What grade level is Popcorn?

Popcorn 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 Popcorn?

It takes about 4h 10m to read Popcorn (226 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 250 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Popcorn?

Popcorn appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Popcorn banned in schools?

Popcorn 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 Popcorn explore?

Central themes in Popcorn include anxiety, school, humor, mental health. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Popcorn

Name: Popcorn
Availability: InStock
Author: Rob Harrell
ISBN: 9781835870884

by Rob Harrell

Popcorn by Rob Harrell 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 Popcorn 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 4–8
Age range: Ages 9–13
Pages: 226
Reading time: about 4h 10m (est.)
First published: 2024
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13: 9781835870884

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About this book

Over one anxiety-soaked school day, everything that can go wrong does — for a kid whose worries feel like popcorn kernels all going off at once. Rob Harrell's funny, honest novel captures what living with anxiety actually feels like. Nominated for the 2025-2026 Maine Student Book Award (grades 4-8), the statewide reading list Maine students read from and vote on.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on anxiety and school; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

anxiety · school · humor · mental health

Where this book is assigned

Maine Student Book Award

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Popcorn→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is Popcorn?: Popcorn 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 Popcorn?: It takes about 4h 10m to read Popcorn (226 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 250 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Popcorn?: Popcorn appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Popcorn banned in schools?: Popcorn 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 Popcorn explore?: Central themes in Popcorn include anxiety, school, humor, mental health. 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 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.