Cover of Steelheart

Steelheart

by Brandon Sanderson

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

On reading-award lists:Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA)

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson is assigned in US schools at grades 7–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Steelheart is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range
Grades 7–12
Age range
Ages 12–17
First published
2013
Genre
Science Fiction
ISBN-13
9780575104181

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More formats & details

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About this book

Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody fights the Epics... nobody but the Reckoners. A shadowy group of ordinary humans, they spend their lives studying Epics, finding their weaknesses, and then assassinating them. And David wants in. He wants Steelheart - the Epic who is said to be invincible. The Epic who killed David's father.

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Science Fiction title, typically at grades 7–12. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on power and revenge; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

power · revenge · heroism

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Steelheart?
Steelheart is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign Steelheart?
Steelheart appears on reading lists for Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Steelheart banned in schools?
Steelheart 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 Steelheart explore?
Central themes in Steelheart include power, revenge, heroism. 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 7–12 — 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
Cited in 1 state ELA framework 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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