# The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1)

**Author:** Lemony Snicket
**Lexile:** 1010L
**Grade range:** Grades 4–7
**Age range:** 9–13
**First published:** 1999
**Page count:** 176
**Genre:** Middle Grade Fiction
**ISBN-13:** `9780064407663`
**ISBN-10:** `0064407667`
**Canonical URL:** https://readinglist.school/book/the-bad-beginning
**License:** [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) — please credit ReadingList.school when citing.

## About this book

After their parents die in a fire, the clever Baudelaire orphans are placed with the villainous Count Olaf, who schemes to steal their fortune. Narrated with dark wit and constant warnings, Lemony Snicket's first book launches a hugely popular grades 4-7 series about resilience and resourcefulness.

## Themes

- family
- resilience
- mystery
- orphans

## Content notes

- peril
- death of parents

## Where this book is assigned

### Nēnē Award (Hawai'i)

- **recommended** · 4th grade · Hawaii — [source: Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll)](https://www.neneaward.org/winners.html)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Hawaii — [source: Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll)](https://www.neneaward.org/winners.html)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Hawaii — [source: Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll)](https://www.neneaward.org/winners.html)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · Hawaii — [source: Hawai'i Association of School Librarians — Nēnē Award, grades 4-6 fiction (student-choice; program since 1964); winners 1982-2026 (neneaward.org + Goodreads winner roll)](https://www.neneaward.org/winners.html)

### Nevada Young Readers' Award

- **recommended** · 4th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Library Association — Nevada Young Readers' Award, Young Reader + Intermediate divisions (student-choice; annual since 1988)](https://nevadalibraries.org/nyra)
- **recommended** · 5th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Library Association — Nevada Young Readers' Award, Young Reader + Intermediate divisions (student-choice; annual since 1988)](https://nevadalibraries.org/nyra)
- **recommended** · 6th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Library Association — Nevada Young Readers' Award, Young Reader + Intermediate divisions (student-choice; annual since 1988)](https://nevadalibraries.org/nyra)
- **recommended** · 7th grade · Nevada — [source: Nevada Library Association — Nevada Young Readers' Award, Young Reader + Intermediate divisions (student-choice; annual since 1988)](https://nevadalibraries.org/nyra)

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_Generated from primary-source citations indexed on ReadingList.school. For the full HTML view with reading-list cross-references, see https://readinglist.school/book/the-bad-beginning._