The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves

About this book

A vividly illustrated nonfiction tour of the mysterious world of caves — the strange, eyeless, sometimes glowing creatures that live in total darkness and how they survive. Lindsey Leigh turns cave biology into an immersive graphic-nonfiction adventure. Nominated for the 2025-2026 Maine Student Book Award (grades 4-8), the statewide reading list Maine students read from and vote on.

Why widely assigned

This Nonfiction title, typically at grades 3–7. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on science and nature; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

• Maine Student Book Award

  • recommended·4th grade · Mainesource: 2025-2026 Maine Student Book Award Reading List (grades 4-8)
  • recommended·5th grade · Mainesource: 2025-2026 Maine Student Book Award Reading List (grades 4-8)
  • recommended·6th grade · Mainesource: 2025-2026 Maine Student Book Award Reading List (grades 4-8)
  • recommended·7th grade · Mainesource: 2025-2026 Maine Student Book Award Reading List (grades 4-8)
  • recommended·8th grade · Mainesource: 2025-2026 Maine Student Book Award Reading List (grades 4-8)

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Common questions

What grade level is The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves?

The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–7. 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 Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves?

It takes about 1h 50m to read The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves (100 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 110 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves?

The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves banned in schools?

The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves 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 Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves explore?

Central themes in The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves include science, nature, animals. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.