Cover of The Forbidden Book

The Forbidden Book

by Sacha Lamb

The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb is assigned in US schools at grades 7–12. 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 Forbidden Book 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 7–12
Age range
Ages 13–18
First published
2024
Genre
Young Adult Fiction
ISBN-13
9781646144822
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Where to find this book

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About this book

Set against literary censorship and a growing Jewish political consciousness, a seventeen-year-old who flees on the eve of her wedding becomes entangled with a boy bound inside a forbidden book, in a story of identity, survival, and hope. From Printz Honor and Stonewall winner Sacha Lamb; a 2025-2026 Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award nominee (grades 7-12).

Why widely assigned

This Young Adult Fiction title, typically at grades 7–12. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on identity and survival; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

identity · survival · religion

Where this book is assigned

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See all books like The Forbidden Book→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is The Forbidden Book?
The Forbidden Book is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–12. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign The Forbidden Book?
The Forbidden Book appears on reading lists for Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Forbidden Book banned in schools?
The Forbidden Book 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 Forbidden Book explore?
Central themes in The Forbidden Book include identity, survival, religion. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 7–12 — 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.