What grade level is Keeper of the Lost Cities?

Keeper of the Lost Cities is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.

What curricula assign Keeper of the Lost Cities?

Keeper of the Lost Cities appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Keeper of the Lost Cities banned in schools?

Keeper of the Lost Cities 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 Keeper of the Lost Cities explore?

Central themes in Keeper of the Lost Cities include magic, identity, friendship.

Keeper of the Lost Cities

Name: Keeper of the Lost Cities
Availability: InStock
Author: Shannon Messenger
ISBN: 9781534463417

by Shannon Messenger · Grades 4–8 · Fantasy

Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. It appears on 1 list: the California Young Reader Medal, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Formats on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Ages 9–13 · Grades 4–8. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781534463417). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

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).

On reading-award lists:California Young Reader Medal

This page shows where Keeper of the Lost Cities 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
First published: 2025
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN-13: 9781534463417

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-10; 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.

About this book

Book facts and sources (2)

On award reading lists: California Young Reader Medal (source: californiayoungreadermedal.org)
Series: Book 1 of 9 in Keeper of the Lost Cities (publication order) (source: Series book lists + publication order verified against publisher catalogs / Wikipedia. Checked 2026-06-29.)
Catalog record: First published 2025 (source: how we source book data)

Part of a series — read in order

Keeper of the Lost Cities: all 9 books in order

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Keeper of the Lost Cities→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This fantasy title is typically read at grades 4–8. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on magic and identity; cited on the California Young Reader Medal.

Themes

magic · identity · friendship

Where this book is recommended

California Young Reader Medal

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Keeper of the Lost Cities?: Keeper of the Lost Cities is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What curricula assign Keeper of the Lost Cities?: Keeper of the Lost Cities appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Keeper of the Lost Cities banned in schools?: Keeper of the Lost Cities 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 Keeper of the Lost Cities explore?: Central themes in Keeper of the Lost Cities include magic, identity, friendship.

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 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.