What grade level is A Family Apart?

A Family Apart is listed for grades 6–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read A Family Apart?

It takes about 3 hours to read A Family Apart (162 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 180 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign A Family Apart?

A Family Apart appears on reading lists for Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is A Family Apart banned in schools?

A Family Apart does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally. See the banned books list by state.

What themes does A Family Apart explore?

Central themes in A Family Apart include family, fiction, family, juvenile literature, foster home care, brothers and sisters.

A Family Apart

Name: A Family Apart
Availability: InStock
Author: Joan Lowery Nixon
ISBN: 9780440226765

by Joan Lowery Nixon · Grades 6–8 · Realistic Fiction

A Family Apart by Joan Lowery Nixon is on US reading lists at grades 6–8. It appears on 1 list: the Virginia Readers' Choice, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 11–13 · Grades 6–8 · 162 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780440226765). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Virginia Readers' Choice

This page shows where A Family Apart is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range: Grades 6–8
Age range: Ages 11–13
Pages: 162
Reading time: about 3 hours (est.)
First published: 1987
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780440226765

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 6?

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like A Family Apart→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 6–8. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on family, fiction and family, juvenile literature; cited on the Virginia Readers' Choice.

Themes

family, fiction · family, juvenile literature · foster home care · brothers and sisters

Where this book is recommended

Virginia Readers' Choice

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Common questions

What grade level is A Family Apart?: A Family Apart is listed for grades 6–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read A Family Apart?: It takes about 3 hours to read A Family Apart (162 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 180 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign A Family Apart?: A Family Apart appears on reading lists for Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is A Family Apart banned in schools?: A Family Apart does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does A Family Apart explore?: Central themes in A Family Apart include family, fiction, family, juvenile literature, foster home care, brothers and sisters.

Why this book is on this list

How we classify

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure: Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band: Grades 6–8 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.