Cover of Life as We Knew It

Life as We Knew It

by Susan Beth Pfeffer · Grades 5–12 · Science Fiction & Fantasy

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer is on US reading lists at grades 5–12. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 5–12 · 361 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780547415994). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 2 states

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:Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult FictionMaryland Black-Eyed Susan Book AwardVolunteer State Book Award (High School division)

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.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range
Grades 5–12
Pages
361
Reading time
about 6h 35m (est.)
First published
2006
Genre
Science Fiction & Fantasy
ISBN-13
9780547415994

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (3)
Award won
  • Volunteer State Book Award (High School division), 2009 (source: tasltn.org)
On award reading lists
  • Andre Norton Award for Middle Grade & Young Adult Fiction (source: Wikipedia)
  • Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (source: maslmd.org)
Catalog record
First published 2006 · 361 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Life as We Knew It→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This science fiction & fantasy title is typically read at grades 5–12. Written in the 2000s; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Life as We Knew It?
Life as We Knew It is listed for grades 5–12. It appears on 3 book-award lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
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, Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, Volunteer State Book Award (High School division). 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 has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (FL) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.

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 5–12 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 2 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club, read-aloud.

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