What grade level is The Dark Is Rising?

The Dark Is Rising is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–9. It appears on 2 school reading lists. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read The Dark Is Rising?

It takes about 5h 35m to read The Dark Is Rising (304 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 335 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign The Dark Is Rising?

The Dark Is Rising appears on reading lists for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Dark Is Rising banned in schools?

The Dark Is Rising 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.

The Dark Is Rising

Name: The Dark Is Rising
Availability: InStock
Author: Susan Cooper
ISBN: 9781665932882

by Susan Cooper · Grades 4–9 · Children's

The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper is assigned in US schools at grades 4–9. It appears on 2 lists: 1 state standards document and 1 book-award list. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 4–9 · 304 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9781665932882). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists

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:Boston Globe–Horn Book Award

This page shows where The Dark Is Rising 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 4–9
Pages: 304
Reading time: about 5h 35m (est.)
First published: 1973
Genre: Children's
ISBN-13: 9781665932882

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 4?

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About this book

Book facts and sources (2)

On award reading lists: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award (source: Wikipedia)
Named in curriculum frameworks: Common Core State Standards (ELA) (source: nysed.gov)
Catalog record: First published 1973 · 304 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

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Why it is assigned

This children's title is typically read at grades 4–9. Written in the 1970s; cited on 2 lists: 1 state standards document and 1 book-award list.

Where this book is assigned

Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended·6th grade source: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 story exemplar
- recommended·7th grade source: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 story exemplar
- recommended·8th grade source: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 story exemplar

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Common questions

What grade level is The Dark Is Rising?: The Dark Is Rising is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–9. It appears on 2 school reading lists. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read The Dark Is Rising?: It takes about 5h 35m to read The Dark Is Rising (304 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 335 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Dark Is Rising?: The Dark Is Rising appears on reading lists for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Dark Is Rising banned in schools?: The Dark Is Rising 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 4–9 — drawn from the curriculum sources cited on this page.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: read-aloud.