Cover of The Brimstone Journals

The Brimstone Journals

by Ron Koertge

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:Kentucky Bluegrass Award

The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Brimstone Journals 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 9–12
Age range
Ages 14–17
First published
2004
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780763617424

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

Ron Koertge's startling, often poignant poetic novel evokes a suburban high school both familiar and terrifying. The Branston High School Class of 2001 seems familiar enough on the surface: there’s the Smart One, the Fat Kid, Social Conscience, Bad Girl, Good Girl, Jock, Anorexic, Dyke, Rich Boy, Sistah, Stud . . . and Boyd, an Angry Young Man who has just made a dangerous new friend. Now he’s making a list. The Branston High School Class of 2001. You might think you know them. You might be surprised.

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Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 2000s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Brimstone Journals?
The Brimstone Journals is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign The Brimstone Journals?
The Brimstone Journals appears on reading lists for Kentucky Bluegrass Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Brimstone Journals banned in schools?
The Brimstone Journals 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

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 9–12 — 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
Cited in 1 state ELA framework 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.

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