Cover of The Boys Start the War

The Boys Start the War

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

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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:South Carolina Children's Book AwardNevada Young Readers' AwardPacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award

The Boys Start the War by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is assigned in US schools at grades 3–8. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Boys Start the War 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 3–8
Age range
Ages 8–13
Pages
144
Reading time
about 2h 40m (est.)
First published
1993
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780785735281

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Boys Start the War→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–8. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on practical jokes in fiction and brothers; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

practical jokes in fiction · brothers · sisters in fiction · practical jokes

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Boys Start the War?
The Boys Start the War is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–8. 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 Boys Start the War?
It takes about 2h 40m to read The Boys Start the War (144 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 160 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Boys Start the War?
The Boys Start the War appears on reading lists for Nevada Young Readers' Award, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award, South Carolina Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Boys Start the War banned in schools?
The Boys Start the War 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 The Boys Start the War explore?
Central themes in The Boys Start the War include practical jokes in fiction, brothers, sisters in fiction, practical jokes. 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 3–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 2 states ELA frameworks 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, read-aloud.

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