Cover of My Teacher Is an Alien

My Teacher Is an Alien

by Bruce Coville · Grades 3–6 · Science Fiction

My Teacher Is an Alien by Bruce Coville is on US reading lists at grades 3–6. It appears on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists, across 4 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 8–11 · Grades 3–6 · 108 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781596877269). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Widely assigned — 4 curriculum lists · 4 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:Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania)Hawai'i Nēnē AwardNevada Young Readers' AwardConnecticut Nutmeg Book Award

This page shows where My Teacher Is an Alien 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 3–6
Age range
Ages 8–11
Pages
108
Reading time
about 2 hours (est.)
First published
1989
Genre
Science Fiction
ISBN-13
9781596877269

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 (4)
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 1989 · 108 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like My Teacher Is an Alien→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This science fiction title is typically read at grades 3–6. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on humor and school; cited on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists.

Themes

humor · school · friendship · courage · science

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is My Teacher Is an Alien?
My Teacher Is an Alien is listed for grades 3–6. It appears on 4 state book-award lists across 4 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read My Teacher Is an Alien?
It takes about 2 hours to read My Teacher Is an Alien (108 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 120 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign My Teacher Is an Alien?
My Teacher Is an Alien appears on reading lists for Connecticut Nutmeg Book Award, Hawai'i Nēnē Award, Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania), and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is My Teacher Is an Alien banned in schools?
My Teacher Is an Alien 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 My Teacher Is an Alien explore?
Central themes in My Teacher Is an Alien include humor, school, friendship, courage, science.

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 3–6 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 4 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 4 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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