Cover of A Time of Troubles

A Time of Troubles

by Pieter Van Raven

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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:Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

A Time of Troubles by Pieter Van Raven is assigned in US schools at grades 5–9. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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

Grade range
Grades 5–9
Age range
Ages 10–14
Pages
180
Reading time
about 3h 20m (est.)
First published
1990
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780684192123

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

Having crossed the country with his father during the Depression to find work in California, fourteen-year-old Roy encounters cruel exploitation by the Growers' Association of the desperate, impoverished people pouring into the state.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like A Time of Troubles→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 5–9. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on depressions and migrant labor; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

depressions · migrant labor · donna harsh collection · depressions, fiction

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is A Time of Troubles?
A Time of Troubles is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–9. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read A Time of Troubles?
It takes about 3h 20m to read A Time of Troubles (180 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 200 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign A Time of Troubles?
A Time of Troubles appears on reading lists for Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is A Time of Troubles banned in schools?
A Time of Troubles 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 Time of Troubles explore?
Central themes in A Time of Troubles include depressions, migrant labor, donna harsh collection, depressions, fiction. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 5–9 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” 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.

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