Cover of The Experiment

The Experiment

by Rebecca Stead

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

On reading-award lists:Great Lakes Great Books Award

The Experiment by Rebecca Stead is assigned in US schools at grades 4–5. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Experiment 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 4–5
Pages
210
Reading time
about 3h 50m (est.)
Genre
Juvenile Fiction
ISBN-13
9781787613157

More formats & details

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About this book

From the winner of the Newbery Medal and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize comes a fast-paced coming-of-age novel - with aliens. Nathan never understood what was 'fun' about secrets, probably because he’s always had to keep a very big one. Although he appears to be a typical boy, Nathan learned at an early age that his family is from another planet. Now, their time on Earth may be coming to an end. Nathan and some others are part of an experiment that suddenly seems to be going wrong. Some of them are disappearing without a word. After his family is called back to the mothership, Nathan begins to question everything he’s been taught to believe about who he is and why he's on Earth. '[A] twisty, thoughtful tale' Publishers Weekly 'Compulsively readable' Booklist Cover illustrated by Dev

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Why widely assigned

This Juvenile Fiction title, typically at grades 4–5. Published in the canon; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Experiment?
The Experiment is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–5. 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 Experiment?
It takes about 3h 50m to read The Experiment (210 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 230 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Experiment?
The Experiment appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Experiment banned in schools?
The Experiment 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 4–5 — 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
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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