Cover of Ground Zero

Ground Zero

by Alan Gratz

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz is assigned in US schools at grades 6–8. 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 Ground Zero 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 6–8
Pages
304
Reading time
about 5h 35m (est.)
First published
2021
ISBN-13
9781338747690
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About this book

Brandon is visiting his dad on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 when the attack comes; Reshmina is a girl in Afghanistan who has grown up in the aftermath of that attack but dreams of peace, becoming a teacher and escaping her village and the narrow role that the Taliban believes is appropriate for women--both are struggling to survive, both changed forever by the events of 9/11.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Ground Zero?
Ground Zero is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–8. 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 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, Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania), William Allen White Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Ground Zero banned in schools?
Ground Zero 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.

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 6–8 — 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: award-winner, book-club.