Cover of Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush

by Virginia Hamilton

Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush by Virginia Hamilton is assigned in US schools at grades 4–9. 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 Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush 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 4–9
Pages
173
Reading time
about 3h 10m (est.)
First published
2011
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9781453213858
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About this book

A beautiful ghost appears to a troubled teen and shows her the heartbreaking secrets of her family's past Fifteen-year-old Teresa has fallen in love—with a ghost. The handsome man that she's passed on the street a few times captures her attention, and she thinks he notices her too. But when the man suddenly appears inside her home, hovering in the air and passing through solid furniture, Teresa realizes this isn't going to be a typical crush. The ghost is Brother Rush, a man tied to Teresa's past, who has come to show her the ways her life has special meaning, and that her problems at school and at home are not what they seem.

Why widely assigned

This Children's title, typically at grades 4–9. Written in the 2010s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush?
Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–9. 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 Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush?
It takes about 3h 10m to read Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush (173 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 190 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush?
Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush appears on reading lists for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush banned in schools?
Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush 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.

Why this book is on this list

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 4–9 — 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: read-aloud.