The Cardboard Kingdom
by Chad Sell
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Assigned across 2 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).
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.
- 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
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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See all books like The Cardboard Kingdom→ — matched on theme + reading level.
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
Hawai'i Nēnē Award
- 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.
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.
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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. It appears on 2 school reading lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- 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 Hawai'i Nēnē Award, Maine Student Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Cardboard Kingdom banned in schools?
- The Cardboard Kingdom has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 3 states (FL, IA, KY) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
- What themes does The Cardboard Kingdom explore?
- Central themes in The Cardboard Kingdom include imagination, costume, adventure and adventurers, graphic novels.
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
- Documented as challenged or removed in 3 states per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.