What grade level is Guardian of the Dead?

Guardian of the Dead is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. 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 Guardian of the Dead?

It takes about 4h 5m to read Guardian of the Dead (221 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Guardian of the Dead?

Guardian of the Dead appears on reading lists for William C. Morris YA Debut Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Guardian of the Dead banned in schools?

Guardian of the Dead 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.

Guardian of the Dead

Name: Guardian of the Dead
Availability: InStock
Author: Karen Healey
ISBN: 9780316088459

by Karen Healey

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Guardian of the Dead 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 9–12
Pages: 221
Reading time: about 4h 5m (est.)
First published: 2010
Genre: Young Adult
ISBN-13: 9780316088459

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About this book

"You're Ellie Spencer." I opened my mouth, just as he added, "And your eyes are opening." Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just like any other teenager at her boarding school. She hangs out with her best friend Kevin, she obsesses over Mark, a cute and mysterious bad boy, and her biggest worry is her paper deadline. But then everything changes. The news headlines are all abuzz about a local string of serial killings that all share the same morbid trademark: the victims were discovered with their eyes missing. Then a beautiful yet eerie woman enters Ellie's circle of friends and develops an unhealthy fascination with Kevin, and a crazed old man grabs Ellie in a public square and shoves a tattered Bible into her hands, exclaiming, "You need it. It will save your soul." Soon, Ellie finds h

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Why widely assigned

This Young Adult title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 2010s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

William C. Morris YA Debut Award

Common questions

What grade level is Guardian of the Dead?: Guardian of the Dead is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. 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 Guardian of the Dead?: It takes about 4h 5m to read Guardian of the Dead (221 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Guardian of the Dead?: Guardian of the Dead appears on reading lists for William C. Morris YA Debut Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Guardian of the Dead banned in schools?: Guardian of the Dead 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 9–12 — 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: Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: read-aloud.