What grade level is Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey?

Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–9. 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 Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey?

It takes about 2h 20m to read Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey (125 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 140 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey?

Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey appears on reading lists for Nebraska Golden Sower Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey banned in schools?

Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey 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.

What themes does Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey explore?

Central themes in Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey include child abuse, diaries, fathers and daughters, father-daughter relationship. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey

Name: Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey
Availability: InStock
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
ISBN: 9780689800979

by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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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:Nebraska Golden Sower Award

Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey by Margaret Peterson Haddix is assigned in US schools at grades 6–9. 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 Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey 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 6–9
Age range: Ages 11–14
Pages: 125
Reading time: about 2h 20m (est.)
First published: 1996
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780689800979

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

Mrs. Dunphrey agrees not to read the private entries written in her students' English journals, thus Tish Bonner finds herself pouring her emotions into her book in an effort to relieve the pressures in her life that she feels she cannot discuss with anyone.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 6–9. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on child abuse and diaries; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

child abuse · diaries · fathers and daughters · father-daughter relationship

Where this book is assigned

Nebraska Golden Sower Award

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Common questions

What grade level is Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey?: Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–9. 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 Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey?: It takes about 2h 20m to read Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey (125 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 140 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey?: Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey appears on reading lists for Nebraska Golden Sower Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey banned in schools?: Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey 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.
What themes does Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey explore?: Central themes in Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey include child abuse, diaries, fathers and daughters, father-daughter relationship. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 6–9 — 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.