Cover of Ground Zero

Ground Zero

by Alan Gratz · Grades 6–8

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz is on US reading lists at grades 6–8. It appears on 9 lists: 9 book-award lists, across 9 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Formats on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Grades 6–8 · 304 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781338747690). 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.

Among the most widely assigned — 10 curriculum lists · 9 states

#46 most-assigned book in America — on school reading lists in 8 states (2026-07-13 study of 13,258 assignments).

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:Virginia Readers' ChoiceWilliam Allen White Children's Book AwardOklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book AwardVolunteer State Book Award+6 more

This page shows where Ground Zero 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 6–8
Pages
304
Reading time
about 5h 35m (est.)
First published
2021
ISBN-13
9781338747690

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.

Good fit for grade 6?

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.

About this book

Book facts and sources (9)
Award won
  • William Allen White Children's Book Award, 2024 (source: Wikipedia)
On award reading lists

and 4 more in where it is taught

Catalog record
First published 2021 · 304 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Ground Zero→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Where this book is recommended

Show 4 more awards & assignments

Ground Zero by the numbers: pages, reading time and where it is listed, on Book Statistics.

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Ground Zero?
Ground Zero is listed for grades 6–8. It appears on 10 state book-award lists across 9 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Ground Zero?
It takes about 5h 35m to read Ground Zero (304 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 335 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Ground Zero?
Ground Zero appears on reading lists for Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award, Great Lakes Great Books Award, Great Stone Face Book Award, and 6 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Ground Zero banned in schools?
Ground Zero has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (FL) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.

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 6–8 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 10 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 9 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.

Keep browsing

Find ReadingList in your Google results more often: