Cover of Fowl Play

Fowl Play

by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb

Fowl Play by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Fowl Play 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 3–6
Age range
Ages 8–12
Pages
288
Reading time
about 5h 15m (est.)
First published
2024
Genre
Middle Grade Mystery
ISBN-13
9780063274051
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About this book

A funny, heartwarming middle-grade mystery: when Chloe Alvarez unexpectedly inherits her late Uncle Will's African grey parrot, Charlie, the talkative bird becomes the key to investigating his suspicious death — and to discovering the healing power of family. From award-winning author Kristin O'Donnell Tubb; a 2026 Colorado Children's Book Award junior-book nominee.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Mystery title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on mystery and family; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

mystery · family · grief

Where this book is assigned

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See all books like Fowl Play→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is Fowl Play?
Fowl Play is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. 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 Fowl Play?
It takes about 5h 15m to read Fowl Play (288 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 315 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Fowl Play?
Fowl Play appears on reading lists for Colorado Children's Book Award, Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award, Sunshine State Young Readers Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Fowl Play banned in schools?
Fowl Play 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 Fowl Play explore?
Central themes in Fowl Play include mystery, family, grief. 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 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 3 states ELA frameworks 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.