What grade level is Cardboard?

Cardboard is listed for grades 6–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read Cardboard?

It takes about 5h 20m to read Cardboard (291 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 320 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Cardboard?

Cardboard appears on reading lists for Young Hoosier Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Cardboard banned in schools?

Cardboard 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. See the banned books list by state.

Cardboard

Name: Cardboard
Availability: InStock
Author: Doug TenNapel
ISBN: 9780545418737

by Doug TenNapel · Grades 6–8 · Realistic Fiction

Cardboard by Doug TenNapel is on US reading lists at grades 6–8. It appears on 1 list: the Young Hoosier Book Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 11–13 · Grades 6–8 · 291 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780545418737). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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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:Young Hoosier Book Award

This page shows where Cardboard 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 6–8
Age range: Ages 11–13
Pages: 291
Reading time: about 5h 20m (est.)
First published: 2013
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780545418737

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; 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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Similar grade-level books

See all books like Cardboard→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 6–8. Written in the 2010s; cited on the Young Hoosier Book Award.

Where this book is recommended

Young Hoosier Book Award

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Common questions

What grade level is Cardboard?: Cardboard is listed for grades 6–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Cardboard?: It takes about 5h 20m to read Cardboard (291 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 320 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Cardboard?: Cardboard appears on reading lists for Young Hoosier Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Cardboard banned in schools?: Cardboard 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. See the banned books list by state.

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 the state 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: On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.