What grade level is J vs. K?

J vs. K is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. 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 J vs. K?

It takes about 4h 25m to read J vs. K (240 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 265 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign J vs. K?

J vs. K appears on reading lists for Sunshine State Young Readers Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is J vs. K banned in schools?

J vs. K 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 J vs. K explore?

Central themes in J vs. K include friendship, school, humor. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

J vs. K

Name: J vs. K
Availability: InStock
Author: Kwame Alexander & Jerry Craft
ISBN: 9780316582681

by Kwame Alexander & Jerry Craft

J vs. K by Kwame Alexander & Jerry Craft is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5. 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 J vs. K 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 3–5
Age range: Ages 8–11
Pages: 240
Reading time: about 4h 25m (est.)
First published: 2025
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780316582681

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About this book

Rival fifth-graders J, a gifted artist who tells stories without words, and K, a writer known as 'The Word Wizard,' both enter their school's Creative Storytelling Competition — and may have to team up with their greatest enemy: each other. Kwame Alexander and Jerry Craft's illustrated grades 3-5 story is a 2026-2027 Sunshine State Young Readers Award (Florida) nominee.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, typically at grades 3–5. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on friendship and school; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

friendship · school · humor

Where this book is assigned

Sunshine State Young Readers Award

Similar grade-level books

See all books like J vs. K→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is J vs. K?: J vs. K is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. 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 J vs. K?: It takes about 4h 25m to read J vs. K (240 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 265 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign J vs. K?: J vs. K appears on reading lists for Sunshine State Young Readers Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is J vs. K banned in schools?: J vs. K 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 J vs. K explore?: Central themes in J vs. K include friendship, school, humor. 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 3–5 — 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.