Ambition will fuel him. Competition will drive him. But power has its price. 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.

On March 17, 2011, social media channels buzzed with excitement. Fans of The Hunger Games had hotly debated which actors would bring their beloved characters to life in the upcoming movie. The movie's director, Gary Ross, had finally selected the lead character, Katniss. His pick: Jennifer Lawrence. Jennifer started acting professionally in 2004 at age fourteen. But she quickly proved her major talent. For the 2008 movie The Burning Plain, she earned a best new young actress award at the Venice Film Festival. And for her performance in the 2010 movie Winter's Bone, Jennifer received nominations for both a Golden Globe and an Academy Award. The Hunger Games'sauthor, Suzanne Collins, celebrated the selection of Katniss. "I never thought we'd find somebody this amazing for the role," she said. And Jennifer—who is a huge fan of the books—was thrilled to play such a complex character. Did she pull it off? Fans will be the judge!

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. This movie tie-in edition features cover art from the movie and exclusive Q&A with members of the cast, including Taylor Swift, Brenton Thwaites and Cameron Monaghan.

In today's uncertain world, storms will arise that test your faith in a loving heavenly Father. At times, the winds and waves of the world's deceptions will roll in and seek to erode your confidence in God. Without a firm foundation in the truth of God's Word, you may be tempted to go off course and accept less than God's best for you. However, when you hear Jesus' words, receive them, and put them into practice, you will construct a life the torrents cannot shake, "because it was well built" (Luke 6:48). The Purple Book will help you understand foundational truths that God wants you to hear on topics such as sin, salvation, spiritual gifts, prayer, worship, generosity, and evangelism. It will show you how the Bible is "God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). It will help you understand that the faith you hold has true power to change lives and transform nations. It will give you a solid foundation the enemy cannot dismantle—and a heart shaped by knowledge of God's Word.

In a globalized world full of uncertainty and injustice, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series has captured the imaginations of readers looking for glimmers of hope. The tale of Katniss Everdeen's journey of survival in the post-apocalyptic country of Panem, where bread and circuses distract the privileged and allow a totalitarian regime to oppress the masses, parallels situations in our world today. At the same time, the series' themes of resistance to oppression and hope for a better world, portrayed honestly as messy and difficult endeavors, echo the transformative way of life Jesus offered his followers. The Hunger Games and the Gospel explores these themes in The Hunger Games series that have resonated so deeply with readers by examining their similarity to the good news found in Jesus' message about living in the ways of God's Kingdom. Taking the rich statements of the Beatitudes, which serve as mini-pictures of God's dreams realized on earth as in heaven, each chapter reflects on how those pictures are exhibited both in the narrative of The Hunger Games, and in Jesus' time, and then explores their significance for our own world. Thought-provoking questions provide direction for personal reflection and group discussion. Readers are invited to allow the inspiration of The Hunger Games help them live in the ways of the Kingdom of God by discovering how they too can work toward the possibility of a better world. ***** PRAISE FOR "THE HUNGER GAMES AND THE GOSPEL" My favorite analysis of "The Hunger Games..". Clawson does a fantastic job of reminding readers that Collins' world of occupation, oppression, excess, and poverty is not so far removed from our own, and that it is exactly the kind of world in which Jesus himself lived. -- Rachel Held Evans, author of "A Year of Biblical Womanhood" It shouldn't surprise anyone that Julie Clawson finds everyday justice in the Hunger Games trilogy, but what may surprise and delight is that she reads the story so well and writes so beautifully about the lessons she finds there. Everyone who loves The Hunger Games should read this book. -- Greg Garrett, author of "Faithful Citizenship," "One Fine Potion: The Literary Magic of Harry Potter," and "The Other Jesus" Are we living in the United States of Panem? The Hunger Games trilogy's depiction of a wealthy, totalitarian regime that exploits its conquered neighbors is more than fiction. The series brings to life the Roman Empire of Jesus' day and suggests a searing indictment of contemporary American imperialism. Using a framing structure of the Beatitudes, Julie Clawson powerfully explores Katniss's suffering as a lens for understanding Jesus' passion for loving our neighbors and building a better world. -- Jana Riess, author of "Flunking Sainthood" and "What Would Buffy Do?" Julie Clawson writes with intelligence, thoughtfulness, and nuance. This is a collection of fascinating and insightful reflections, a set of mirrors that we as Christians must confront, even though they come to us from the unlikeliest of places: a story we've all read "for fun." -- Shauna Niequist, Author of "Cold Tangerines" & "Bittersweet" There is no question that the Hunger Games triology has touched something deep in the psyche of its millions of readers, stirring up questions and uncertainties that we all foster about our future. With sharp clarity and stunning insight, Julie Clawson helps us understand our visceral response to the series by interweaving the narrative with Jesus' Beatitudes. The result points to a realistic hope for today and tomorrow. -- Jamie Arpin-Ricci, author of "The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis & Life in the Kingdom"