The Hunger Games Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Updated September 2026
The Hunger Games Books in Order: The Short Answer
There are five Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins: the original trilogy about Katniss Everdeen (2008–2010) and two prequels, published in 2020 and 2025. If you're reading the Hunger Games books in order for the first time, we recommend publication order, which puts the trilogy first:
| # | Title | Published | Set during | Main character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hunger Games | 2008 | 74th Games | Katniss Everdeen |
| 2 | Catching Fire | 2009 | 75th Games (Third Quarter Quell) | Katniss Everdeen |
| 3 | Mockingjay | 2010 | The rebellion | Katniss Everdeen |
| 4 | The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes | 2020 | 10th Games | Coriolanus Snow |
| 5 | Sunrise on the Reaping | 2025 | 50th Games (Second Quarter Quell) | Haymitch Abernathy |
The newest is Sunrise on the Reaping, published March 18, 2025. Its film adaptation opens in theatres on November 20, 2026. More on both below.
In this guide:
- Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
- All Five Hunger Games Books at a Glance
- The Hunger Games Movies in Order
- Hunger Games Age Guide and Content Notes
- Teaching The Hunger Games in a Homeschool
- Where to Find Used Copies
- Frequently Asked Questions
Publication Order vs. Chronological Order
In story order (chronological), the five books run like this:
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes — the 10th Hunger Games, 64 years before Katniss
- Sunrise on the Reaping — the 50th Hunger Games, 24 years before Katniss
- The Hunger Games
- Catching Fire
- Mockingjay
Why we still say start with Katniss
Both prequels are written for readers who already know how things turn out. Ballad is about how a young, fairly sympathetic Coriolanus Snow becomes the tyrant of the trilogy; if you haven't met President Snow first, the whole book loses its dread. Sunrise on the Reaping is even more dependent on the trilogy. Haymitch is a drunk, bitter mentor in The Hunger Games, and the prequel explains why — its final chapters land hardest when you already know who he'll become and who he'll meet.
So: trilogy first, then the prequels in the order they were published. Chronological order is a fun way to reread the whole thing, not a good way to meet it.
Which prequel to read first
It matters a little. Sunrise on the Reaping picks up threads from Ballad — a family connected to Lucy Gray Baird, and some of the songs — so reading Ballad first pays off. Neither is required to understand the other.
A quick map of Panem's timeline
It helps younger readers to see the whole history in one place:
- The Dark Days: the districts rebel against the Capitol and lose. District 13 is believed destroyed.
- The Treaty of Treason: as punishment, each district must send one boy and one girl every year to fight in the Hunger Games.
- 10th Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The Games are still crude and poorly watched; young Snow helps turn them into a spectacle.
- 50th Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. The second Quarter Quell, with 48 tributes.
- 74th and 75th Games: The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.
- The Second Rebellion: Mockingjay.
Once a reader has finished all five, rereading in this order is a genuinely different experience — Snow's rise, then Haymitch's loss, then Katniss's war reads as one long story about the same regime.
All Five Hunger Games Books at a Glance
The Hunger Games (2008)
Sixteen-year-old Katniss volunteers in her little sister's place to fight 23 other teenagers to the death on live television. Short chapters and a cliffhanger at nearly every break — the most readable book of the five.
Catching Fire (2009)
Katniss's defiance in the arena has sparked unrest, and the Capitol answers with a Quarter Quell that sends past victors back into the Games. Many readers think this is the best of the trilogy.
Mockingjay (2010)
Open war. Katniss becomes the face of the rebellion and discovers that the rebels have their own propaganda machine. It's the bleakest of the three and divides readers — some find the ending unsatisfying, others consider it the most honest war novel written for teenagers.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020)
Eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is assigned to mentor Lucy Gray Baird, the girl tribute from District 12. It's slower and more philosophical than the trilogy, and longer. Older teens tend to like it more than younger ones.
Sunrise on the Reaping (2025)
Haymitch Abernathy, sixteen, is reaped for the 50th Games — a Quarter Quell with twice the usual number of tributes. It has the pace of the original trilogy and some of the most painful chapters in the series. If your teen loved the first book, this is the prequel they'll race through. When all five are done, our books like The Hunger Games list picks up with other survival stories.
