# Is "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic Press, 2008) is identified by: The first printing copyright page states 'First edition, September 2008' and carries a full number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). The US Scholastic Press 2008 edition is the true first; the UK Scholastic edition is a separate issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing copyright page states 'First edition, September 2008' and carries a full number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1')
- Gray boards with gilt spine title and a gilt mockingjay to the front board; first-issue jacket with the printed price and Tim O'Brien cover art
- Publisher imprint reads Scholastic Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Suzanne Collins |
| Publisher | Scholastic Press |
| Year | 2008 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | The first printing copyright page states 'First edition, September 2008' and carries a full number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1') |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing copyright page states 'First edition, September 2008' and carries a full number line ending in 1 ('10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'). Gray boards with gilt spine title and a gilt mockingjay to the front board; first-issue jacket with the printed price and Tim O'Brien cover art.

## Is this the true first?
The US Scholastic Press 2008 edition is the true first; the UK Scholastic edition is a separate issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings reuse the same plates, so the number line is decisive: book-club and later-printing copies do not carry the complete line ending in 1, may omit or alter the 'First edition' statement, and book-club copies can carry a blind-stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-hunger-games
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.