
My Sister's Keeper
by Jodi Picoult · Grades 9–12 · Realistic Fiction
My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult is on US reading lists at grades 9–12. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 3 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 14–17 · Grades 9–12 · 447 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780743454537). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 3 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).
This page shows where My Sister's Keeper 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 9–12
- Age range
- Ages 14–17
- Pages
- 447
- Reading time
- about 8h 10m (est.)
- First published
- 2004
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780743454537
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.
Good fit for grade 9?
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More formats & details
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About this book
Book facts and sources (3)
- On award reading lists
- Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (source: maslmd.org)
- Virginia Readers' Choice (source: vslatoday.org)
- Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania) (source: pyrcapsla.wixsite.com)
- Catalog record
- First published 2004 · 447 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
See all books like My Sister's Keeper→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 9–12. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on jodi picoult and movie tie-in; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.
Themes
jodi picoult · movie tie-in · adult · american domestic
Where this book is recommended
Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
- recommended·9th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2007 winner (High School)
- recommended·10th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2007 winner (High School)
- recommended·11th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2007 winner (High School)
- recommended·12th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2007 winner (High School)
Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania)
- recommended·9th grade · Pennsylvaniasource: Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2006-2007 winner (YA)
- recommended·10th grade · Pennsylvaniasource: Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2006-2007 winner (YA)
- recommended·11th grade · Pennsylvaniasource: Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2006-2007 winner (YA)
- recommended·12th grade · Pennsylvaniasource: Mountain Laurel Book Award / Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award — PSLA past winners list, 2006-2007 winner (YA)
Virginia Readers' Choice
- recommended·9th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 2006-2007 winner (High)
- recommended·10th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 2006-2007 winner (High)
- recommended·11th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 2006-2007 winner (High)
- recommended·12th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 2006-2007 winner (High)
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Common questions
- What grade level is My Sister's Keeper?
- My Sister's Keeper is listed for grades 9–12. It appears on 3 state book-award lists across 3 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read My Sister's Keeper?
- It takes about 8h 10m to read My Sister's Keeper (447 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 490 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign My Sister's Keeper?
- My Sister's Keeper appears on reading lists for Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania), Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is My Sister's Keeper banned in schools?
- My Sister's Keeper 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. See the banned books list by state.
- What themes does My Sister's Keeper explore?
- Central themes in My Sister's Keeper include jodi picoult, movie tie-in, adult, american domestic.
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 9–12 — drawn from the state 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 3 states (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.