The Compound
by S. A. Bodeen · Grades 6–9 · Realistic Fiction
The Compound by S. A. Bodeen is on US reading lists at grades 6–9. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 3 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 11–14 · Grades 6–9 · 276 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780312370152). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 3 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).
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.
Reading level at a glance
- 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
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.
Good fit for grade 6?
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About this book
Book facts and sources (3)
- On award reading lists
- Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (source: maslmd.org)
- Young Hoosier Book Award (source: cdn.ymaws.com)
- Nebraska Golden Sower Award (source: nlc.nebraska.gov)
- Catalog record
- First published 2008 · 276 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
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The Catcher in the RyeJ.D. Salinger · 790L
See all books like The Compound→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 6–9. Written in the 2000s; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.
Where this book is recommended
Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
- recommended·6th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2011 winner (Grades 6-8)
- recommended·7th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2011 winner (Grades 6-8)
- recommended·8th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2011 winner (Grades 6-8)
Nebraska Golden Sower Award
- recommended·6th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award past winners, 2012 winner (Novel)
- recommended·7th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award past winners, 2012 winner (Novel)
- recommended·8th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award past winners, 2012 winner (Novel)
- recommended·9th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award past winners, 2012 winner (Novel)
Young Hoosier Book Award
- recommended·6th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 2012 winner (Middle Grade)
- recommended·7th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 2012 winner (Middle Grade)
- recommended·8th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 2012 winner (Middle Grade)
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Compound?
- The Compound is listed for grades 6–9. It appears on 3 state book-award lists across 3 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- 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 Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 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. See the banned books list by state.
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 6–9 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 3 states (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.