Cover of Small Spaces

Small Spaces

by Katherine Arden

Small Spaces by Katherine Arden is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5. It appears across 2 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Small Spaces 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 3–5
Pages
226
Reading time
about 4h 10m (est.)
First published
2018
ISBN-13
9780525515036
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About this book

New York Times bestselling adult author of The Bear and the Nightingale makes her middle grade debut with a creepy, spellbinding ghost story destined to become a classic. After suffering a tragic loss, eleven-year-old Ollie who only finds solace in books discovers a chilling ghost story about a girl named Beth, the two brothers who loved her, and a peculiar deal made with "the smiling man"—a sinister specter who grants your most tightly held wish, but only for the ultimate price. Captivated by the tale, Ollie begins to wonder if the smiling man might be real when she stumbles upon the graves of the very people she's been reading about on a school trip to a nearby farm. Then, later, when her school bus breaks down on the ride home, the strange bus driver tells Ollie and her classmates: "Bes

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Small Spaces?
Small Spaces is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. 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 Small Spaces?
It takes about 4h 10m to read Small Spaces (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 Small Spaces?
Small Spaces appears on reading lists for Dorothy Canfield Fisher / Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, William Allen White Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Small Spaces banned in schools?
Small Spaces 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

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 3–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 2 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: award-winner, book-club.