Forged by Fire
Forged by Fire by Sharon M. Draper is assigned in US schools at grades 7–10. 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 Forged by Fire 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 7–10
- Age range
- Ages 12–15
- First published
- 2009
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780784816523
Where to find this book
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About this book
Gerald survives a childhood of fire and abuse and grows up determined to protect his little sister from the same dangers. The second Hazelwood High novel.
Why widely assigned
This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 7–10. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on abuse and family; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
abuse · family · resilience
Where this book is assigned
Young Hoosier Book Award
- recommended·7th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award Past Winners (Intermediate grades 4-6 + Middle Grade grades 6-8; annual since 1975)
- recommended·8th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award Past Winners (Intermediate grades 4-6 + Middle Grade grades 6-8; annual since 1975)
Similar grade-level books
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
1984George Orwell · 1090L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
See all books like Forged by Fire→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is Forged by Fire?
- Forged by Fire is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–10. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign Forged by Fire?
- Forged by Fire appears on reading lists for Young Hoosier Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Forged by Fire banned in schools?
- Forged by Fire 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 Forged by Fire explore?
- Central themes in Forged by Fire include abuse, family, resilience. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
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 7–10 — 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.