Cover of Ray Charles

Ray Charles

by Sharon Bell Mathis · Grades 4–8 · Biography & Autobiography

Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 4–8 · 48 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9781584300175). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists

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:Coretta Scott King Illustrator AwardCoretta Scott King Author Award

This page shows where Ray Charles 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 4–8
Pages
48
Reading time
about 55 minutes (est.)
First published
1973
Genre
Biography & Autobiography
ISBN-13
9781584300175

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for kindergarten?

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New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Coretta Scott King Award?

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About this book

Book facts and sources (2)
Awards won
  • Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award, 1974 (source: Wikipedia)
  • Coretta Scott King Author Award, 1974 (source: Wikipedia)
Catalog record
First published 1973 · 48 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This biography & autobiography title is typically read at grades 4–8. Written in the 1970s; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Ray Charles?
Ray Charles is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 2 book-award lists, from kindergarten to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Ray Charles?
It takes about 55 minutes to read Ray Charles (48 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 55 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Ray Charles?
Ray Charles appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Author Award, Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Ray Charles banned in schools?
Ray Charles 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.

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 4–8 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, read-aloud.

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