A Single Shard
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park is assigned in US schools at grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 920L. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where A Single Shard is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 920L
- Grade range
- Grades 5–8
- Difficulty for grade
- Within the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
- Age range
- Ages 10–13
- Pages
- 192
- Reading time
- about 3h 30m (est.)
- First published
- 2001
- Genre
- Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)
- ISBN-13
- 9780547534268
Reading difficulty: At 920L, A Single Shard falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.
Where to find this book
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
In 12th-century Korea, an orphan named Tree-ear apprentices himself to a master potter and undertakes a dangerous journey to win royal commission for the village's celadon ware. Linda Sue Park's Newbery Medal novel explores craftsmanship, perseverance, and honor through the lens of Korean ceramic art. It is a frequent grades 5-8 novel study for world history and character-virtue units.
Why widely assigned
This Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) title, reads at young-adult to upper-middle-grade complexity, typically at grades 5–8. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on perseverance and art.
Themes
perseverance · art · mentorship · poverty · determination
Content notes
poverty
Where this book is assigned
No curriculum assignments on file yet.
Similar grade-level books
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
See all books like A Single Shard→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is A Single Shard?
- A Single Shard is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 920L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of A Single Shard?
- A Single Shard has a Lexile measure of 920L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- How long does it take to read A Single Shard?
- It takes about 3h 30m to read A Single Shard (192 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 210 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is A Single Shard hard to read for 5th grade?
- At 920L, A Single Shard falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- Is A Single Shard banned in schools?
- A Single Shard 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
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 920L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 5–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Not yet documented in any tracked curriculum.
- 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
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.