Cover of Terror at the Zoo

Terror at the Zoo

by Peg Kehret · Grades 3–6 · Mystery

Terror at the Zoo by Peg Kehret is on US reading lists at grades 3–6. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 8–11 · Grades 3–6 · 131 pages. The button opens an Amazon search: pick the edition with ISBN 9780786245116 if that is the one your class uses.

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Widely assigned — 3 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:Iowa Children's Choice AwardLand of Enchantment Book AwardPacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award

This page shows where Terror at the Zoo 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 3–6
Age range
Ages 8–11
Pages
131
Reading time
about 2h 25m (est.)
First published
1992
Genre
Mystery
ISBN-13
9780786245116

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 (3)
On award reading lists
  • Iowa Children's Choice Award (source: Goodreads)
  • Land of Enchantment Book Award (source: sites.google.com)
  • Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award (source: Wikipedia)
Catalog record
First published 1992 · 131 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Terror at the Zoo→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This mystery title is typically read at grades 3–6. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on zoos in fiction and zoos; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.

Themes

zoos in fiction · zoos · mystery and detective stories · detective and mystery stories

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Terror at the Zoo?
Terror at the Zoo is listed for grades 3–6. It appears on 3 book-award lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Terror at the Zoo?
It takes about 2h 25m to read Terror at the Zoo (131 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 145 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Terror at the Zoo?
Terror at the Zoo appears on reading lists for Iowa Children's Choice Award, Land of Enchantment Book Award, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Terror at the Zoo banned in schools?
Terror at the Zoo 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 Terror at the Zoo explore?
Central themes in Terror at the Zoo include zoos in fiction, zoos, mystery and detective stories, detective and mystery stories.

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 3–6 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 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, read-aloud.

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