Cover of Hand in Hand

Hand in Hand

by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Hand in Hand by Andrea Davis Pinkney is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. 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 Hand in Hand 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 4–8
Pages
388
Reading time
about 7h 5m (est.)
First published
2012
ISBN-13
9781423183037
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About this book

In this New York Times Notable Children's Book and winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award, follow the life stories of ten Black men in American history and the legacies they left that forever changed the country. Hand in Hand presents the stories of ten men from different eras in American history, organized chronologically to provide a scope from slavery to the modern day. The stories are accessible, fully-drawn narratives offering the subjects' childhood influences, the time and place in which they lived, their accomplishments and motivations, and the legacies they left for future generations as links in the "freedom chain." This book will be the definitive family volume on the subject, punctuated with dynamic full color portraits and spot illustrations by two-time Caldecott Honor

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Hand in Hand?
Hand in Hand is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. 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 Hand in Hand?
It takes about 7h 5m to read Hand in Hand (388 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 425 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Hand in Hand?
Hand in Hand appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Author Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Hand in Hand banned in schools?
Hand in Hand 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 4–8 — 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: award-winner.