What grade level is An American Plague?

An American Plague is listed for grades 6–10. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read An American Plague?

It takes about 3h 40m to read An American Plague (201 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 220 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign An American Plague?

An American Plague appears on reading lists for Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is An American Plague banned in schools?

An American Plague has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (TX) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.

An American Plague

Name: An American Plague
Availability: InStock
Author: Jim Murphy
ISBN: 9780547532851

by Jim Murphy · Grades 6–10

An American Plague by Jim Murphy is on US reading lists at grades 6–10. It appears on 1 list: the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 6–10 · 201 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780547532851). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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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:Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

This page shows where An American Plague 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 6–10
Pages: 201
Reading time: about 3h 40m (est.)
First published: 2003
ISBN-13: 9780547532851

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-10; 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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Where this book is recommended

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

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Common questions

What grade level is An American Plague?: An American Plague is listed for grades 6–10. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read An American Plague?: It takes about 3h 40m to read An American Plague (201 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 220 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign An American Plague?: An American Plague appears on reading lists for Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is An American Plague banned in schools?: An American Plague has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (TX) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.

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 6–10 — 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: Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: award-winner.