Cover of Smoky Night

Smoky Night

by Eve Bunting

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list

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:Caldecott Medal

Smoky Night by Eve Bunting is assigned in US schools at grades 1–4. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Smoky Night 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 1–4
Age range
Ages 6–9
Pages
36
Reading time
about 40 minutes (est.)
First published
1994
Genre
Adventure
ISBN-13
9780152699543

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Caldecott Medal?

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

When the Los Angeles riots break out in the streets of their neighborhood, a young boy and his mother learn the values of getting along with others no matter what their background or nationality.

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Adventure title, typically at grades 1–4. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on riots and interpersonal relations; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

riots · interpersonal relations · neighborliness · human relations

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Smoky Night?
Smoky Night is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 1–4. 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 Smoky Night?
It takes about 40 minutes to read Smoky Night (36 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 40 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Smoky Night?
Smoky Night appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Smoky Night banned in schools?
Smoky Night 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 Smoky Night explore?
Central themes in Smoky Night include riots, interpersonal relations, neighborliness, human relations. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 1–4 — 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
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.

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