Math Curse
by Jon Scieszka
Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. 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 Math Curse 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 4–8
- Age range
- Ages 9–13
- Pages
- 32
- Reading time
- about 35 minutes (est.)
- First published
- 1995
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780670861941
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
When the teacher tells her class that they can think of almost everything as a math problem, one student acquires a math anxiety which becomes a real curse.
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Why widely assigned
This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on mathematics and schools; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
mathematics · schools · math anxiety · study and teaching
Where this book is assigned
Maine Student Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — Maine's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-8): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·5th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — Maine's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-8): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·6th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — Maine's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-8): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·7th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — Maine's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-8): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·8th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — Maine's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-8): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
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Common questions
- What grade level is Math Curse?
- Math Curse is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. 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 Math Curse?
- It takes about 35 minutes to read Math Curse (32 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 35 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Math Curse?
- Math Curse appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Math Curse banned in schools?
- Math Curse 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 Math Curse explore?
- Central themes in Math Curse include mathematics, schools, math anxiety, study and teaching. 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 classifyHide
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 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.