What grade level is Something Upstairs?

Something Upstairs is listed for grades 6–8. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states, from grade 3 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read Something Upstairs?

It takes about 2h 20m to read Something Upstairs (128 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 140 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Something Upstairs?

Something Upstairs appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Rhode Island Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Something Upstairs banned in schools?

Something Upstairs 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 Something Upstairs explore?

Central themes in Something Upstairs include ghost stories, ghosts, slavery, time travel.

Something Upstairs

Name: Something Upstairs
Availability: InStock
Author: Avi
ISBN: 9780380708536

by Avi · Grades 6–8 · Mystery

Something Upstairs by Avi is on US reading lists at grades 6–8. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 11–13 · Grades 6–8 · 128 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780380708536). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states

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:Rhode Island Children's Book Award California Young Reader Medal

This page shows where Something Upstairs 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 6–8
Age range: Ages 11–13
Pages: 128
Reading time: about 2h 20m (est.)
First published: 1988
Genre: Mystery
ISBN-13: 9780380708536

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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About this book

Book facts and sources (2)

On award reading lists: Rhode Island Children's Book Award (source: olis.ri.gov)
California Young Reader Medal (source: californiayoungreadermedal.org)
Catalog record: First published 1988 · 128 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This mystery title is typically read at grades 6–8. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on ghost stories and ghosts; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.

Themes

ghost stories · ghosts · slavery · time travel

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Something Upstairs?: Something Upstairs is listed for grades 6–8. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states, from grade 3 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Something Upstairs?: It takes about 2h 20m to read Something Upstairs (128 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 140 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Something Upstairs?: Something Upstairs appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Rhode Island Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Something Upstairs banned in schools?: Something Upstairs 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 Something Upstairs explore?: Central themes in Something Upstairs include ghost stories, ghosts, slavery, time travel.

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 6–8 — drawn from the state 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: On state book-award lists in 2 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.