
The China Garden
by Liz Berry · Grades 9–12 · Realistic Fiction
The China Garden by Liz Berry is on US reading lists at grades 9–12. It appears on 1 list: the Virginia Readers' Choice, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
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Before you buy: Ages 14–17 · Grades 9–12 · 285 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780380732289). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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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).
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.
Reading level at a glance
- 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
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
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See all books like The China Garden→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 9–12. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on mothers and daughters and extrasensory perception; cited on the Virginia Readers' Choice.
Themes
mothers and daughters · extrasensory perception · england, fiction · extrasensory perception, fiction
Where this book is recommended
Virginia Readers' Choice
- recommended·9th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 1998-1999 winner (High)
- recommended·10th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 1998-1999 winner (High)
- recommended·11th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 1998-1999 winner (High)
- recommended·12th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 1998-1999 winner (High)
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Common questions
- What grade level is The China Garden?
- The China Garden is listed for grades 9–12. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- 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. See the banned books list by state.
- What themes does The China Garden explore?
- Central themes in The China Garden include mothers and daughters, extrasensory perception, england, fiction, extrasensory perception, fiction.
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 9–12 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.