Cover of Life as We Knew It

Life as We Knew It

by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer is assigned in US schools at grades 5–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Life as We Knew It 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 5–12
Pages
361
Reading time
about 6h 35m (est.)
First published
2008
Genre
Science Fiction & Fantasy
ISBN-13
9780547415994
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About this book

New York Times bestseller! A heart-stopping post-apocalyptic thriller that's "absorbing from first to last page."* When a meteor knocks the moon closer to earth, Miranda, a high school sophomore, takes shelter with her family. Told in a year’s worth of journal entries, Life as We Knew It chronicles the human struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world. As August turns dark and wintery in northeastern Pennsylvania, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove. I guess I always felt even if the world came to an end, McDonald’s still would be open. Like one marble hitting another

Why widely assigned

This Science Fiction & Fantasy title, typically at grades 5–12. Written in the 2000s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Life as We Knew It?
Life as We Knew It is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–12. 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 Life as We Knew It?
It takes about 6h 35m to read Life as We Knew It (361 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 395 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Life as We Knew It?
Life as We Knew It appears on reading lists for Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Life as We Knew It banned in schools?
Life as We Knew It 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.

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 5–12 — 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
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: read-aloud.