Cover of The China Garden

The China Garden

by Liz Berry

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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:Virginia Readers' Choice

The China Garden by Liz Berry 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 China Garden 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
Pages
285
Reading time
about 5h 15m (est.)
First published
1994
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780380732289

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

After college Clare moves with her mother from London to a rural home where her psychic ability helps unravel the past and where she searches for something called the Benison.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The China Garden→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on mothers and daughters and extrasensory perception; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

mothers and daughters · extrasensory perception · england, fiction · extrasensory perception, fiction

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The China Garden?
The China Garden 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.
How long does it take to read The China Garden?
It takes about 5h 15m to read The China Garden (285 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 315 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The China Garden?
The China Garden appears on reading lists for Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The China Garden banned in schools?
The China Garden 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 China Garden explore?
Central themes in The China Garden include mothers and daughters, extrasensory perception, england, fiction, extrasensory perception, fiction. 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 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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