The Dollhouse Murders

by Betty Ren Wright

Among the most widely assigned — 5 curriculum lists · 9 states

On reading-award lists:Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA)Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice AwardMark Twain Readers AwardWyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award+1 more

The Dollhouse Murders by Betty Ren Wright is assigned in US schools at grades 4–7. It appears across 5 curriculum references and 9 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Dollhouse Murders is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range
Grades 4–7
Age range
Ages 9–13
First published
1983
Genre
Mystery
ISBN-13
9780545157186

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

An inherited dollhouse re-enacts a decades-old family tragedy at night, and Amy must unravel the truth to put the past to rest. (Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award winner.)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Dollhouse Murders→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Mystery title, typically at grades 4–7. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on mystery and family; cited across 5 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

mystery · family · ghosts

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Dollhouse Murders?
The Dollhouse Murders is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–7. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign The Dollhouse Murders?
The Dollhouse Murders appears on reading lists for Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA), Mark Twain Readers Award, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award, and 2 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Dollhouse Murders banned in schools?
The Dollhouse Murders 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 Dollhouse Murders explore?
Central themes in The Dollhouse Murders include mystery, family, ghosts. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 4–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 5 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 9 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.

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