The Underland Chronicles: Books 1-5 Paperback Box Set Read online

  One tugged on his jacket and lifted up her arms. "Hold me." Gregor pulled Boots up onto his lap and

  snuggled her inside his jacket. She rested her head on his shoulder and studied his face. "You feel sad," she said.

  "A little," said Gregor.

  "You miss them," said Boots.

  "Yeah, I do," Gregor said. "But I've still got you." He remembered all of the times he'd thought he had lost her, and tightened his grip around her.

  "Here." Boots dug in her pocket and pulled out the little black plastic bat. Ares. She put it in his hand. "You can have this, Gregor."

  "Thanks," he said. They leaned back and watched as the streetlights came on.

  Suddenly Gregor smiled. "Hey, Boots," he said. "Hey. You can finally say my name."

  About the Author

  Thinking one day about Alice in Wonderland, Suzanne Collins was struck by how pastoral the setting must seem to kids who, like her own kids, lived in urban surroundings. In New York City, you're much more likely to fall down a manhole into the sewer than a rabbit hole, and if you do, you're not going to find a tea party. What might you find? The answer to this question can be found in Collins's first novel, Gregor the Overlander. Like Alice, Gregor takes a very long fall beneath his world and finds another strange place.

  Gregor the Overlander is the first in a five-part series entitled The Underland Chronicles. In each book, Gregor must find the courage and moral fortitude to deal with a different aspect of war.

  Although Gregor the Overlander is Suzanne Collins's first novel, she is not a stranger to writing for kids. Since 1991 she has had a successful and prolific career writing for children's television. She has worked on the staffs of several Nickelodeon shows, including the Emmy-nominated hit Clarissa Explains It All and The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo. She has also worked on shows such as Maurice Sendak's Little Bear, Oswald the Octopus, and Clifford's Puppy Days.

  Suzanne Collins currently lives in Connecticut with her family.