What grade level is The Dark-Thirty?

The Dark-Thirty is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. 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-Thirty?

It takes about 3h 20m to read The Dark-Thirty (180 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 200 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign The Dark-Thirty?

The Dark-Thirty appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Author Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Dark-Thirty banned in schools?

The Dark-Thirty 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-Thirty

Name: The Dark-Thirty
Availability: InStock
Author: Patricia McKissack

by Patricia McKissack

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

The Dark-Thirty by Patricia McKissack is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Dark-Thirty 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 4–8
Pages: 180
Reading time: about 3h 20m (est.)
First published: 1992
Genre: Juvenile Fiction

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About this book

Ten suspenseful, supernatural tales inspired by African American history from the time of slavery to the civil rights era.

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Why widely assigned

This Juvenile Fiction title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 1990s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

Coretta Scott King Author Award

Common questions

What grade level is The Dark-Thirty?: The Dark-Thirty is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. 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-Thirty?: It takes about 3h 20m to read The Dark-Thirty (180 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 200 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Dark-Thirty?: The Dark-Thirty appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Author Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Dark-Thirty banned in schools?: The Dark-Thirty 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

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 4–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 1 curriculum 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: award-winner.