A Raisin in the Sun
by Lorraine Hansberry
- Grade range
- Grades 9–12
- Age range
- Ages 14–18
- Pages
- 151
- First published
- 1959
- Genre
- Drama
- ISBN-13
- 9780679755333
About this book
A Black family in 1950s Chicago debates how to spend a life-insurance check that could buy them a house in a white neighborhood. Hansberry's play — the first by a Black woman on Broadway — is a standard 9th-12th grade American Literature text and appears in AP Lit and Common Core materials.
Themes
- racial segregation
- family
- dreams
- economic mobility
- generational conflict
Content notes
- racial slurs (historical context)
Common Sense Media recommends age 13+.
Where this book is assigned
AP English Literature & Composition
- recommended· 11th gradesource: AP Lit drama representative text
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended· 9th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 9-10 drama exemplar
- required· 10th grade · Illinoissource: Illinois Learning Standards grade 10 drama text (Chicago setting)
- required· 10th grade · Illinoissource: Chicago PS grade 10 American drama core text (local setting)
- recommended· 10th grade · New Yorksource: NY Next Gen Learning Standards grade 10 drama
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is A Raisin in the Sun?
- A Raisin in the Sun is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign A Raisin in the Sun?
- A Raisin in the Sun appears on reading lists for AP English Literature & Composition, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is A Raisin in the Sun banned in schools?
- A Raisin in the Sun 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.
- What themes does A Raisin in the Sun explore?
- Central themes in A Raisin in the Sun include racial segregation, family, dreams, economic mobility, generational conflict. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.