Cover of The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle

by Jeannette Walls

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:Virginia Readers' Choice

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. 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 Glass Castle 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 9–12
Age range
Ages 14–17
Pages
347
Reading time
about 6h 20m (est.)
First published
2005
Genre
Science Fiction
ISBN-13
9781439156964

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

A story about the early life of Jeannette Walls. The memoir is an exposing work about her early life and growing up on the run and often homeless. It presents a different perspective of life from all over the United States and the struggle a girl had to find normalcy as she grew into an adult.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Glass Castle→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Science Fiction title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on poor and problem families; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

poor · problem families · dysfunctional families · homeless persons

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Glass Castle?
The Glass Castle is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. 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 Glass Castle?
It takes about 6h 20m to read The Glass Castle (347 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 380 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Glass Castle?
The Glass Castle appears on reading lists for Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Glass Castle banned in schools?
The Glass Castle 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 Glass Castle explore?
Central themes in The Glass Castle include poor, problem families, dysfunctional families, homeless persons. 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 9–12 — 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.

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