Cover of Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

by Chris Crutcher · Grades 9–12 · Realistic Fiction

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher is on US reading lists at grades 9–12. It appears on 1 list: the California Young Reader Medal, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 14–17 · Grades 9–12 · 304 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780440219064). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:California Young Reader Medal

This page shows where Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes 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 9–12
Age range
Ages 14–17
Pages
304
Reading time
about 5h 35m (est.)
First published
1993
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780440219064

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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Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 9–12. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on conduct of life and interpersonal relations; cited on the California Young Reader Medal.

Themes

conduct of life · interpersonal relations · high schools · schools

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes?
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes is listed for grades 9–12. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes?
It takes about 5h 35m to read Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes (304 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 335 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes?
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes banned in schools?
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes 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 Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes explore?
Central themes in Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes include conduct of life, interpersonal relations, high schools, schools.

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 9–12 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 1 state (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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