The Cardboard Kingdom
by Chad Sell
Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states
The Cardboard Kingdom by Chad Sell is assigned in US schools at grades 4–6. It appears across 2 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 Cardboard Kingdom is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
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- Grade range
- Grades 4–6
- Age range
- Ages 9–11
- Pages
- 281
- Reading time
- about 5h 10m (est.)
- First published
- 2018
- Genre
- Graphic Novel
- ISBN-13
- 9781524719395
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
Follows the adventures of a group of neighborhood children who create costumes from cardboard and use their imagination in adventures with knights, robots, and monsters.
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Why widely assigned
This Graphic Novel title, typically at grades 4–6. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on imagination and costume; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.
Themes
imagination · costume · adventure and adventurers · graphic novels
Where this book is assigned
Maine Student Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — Maine's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-8): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·5th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — Maine's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-8): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·6th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — Maine's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-8): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
Nēnē Award (Hawai'i)
- recommended·4th grade · Hawaiisource: Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) — Hawaii's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-6): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·5th grade · Hawaiisource: Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) — Hawaii's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-6): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·6th grade · Hawaiisource: Nēnē Award (Hawai'i) — Hawaii's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-6): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Cardboard Kingdom?
- The Cardboard Kingdom is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–6. 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 Cardboard Kingdom?
- It takes about 5h 10m to read The Cardboard Kingdom (281 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 310 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Cardboard Kingdom?
- The Cardboard Kingdom appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award, Nēnē Award (Hawai'i). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Cardboard Kingdom banned in schools?
- The Cardboard Kingdom 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 Cardboard Kingdom explore?
- Central themes in The Cardboard Kingdom include imagination, costume, adventure and adventurers, graphic novels. 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 classifyHide
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 4–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 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.