Cover of Hanging on to Max

Hanging on to Max

by Margaret Bechard

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award

Hanging on to Max by Margaret Bechard is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Hanging on to Max 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
Age range
Ages 14–17
Pages
204
Reading time
about 3h 45m (est.)
First published
2002
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780761325741

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like Hanging on to Max→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on teenage parents and teenage fathers; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

teenage parents · teenage fathers · fathers and sons · parent and child, fiction

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Hanging on to Max?
Hanging on to Max 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 Hanging on to Max?
It takes about 3h 45m to read Hanging on to Max (204 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 225 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Hanging on to Max?
Hanging on to Max appears on reading lists for Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Hanging on to Max banned in schools?
Hanging on to Max 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 Hanging on to Max explore?
Central themes in Hanging on to Max include teenage parents, teenage fathers, fathers and sons, parent and child, fiction. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 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
Cited in 1 state ELA framework 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.

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