Cover of Something Upstairs

Something Upstairs

by Avi

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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 AwardCalifornia Young Reader Medal

Something Upstairs by Avi is assigned in US schools at grades 6–8. 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 Something Upstairs 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 6–8
Age range
Ages 11–13
Pages
128
Reading time
about 2h 20m (est.)
First published
1988
Genre
Mystery
ISBN-13
9780380708536

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Mystery title, typically at grades 6–8. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on ghost stories and ghosts; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

ghost stories · ghosts · slavery · time travel

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Something Upstairs?
Something Upstairs is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–8. 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 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.
What themes does Something Upstairs explore?
Central themes in Something Upstairs include ghost stories, ghosts, slavery, time travel. 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 6–8 — 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: book-club.

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