The Golden Hour
by Niki Smith
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).
The Golden Hour by Niki Smith is assigned in US schools at grades 2–8. 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 Golden Hour is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
- Grade range
- Grades 2–8
- Age range
- Ages 7–13
- Pages
- 259
- Reading time
- about 4h 45m (est.)
- First published
- 2021
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780316540315
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.
About this book
2021 Kirkus Prize Finalist • A Kirkus Best Book of 2021 • An SLJ Best Book of 2021 ★ “Exceptionally graceful and delightful” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review ★ “A beautiful story of resilience.” School Library Journal, starred review ★ “Meaningful and impactful ” — School Library Connection, starred review From the author of The Deep & Dark Blue comes a tender graphic novel, perfect for our time, that gently explores themes of self-discovery, friendship, healing from tragedy, and hope for a better tomorrow.
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
See all books like The Golden Hour→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 2–8. Written in the 2020s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Where this book is assigned
Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association)
- recommended·2nd grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·3rd grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·4th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·5th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·6th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·7th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·8th grade · Michigansource: Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association) — Michigan's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 2-82-34-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
Was this page helpful?
Common questions
- What grade level is The Golden Hour?
- The Golden Hour is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–8. 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 Golden Hour?
- It takes about 4h 45m to read The Golden Hour (259 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 285 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Golden Hour?
- The Golden Hour appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award (Michigan Reading Association). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Golden Hour banned in schools?
- The Golden Hour 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 classifyHide
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 2–8 — 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.