Cover of The Hot and Cold Summer

The Hot and Cold Summer

by Johanna Hurwitz

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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:Texas Bluebonnet Award

The Hot and Cold Summer by Johanna Hurwitz is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. 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 Hot and Cold Summer 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 3–6
Age range
Ages 8–11
Pages
158
Reading time
about 2h 55m (est.)
First published
1982
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780812437812

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

Two inseparable ten-year-old boys discover there is room in their friendship for another person and it really doesn't matter that she is a girl.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Hot and Cold Summer→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on friendship and summer, fiction; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

friendship · summer, fiction · friendship, fiction · summer

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Hot and Cold Summer?
The Hot and Cold Summer is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. 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 Hot and Cold Summer?
It takes about 2h 55m to read The Hot and Cold Summer (158 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 175 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Hot and Cold Summer?
The Hot and Cold Summer appears on reading lists for Texas Bluebonnet Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Hot and Cold Summer banned in schools?
The Hot and Cold Summer 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 Hot and Cold Summer explore?
Central themes in The Hot and Cold Summer include friendship, summer, fiction, friendship, fiction, summer. 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 3–6 — 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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