The Art of Keeping Cool
by Janet Taylor Lisle
The Art of Keeping Cool by Janet Taylor Lisle is assigned in US schools at grades 5–8. 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 The Art of Keeping Cool 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 5–8
- Pages
- 224
- Reading time
- about 4h 5m (est.)
- First published
- 2000
- ISBN-13
- 9780689837876
Where to find this book
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About this book
Soon after Robert arrives at his grandfather's home in Rhode Island in 1942, just after the U.S. enters World War II, he learns of a German painter living in the woods who raises the community's suspicions, and of the mystery his RAF pilot father left behind after fleeing his home.
Where this book is assigned
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
- recommended·5th gradesource: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winners, via Wikipedia — 2001 Scott O'Dell Award
- recommended·6th gradesource: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winners, via Wikipedia — 2001 Scott O'Dell Award
- recommended·7th gradesource: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winners, via Wikipedia — 2001 Scott O'Dell Award
- recommended·8th gradesource: Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction winners, via Wikipedia — 2001 Scott O'Dell Award
Similar grade-level books
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
See all books like The Art of Keeping Cool→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is The Art of Keeping Cool?
- The Art of Keeping Cool is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8. 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 The Art of Keeping Cool?
- It takes about 4h 5m to read The Art of Keeping Cool (224 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Art of Keeping Cool?
- The Art of Keeping Cool appears on reading lists for Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Art of Keeping Cool banned in schools?
- The Art of Keeping Cool 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 5–8 — 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: award-winner.