Gregor the Overlander

Before she wrote The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins wrote this: Gregor, a regular New York kid, tumbles into an underground world of giant bats, rats, and roaches, and a war he never asked to join. He mostly just wants to get his family home.

Why we picked it

It’s a real adventure that quietly takes war seriously — who fights, who decides, what a prophecy does and doesn’t mean. Gregor isn’t a chosen hero who loves the spotlight. He’s a kid trying to protect his little sister. That makes the big questions land closer to home.

Questions to chew on

• Everyone treats the prophecy as the truth. Should Gregor just do what it says?
• The “enemies” in this world aren’t as simple as they first seem. Did your opinion of anyone change?
• Gregor keeps making choices to protect his family. When is that brave, and when is it risky?

Heads up for parents: there’s loss and the cost of war here, handled thoughtfully. A good one to read alongside a younger reader so you can talk through the heavier moments.