How long does it take to read Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected?

It takes about 2h 25m to read Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected (130 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 145 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected

Name: Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected
Availability: InStock
Author: Jay Jay Patton
ISBN: 9781546109952

by Jay Jay Patton · Grades 4–5 · Juvenile Nonfiction

Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected by Jay Jay Patton is on US reading lists at grades 4–5. It appears on 1 list: the Great Lakes Great Books Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Formats on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Grades 4–5 · 130 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781546109952). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

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:Great Lakes Great Books Award

This page shows where Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected 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 4–5
Pages: 130
Reading time: about 2h 25m (est.)
Genre: Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN-13: 9781546109952

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-07-02; 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

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.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This juvenile nonfiction title is typically read at grades 4–5. Published in the canon; cited on the Great Lakes Great Books Award.

Where this book is recommended

Great Lakes Great Books Award
- recommended·4th grade · Michigan source: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award 2025-26 honor book (official GLGBA winner press release, announced March 7, 2026 at the MRA Annual Conference) — 4-5 division
- recommended·5th grade · Michigan source: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award 2025-26 honor book (official GLGBA winner press release, announced March 7, 2026 at the MRA Annual Conference) — 4-5 division

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected?: Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected is listed for grades 4–5. 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 Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected?: It takes about 2h 25m to read Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected (130 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 145 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected?: Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected banned in schools?: Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison - And How We Stayed Connected 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 4–5 — 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.