Cover of My Teacher Is an Alien

My Teacher Is an Alien

by Bruce Coville

My Teacher Is an Alien by Bruce Coville is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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.

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
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About this book

Bruce Coville's 1989 science-fiction romp follows Susan Simmons, who discovers that her new substitute teacher, Mr. Smith, is actually an alien peeling off a human face at night — and planning to kidnap students. With her classmate Peter, Susan races to expose him and save her class in a fast, funny adventure that launched a beloved series.

Why widely assigned

This Science Fiction title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on humor and school; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

humor · school · friendship · courage · science

Where this book is assigned

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

Common questions

What grade level is My Teacher Is an Alien?
My Teacher Is an Alien is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. 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 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, Nevada Young Readers' Award. 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. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 3 states ELA frameworks 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.