What grade level is Heroes?

Heroes 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 Heroes?

It takes about 4 hours to read Heroes (219 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 240 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Heroes?

Heroes appears on reading lists for Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award, Sunshine State Young Readers Award, Volunteer State Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Heroes banned in schools?

Heroes 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 Heroes explore?

Central themes in Heroes include courage, friendship, history. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Heroes

Name: Heroes
Availability: InStock
Author: Alan Gratz
ISBN: 9781338736076

by Alan Gratz

Heroes 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 Heroes 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
Age range: Ages 11–14
Pages: 219
Reading time: about 4 hours (est.)
First published: 2024
Genre: Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)
ISBN-13: 9781338736076

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About this book

Best friends Frank and Stanley make their own comic books in the sunshine while their dads serve at Pearl Harbor — until December 7, 1941, when Japanese planes attack and the war comes to them. Alan Gratz's gripping grades 6-8 World War II novel is a 2025-2026 Sunshine State Young Readers Award (Florida) nominee.

Why widely assigned

This Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) title, typically at grades 6–8. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on courage and friendship; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

courage · friendship · history

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Heroes→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is Heroes?: Heroes 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 Heroes?: It takes about 4 hours to read Heroes (219 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 240 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Heroes?: Heroes appears on reading lists for Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award, Sunshine State Young Readers Award, Volunteer State Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Heroes banned in schools?: Heroes 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 Heroes explore?: Central themes in Heroes include courage, friendship, history. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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: book-club.