Cover of The Compound

The Compound

by S. A. Bodeen

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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).

On reading-award lists:Young Hoosier Book AwardNebraska Golden Sower Award

The Compound by S. A. Bodeen is assigned in US schools at grades 6–9. 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 Compound 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 6–9
Age range
Ages 11–14
Pages
276
Reading time
about 5h 5m (est.)
First published
2008
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780312370152

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

S.A. Bodeen's The Compound is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. Eli and his family have lived in the Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone. Eli's father built the Compound to keep them safe. Now, they can't get out. He won't let them.

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Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 6–9. Written in the 2000s; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Compound?
The Compound is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–9. 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 Compound?
It takes about 5h 5m to read The Compound (276 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 305 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Compound?
The Compound appears on reading lists for Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Young Hoosier Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Compound banned in schools?
The Compound 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.

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 6–9 — 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.

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