
Private Peaceful
by Michael Morpurgo · Grades 9–12 · Historical Fiction
Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo is on US reading lists at grades 9–12. It appears on 1 list: the California Young Reader Medal, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 14–17 · Grades 9–12 · 197 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780439636483). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state
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 Private Peaceful 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
- 197
- Reading time
- about 3h 35m (est.)
- First published
- 1962
- Genre
- Historical Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780439636483
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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See all books like Private Peaceful→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This historical fiction title is typically read at grades 9–12. Written in the 1960s; pairs with curriculum units on world war, 1914-1918 and single-parent families; cited on the California Young Reader Medal.
Themes
world war, 1914-1918 · single-parent families · people with mental disabilities · poverty
Where this book is recommended
California Young Reader Medal
- recommended·9th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2008 winner (Young Adult)
- recommended·10th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2008 winner (Young Adult)
- recommended·11th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2008 winner (Young Adult)
- recommended·12th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2008 winner (Young Adult)
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Common questions
- What grade level is Private Peaceful?
- Private Peaceful is listed for grades 9–12. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Private Peaceful?
- It takes about 3h 35m to read Private Peaceful (197 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 215 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Private Peaceful?
- Private Peaceful appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Private Peaceful banned in schools?
- Private Peaceful 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 Private Peaceful explore?
- Central themes in Private Peaceful include world war, 1914-1918, single-parent families, people with mental disabilities, poverty.
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 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.