Cover of Don't Hurt Laurie

Don't Hurt Laurie

by Willo Davis Roberts · Grades 4–8 · Realistic Fiction

Don't Hurt Laurie by Willo Davis Roberts is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. 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 9–13 · Grades 4–8 · 166 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780844668796). 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 Don't Hurt Laurie 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 4–8
Age range
Ages 9–13
Pages
166
Reading time
about 3h 5m (est.)
First published
1977
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780844668796

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.

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See all books like Don't Hurt Laurie→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 4–8. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on child abuse and child abuse, fiction; cited on the Young Hoosier Book Award.

Themes

child abuse · child abuse, fiction · parent and child, fiction · children, fiction

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Don't Hurt Laurie?
Don't Hurt Laurie is listed for grades 4–8. 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 Don't Hurt Laurie?
It takes about 3h 5m to read Don't Hurt Laurie (166 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 185 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Don't Hurt Laurie?
Don't Hurt Laurie appears on reading lists for Young Hoosier Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Don't Hurt Laurie banned in schools?
Don't Hurt Laurie 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.
What themes does Don't Hurt Laurie explore?
Central themes in Don't Hurt Laurie include child abuse, child abuse, fiction, parent and child, fiction, children, fiction.

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 4–8 — 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.

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