Cover of A Gathering of Days

A Gathering of Days

by Joan W. Blos · Grades 3–7 · Children and death

A Gathering of Days by Joan W. Blos is on US reading lists at grades 3–7. It appears on 1 list: the Newbery Medal. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Formats on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Grades 3–7 · 160 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9780684163406). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

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:Newbery Medal

This page shows where A Gathering of Days 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 3–7
Pages
160
Reading time
about 2h 55m (est.)
First published
1979
Genre
Children and death
ISBN-13
9780684163406

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 3?

If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Newbery Medal?

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

More like this

Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Show 12 more

Similar grade-level books

See all books like A Gathering of Days→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This children and death title is typically read at grades 3–7. Written in the 1970s; cited on the Newbery Medal.

Where this book is recommended

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is A Gathering of Days?
A Gathering of Days is listed for grades 3–7. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read A Gathering of Days?
It takes about 2h 55m to read A Gathering of Days (160 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 175 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign A Gathering of Days?
A Gathering of Days appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is A Gathering of Days banned in schools?
A Gathering of Days 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.

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 3–7 — drawn from the 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
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner.

Keep browsing

Find ReadingList in your Google results more often: