The Labors of Hercules Beal
by Gary D. Schmidt · Grades 3–7 · Middle Grade Fiction
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt is on US reading lists at grades 3–7. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 3 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 8–13 · Grades 3–7 · 291 pages. Content notes: death of parents. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780358659570). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 3 states
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows where The Labors of Hercules Beal is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Reading level at a glance
- Grade range
- Grades 3–7
- Age range
- Ages 8–13
- Pages
- 291
- Reading time
- about 5h 20m (est.)
- First published
- 2023
- Genre
- Middle Grade Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780358659570
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-12; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
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About this book
Book facts and sources (3)
- On award reading lists
- Great Stone Face Book Award (source: librarything.com)
- Great Lakes Great Books Award (source: michiganreading.org)
- South Carolina Children's Book Award (source: studysc.org)
- Catalog record
- First published 2023 · 291 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
See all books like The Labors of Hercules Beal→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This middle grade fiction title is typically read at grades 3–7. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on grief and mythology; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.
Content notes
death of parents
Where this book is recommended
Great Lakes Great Books Award
- recommended·3rd grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
- recommended·4th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
- recommended·5th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
- recommended·6th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
- recommended·7th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
Great Stone Face Book Award
- recommended·3rd grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·4th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·5th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·6th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·7th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
South Carolina Children's Book Award
- recommended·3rd grade · South Carolinasource: 2025-2026 South Carolina Children's Book Award Nominees (South Carolina Association of School Librarians / studySC)
- recommended·4th grade · South Carolinasource: 2025-2026 South Carolina Children's Book Award Nominees (South Carolina Association of School Librarians / studySC)
- recommended·5th grade · South Carolinasource: 2025-2026 South Carolina Children's Book Award Nominees (South Carolina Association of School Librarians / studySC)
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Labors of Hercules Beal?
- The Labors of Hercules Beal is listed for grades 3–7. It appears on 3 state book-award lists across 3 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read The Labors of Hercules Beal?
- It takes about 5h 20m to read The Labors of Hercules Beal (291 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 320 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Labors of Hercules Beal?
- The Labors of Hercules Beal appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award, Great Stone Face Book Award, South Carolina Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Labors of Hercules Beal banned in schools?
- The Labors of Hercules Beal 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 Labors of Hercules Beal explore?
- Central themes in The Labors of Hercules Beal include grief, mythology, family, community.
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 3–7 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 3 states (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.