Before the Ever After
by Jacqueline Woodson · Grades 5–8
Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson is on US reading lists at grades 5–8. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Grades 5–8 · 169 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781510111783). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
Listen free on Audiblestarts instantlyAudible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 1 state
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows where Before the Ever After 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
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
Good fit for grade 4?
If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Coretta Scott King Award?
More formats & details
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
Book facts and sources (2)
- Award won
- Coretta Scott King Author Award, 2021 (source: Wikipedia)
- On award reading lists
- Great Stone Face Book Award (source: librarything.com)
- Catalog record
- First published 2024 · 169 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
See all books like Before the Ever After→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Where this book is recommended
Coretta Scott King Author Award
- recommended·4th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2021 winner
- recommended·5th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2021 CSK Author Award
- recommended·6th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2021 CSK Author Award
- recommended·7th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2021 CSK Author Award
- recommended·8th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2021 CSK Author Award
Great Stone Face Book Award
- recommended·5th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·6th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·7th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·8th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
Was this page helpful?
Common questions
- What grade level is Before the Ever After?
- Before the Ever After is listed for grades 5–8. It appears on 2 book-award lists across 1 state, from grade 4 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Before the Ever After?
- It takes about 3h 5m to read Before the Ever After (169 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 185 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Before the Ever After?
- Before the Ever After appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Author Award, Great Stone Face Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Before the Ever After banned in schools?
- Before the Ever After has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (PA) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
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 5–8 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
- 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, book-club.