Cover of Beyond the Bright Sea

Beyond the Bright Sea

by Lauren Wolk

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk is assigned in US schools at grades 5–8. 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 Beyond the Bright Sea 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 5–8
Pages
258
Reading time
about 4h 45m (est.)
First published
2017
ISBN-13
9781448197125
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About this book

'Harper Lee has a worthy successor. Wolk is a big new talent' - The Times Crow has lived her whole life on a tiny, starkly beautiful island. Her only companions are Osh, the man who rescued her from a washed-up skiff as a baby and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their neighbour across the sandbar. But it is only when a mysterious fire appears across the water that an unspoken question of her own history forms in Crow's heart, and an unstoppable chain of events is triggered. Crow sets out to find her lost identity - and, ultimately, to learn what it means to be a family. Vivid and heartfelt, Beyond the Bright Sea is a gorgeously crafted, gripping tale of buried treasure and belonging.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Beyond the Bright Sea?
Beyond the Bright Sea is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8. 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 Beyond the Bright Sea?
It takes about 4h 45m to read Beyond the Bright Sea (258 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 285 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Beyond the Bright Sea?
Beyond the Bright Sea appears on reading lists for Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Beyond the Bright Sea banned in schools?
Beyond the Bright Sea 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 5–8 — 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.