Cover of An American Plague

An American Plague

by Jim Murphy

An American Plague by Jim Murphy is assigned in US schools at grades 4–10. 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 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.

Grade range
Grades 4–10
Pages
165
Reading time
about 3 hours (est.)
First published
2003
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9780395776087
Buy on AmazonListen free on Audible

Where to find this book

Buy on AmazonPrime · 1-clickListen free on Audible30-day trial

Audible: new members only · many assigned titles are included with the membership.

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.

About this book

Recreates the devastation rendered to the city of Philadelphia in 1793 by an incurable disease known as yellow fever, detailing the major social and political events as well as the time's medical beliefs and practices.

Why widely assigned

This Children's title, typically at grades 4–10. Written in the 2000s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like An American Plague→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is An American Plague?
An American Plague is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–10. 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 An American Plague?
It takes about 3 hours to read An American Plague (165 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 180 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 Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is An American Plague banned in schools?
An American Plague 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
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 4–10 — 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: read-aloud.