Cover of Breathe: A Ghost Story

Breathe: A Ghost Story

by Cliff McNish

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 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).

On reading-award lists:Virginia Readers' Choice

Breathe: A Ghost Story by Cliff McNish is assigned in US schools at grades 6–8. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Breathe: A Ghost Story 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 6–8
Age range
Ages 11–13
Pages
264
Reading time
about 4h 50m (est.)
First published
2006
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780761349624

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

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

When he and his mother move into an old farmhouse in the English countryside, asthmatic, twelve-year-old Jack discovers that he can communicate with the ghosts inhabiting the house and inadvertently establishes a relationship with a tormented, malevolentspirit that threatens to destroy both his mother and himself.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Breathe: A Ghost Story→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 6–8. Written in the 2000s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Breathe: A Ghost Story?
Breathe: A Ghost Story is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–8. 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 Breathe: A Ghost Story?
It takes about 4h 50m to read Breathe: A Ghost Story (264 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 290 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Breathe: A Ghost Story?
Breathe: A Ghost Story appears on reading lists for Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Breathe: A Ghost Story banned in schools?
Breathe: A Ghost Story 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

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 6–8 — 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
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

Keep browsing