
Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library
by Eth Clifford · Grades 4–8 · Adventure
Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library by Eth Clifford is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. It appears on 1 list: the Young Hoosier Book Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Free at your library: Libby
Before you buy: Ages 9–13 · Grades 4–8 · 96 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780812435467). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
Listen free on Audiblestarts instantlyPrefer an independent bookstore? Buy it on Bookshop.org →
Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. ReadingList also earns a commission from Bookshop.org purchases, which supports independent bookstores.
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).
This page shows where Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library 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 4–8
- Age range
- Ages 9–13
- Pages
- 96
- Reading time
- about 1h 45m (est.)
- First published
- 1979
- Genre
- Adventure
- ISBN-13
- 9780812435467
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 4?
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.
More like this
Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
A Wolf Called WanderRosanne ParryAlso about adventure and adventurers, fiction · on 3 reading lists
Grades 4–6 · 242 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Grand EscapePhyllis Reynolds NaylorAlso about adventure and adventurers, fiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–5 · 148 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Nightmare MountainPeg KehretAlso about adventure and adventurers, fiction · on 3 reading lists
Grades 3–6 · 170 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Running Out of TimeMargaret Peterson HaddixAlso about adventure and adventurers, fiction · on 2 reading lists
Grades 3–8 · 192 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Two DegreesAlan GratzAlso Adventure · on 4 reading lists
Grades 5–8
Check price on Amazon →
StormbreakerAnthony HorowitzAlso Adventure · on 3 reading lists
Grades 5–8
Check price on Amazon →
Riding FreedomPam Muñoz RyanAlso Adventure · on 2 reading lists
Grades 3–8 · 138 pages
Check price on Amazon →
LootJude WatsonAlso Adventure · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–8 · 266 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Red MidnightBen MikaelsenAlso Adventure · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–8 · 212 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Skeleton KeyAnthony HorowitzAlso Adventure · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–5 · 327 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The End of the BeginningAviAlso Adventure · on 1 reading list
Grades 4–8 · 144 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Last MusketeerStuart GibbsAlso Adventure · on 1 reading list
Grades 4–7 · 272 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
See all books like Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This adventure title is typically read at grades 4–8. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on libraries and blizzards; cited on the Young Hoosier Book Award.
Themes
libraries · blizzards · adventure and adventurers, fiction · libraries, fiction
Where this book is recommended
Young Hoosier Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 1982 winner (General)
- recommended·5th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 1982 winner (General)
- recommended·6th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 1982 winner (General)
- recommended·7th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 1982 winner (General)
- recommended·8th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 1982 winner (General)
Did you find what you were looking for?
Thank you. We read every answer and use it to improve this site.
Common questions
- What grade level is Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library?
- Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library?
- It takes about 1h 45m to read Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library (96 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 105 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library?
- Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library appears on reading lists for Young Hoosier Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library banned in schools?
- Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library 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. See the banned books list by state.
- What themes does Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library explore?
- Central themes in Help! I'm a Prisoner in the Library include libraries, blizzards, adventure and adventurers, fiction, libraries, fiction.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
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 the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.