The Cay
by Theodore Taylor · Grades 5–8 · Historical Fiction
The Cay by Theodore Taylor is a book for readers at grades 5–8. No school reading list we track includes it yet.
Before you buy: Ages 10–13 · Grades 5–8 · 144 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780812415292). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
Listen free on Audiblestarts instantlyPrefer an independent bookstore? Buy it on Bookshop.org →
Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. ReadingList also earns a commission from Bookshop.org purchases, which supports independent bookstores.
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows the grade level, length and editions of The Cay. No school reading list we track includes it yet. Not a summary or study guide.
Reading level at a glance
- Grade range
- Grades 5–8
- Age range
- Ages 10–13
- Pages
- 144
- Reading time
- about 2h 40m (est.)
- First published
- 1969
- Genre
- Historical Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780812415292
Sources: pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
See all books like The Cay→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Who it suits
This historical fiction title is typically read at grades 5–8. Written in the 1960s; pairs with curriculum units on survival and friendship.
Themes
survival · friendship · race · courage
Where this book is assigned
No curriculum assignments on file yet.
Did you find what you were looking for?
Thank you. We read every answer and use it to improve this site.
Common questions
- What grade level is The Cay?
- The Cay is a book for readers in grades 5–8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read The Cay?
- It takes about 2h 40m to read The Cay (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.
- Is The Cay banned in schools?
- The Cay 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. See the banned books list by state.
- What themes does The Cay explore?
- Central themes in The Cay include survival, friendship, race, courage.
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 5–8 — drawn from the curriculum sources cited on this page.
- Curriculum alignment
- Not yet documented in any tracked curriculum.
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.