What grade level is Day of Tears?

Day of Tears is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–12. 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 Day of Tears?

It takes about 3h 40m to read Day of Tears (200 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 220 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Day of Tears?

Day of Tears appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Author Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Day of Tears banned in schools?

Day of Tears 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.

Day of Tears

Name: Day of Tears
Availability: InStock
Author: Julius Lester

by Julius Lester

Day of Tears by Julius Lester is assigned in US schools at grades 7–12. 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 Day of Tears 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 7–12
Pages: 200
Reading time: about 3h 40m (est.)
First published: 2005

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About this book

Through flashbacks, foreshadowing, and shifting first-person points of view, readers will travel with Emma and others through time and space. They come to discover that every decision has its consequences, and final judgment is passed down not by man, but by his maker.

Where this book is assigned

Coretta Scott King Author Award

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Common questions

What grade level is Day of Tears?: Day of Tears is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–12. 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 Day of Tears?: It takes about 3h 40m to read Day of Tears (200 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 220 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Day of Tears?: Day of Tears appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Author Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Day of Tears banned in schools?: Day of Tears 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 7–12 — 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.