What grade level is The Dark-Thirty?

The Dark-Thirty is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.

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 has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (IA) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.

The Dark-Thirty

Name: The Dark-Thirty
Availability: InStock
Author: Patricia McKissack
ISBN: 9780679818632

by Patricia McKissack · Grades 4–8 · Juvenile Fiction

The Dark-Thirty by Patricia McKissack is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. It appears on 1 list: the Coretta Scott King Author Award. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 4–8 · 180 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9780679818632). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list

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:Coretta Scott King Author Award

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.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range: Grades 4–8
Pages: 180
Reading time: about 3h 20m (est.)
First published: 1992
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780679818632

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 4?

If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Coretta Scott King Award?

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Dark-Thirty→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This juvenile fiction title is typically read at grades 4–8. Written in the 1990s; cited on the Coretta Scott King Author Award.

Where this book is recommended

Coretta Scott King Author Award

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Common questions

What grade level is The Dark-Thirty?: The Dark-Thirty is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
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 has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (IA) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.

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 4–8 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records: Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: award-winner.