have passed since Gregor first fell into the strange Underland beneath New York City, and he swears he will never go back. But he is destined to be a key player in another prophecy, this one about an ominous white rat called the Bane. The Underlanders know there is only one way to lure Gregor back to their world: by kidnapping his little sister, Boots. Gregor's quest reunites him with his bat, Ares, and the rebellious princess, Luxa. They descend into the dangerous Waterway in search of the Bane, and Gregor knows what is at stake. If he does not fulfill the prophecy, his life, and the Underland, will never be the same.
Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods (The Underland Chronicles #3)
With two prophecies fulfilled, Gregor is now focused on the Prophecy of Blood, which calls for Gregor and "the princess," Boots, to return to the Underland to help ward off a plague. His mom agrees to let them go--on the condition that she travels with them. When they arrive in the subterranean city, the plague is spreading--and one of Gregor's family is stricken. Only then does he understand his role in the prophecy. He must summon all his power to end the biological warfare, or the warmblood creatures of the Underland will die. The adventure continues in the third book in Suzanne Collins's New York Times bestselling middle grade series.
Gregor and the Marks of Secret (The Underland Chronicles #4)
Now, in the fourth book in Suzanne Collins's New York Times bestselling series, Gregor is drawn into a crisis. For generations, rats have run the mice--or "nibblers"--out of whatever lands they've claimed, keeping them on the move. But now the mice are disappearing, and the young queen Luxa is determined to find out why. When Gregor joins her on a fact-finding mission, the true fate of the mice is revealed. It is something far more sinister than Gregor or Luxa had imagined--and it points the way to the final prophecy he has yet to fulfill. Will Gregor's role as warrior be put to the test?
Gregor and the Code of Claw (The Underland Chronicles #5)
Everyone in the Underland has been taking great pains to keep The Prophecy of Time from Gregor. Gregor suspected it says something awful but he never imagined just how awful: It calls for the warrior's death. Now, with an army of rats approaching and his mom and sister still in Regalia, Gregor the warrior must gather up his courage to help defend Regalia and get his family home safely. The entire existence of the Underland is in Gregor's hands, and time is running out. There is a code to be cracked, a mysterious new princess, Gregor's burgeoning dark side, and a war to end all wars. This is the thrilling conclusion to Suzanne Collins's New York Times bestselling middle grade series.
EARLY READERS
When young Suzy's father leaves for Vietnam, she struggles to understand what this means for her and her family. What is the jungle like? Will her father be safe? When will he return? The months slip by, marked by the passing of the familiar holidays and the postcards that her father sends. With each one, he feels more and more distant, until Suzy isn't sure she'd even recognize her father anymore. This heartfelt and accessible picture book by Suzanne Collins, the New York Times bestselling author of the Hunger Games series, is accompanied by James Proimos's sweet and charming illustrations. This picture book will speak to any child who has had to spend time away from a parent.
MOVIES
“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1”
“The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2”
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”
Descriptions adapted from the publisher.