
Hope in the Valley
by Mitali Perkins · Grades 3–6 · Realistic Fiction
Hope in the Valley by Mitali Perkins is on US reading lists at grades 3–6. It appears on 1 list: the California Young Reader Medal, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 8–12 · Grades 3–6. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781536491920). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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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).
This page shows where Hope in the Valley 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 3–6
- Age range
- Ages 8–12
- First published
- 2025
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9781536491920
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-08; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
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More formats & details
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Why it is assigned
This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 3–6. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on grief and change; cited on the California Young Reader Medal.
Where this book is recommended
California Young Reader Medal
- recommended·3rd grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal 2026-2027 Nominee List (Primary, Picture Books for Older Readers, Intermediate, Middle School/Junior High, Young Adult)
- recommended·4th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal 2026-2027 Nominee List (Primary, Picture Books for Older Readers, Intermediate, Middle School/Junior High, Young Adult)
- recommended·5th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal 2026-2027 Nominee List (Primary, Picture Books for Older Readers, Intermediate, Middle School/Junior High, Young Adult)
- recommended·6th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal 2026-2027 Nominee List (Primary, Picture Books for Older Readers, Intermediate, Middle School/Junior High, Young Adult)
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Common questions
- What grade level is Hope in the Valley?
- Hope in the Valley is listed for grades 3–6. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- What curricula assign Hope in the Valley?
- Hope in the Valley appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Hope in the Valley banned in schools?
- Hope in the Valley 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 Hope in the Valley explore?
- Central themes in Hope in the Valley include grief, change, family.
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 3–6 — 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.