What grade level is Hostage?

Hostage is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–8. 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 Hostage?

It takes about 2h 35m to read Hostage (140 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 155 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Hostage?

Hostage appears on reading lists for Nevada Young Readers' Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Hostage banned in schools?

Hostage 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 Hostage explore?

Central themes in Hostage include neighbors, robbers and outlaws, kidnapping, robbers and outlaws, fiction. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Hostage

Name: Hostage
Availability: InStock
Author: Willo Davis Roberts
ISBN: 9780689816697

by Willo Davis Roberts

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

On reading-award lists:Nevada Young Readers' Award

Hostage by Willo Davis Roberts is assigned in US schools at grades 3–8. 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 Hostage is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range: Grades 3–8
Age range: Ages 8–13
Pages: 140
Reading time: about 2h 35m (est.)
First published: 2000
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780689816697

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About this book

When eleven-year-old Kaci interrupts burglars in the process of robbing her house, she and her nosy elderly neighbor Mrs. Banducci are kidnapped and held hostage by the desperate and ruthless criminals.

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–8. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on neighbors and robbers and outlaws; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

neighbors · robbers and outlaws · kidnapping · robbers and outlaws, fiction

Where this book is assigned

Nevada Young Readers' Award

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Common questions

What grade level is Hostage?: Hostage is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–8. 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 Hostage?: It takes about 2h 35m to read Hostage (140 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 155 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Hostage?: Hostage appears on reading lists for Nevada Young Readers' Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Hostage banned in schools?: Hostage 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 Hostage explore?: Central themes in Hostage include neighbors, robbers and outlaws, kidnapping, robbers and outlaws, 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 3–8 — 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: 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.