The Hunger Games Movies in Order
| Film | Year | US rating |
|---|---|---|
| The Hunger Games | 2012 | PG-13 |
| The Hunger Games: Catching Fire | 2013 | PG-13 |
| The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 | 2014 | PG-13 |
| The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 | 2015 | PG-13 |
| The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes | 2023 | PG-13 |
| The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping | 2026 (in theatres November 20) | — |
Sunrise on the Reaping is directed by Francis Lawrence, who made every film since Catching Fire, from a screenplay by Billy Ray and Michael Lesslie. Joseph Zada plays the young Haymitch, with Whitney Peak as Lenore Dove, Mckenna Grace as Maysilee Donner and Ralph Fiennes as President Snow.
The first four films star Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, and they're faithful adaptations by Hollywood standards. The violence is shot to stay inside a PG-13 rating, which makes the films noticeably less brutal than the books. Look for them among our used DVDs or in sci-fi and fantasy movies.
Hunger Games Age Guide and Content Notes
The Hunger Games is published as young adult fiction, and our honest advice is 12 or 13 and up for the trilogy, a bit older for the prequels. Some mature 11-year-olds read it; many would be better off waiting a year.
- Violence: The premise is children killing children. Deaths are described clearly but not lingered over in the first book. Mockingjay includes the bombing of civilians and the death of children, and Sunrise on the Reaping is arguably the most violent of the five.
- Language: Minimal.
- Romance: The Katniss–Peeta–Gale triangle is real but chaste — kissing, and sleeping side by side for comfort.
- Other: Alcoholism (Haymitch), trauma and PTSD, morphling addiction, and government torture. Mockingjay deals with the aftermath of war honestly and without a tidy happy ending.
None of that is a reason to avoid it. These are serious books about power, propaganda and the cost of violence, and they reward a parent reading along and talking.
Teaching The Hunger Games in a Homeschool
This series works well in a high school literature or civics course, especially paired with the classics it draws from.
- Rome: "Panem" comes from the Latin panem et circenses, "bread and circuses." Pair with a unit on Roman gladiatorial games and Juvenal.
- Myth: Collins has cited the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, where Athens sends youths as tribute to Crete, as a direct inspiration.
- Media literacy: Collins has said the idea came from channel-surfing between reality TV and war coverage. The books are built for discussions about what we watch and why.
- Political philosophy: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is essentially an argument about human nature — Hobbes versus Locke and Rousseau — dressed as a thriller. Good for an older student.
- Dystopian pairings: Fahrenheit 451, 1984 and The Giver all make strong companion reads. Our George Orwell reading guide and Ray Bradbury reading guide cover the first two, and our best dystopian books for teens list has more for a full unit.
Where to Find Used Copies
The five books turn up regularly in paperback and hardcover, often as boxed trilogy sets. Browse our current Suzanne Collins books, and see more young adult and science fiction. Free shipping applies to orders over $15.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Hunger Games books are there?
Five: the trilogy (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay) and two prequels, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2020) and Sunrise on the Reaping (2025).
What order should I read The Hunger Games in?
For a first read, publication order: the trilogy, then The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, then Sunrise on the Reaping. Both prequels depend on knowing the trilogy.
What is the newest Hunger Games book?
Sunrise on the Reaping, published March 18, 2025. It follows 16-year-old Haymitch Abernathy in the 50th Hunger Games.
When does the Sunrise on the Reaping movie come out?
November 20, 2026. Francis Lawrence directs, with Joseph Zada as young Haymitch and Ralph Fiennes as President Snow.
Should I read Sunrise on the Reaping before The Hunger Games?
We wouldn't. It is set 24 years earlier, but its emotional payoff depends on already knowing Haymitch from the trilogy.
What age is appropriate for The Hunger Games?
We suggest 12 or 13 and up for the trilogy and a little older for the prequels. The premise involves teenagers killing each other, and the later books include war and the deaths of children.
Is The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes about Snow?
Yes. It follows an 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow as a mentor in the 10th Hunger Games, 64 years before Katniss.
