What grade level is The Lifters?

The Lifters is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–8. 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 Lifters?

It takes about 6h 25m to read The Lifters (352 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 385 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Is The Lifters banned in schools?

The Lifters 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 Lifters explore?

Central themes in The Lifters include detective and mystery stories, underground areas, magic, friendship. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

The Lifters

Name: The Lifters
Availability: InStock
Author: Dave Eggers
ISBN: 9783733504892

by Dave Eggers

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

On reading-award lists:Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award

The Lifters by Dave Eggers is assigned in US schools at grades 3–8. 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 Lifters is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range: Grades 3–8
Age range: Ages 8–13
Pages: 352
Reading time: about 6h 25m (est.)
First published: 2018
Genre: Fantasy
ISBN-13: 9783733504892

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About this book

What if nothing was as it seemed? What if the ground beneath your feet was not made of solid earth and stone but had been hollowed into hundreds of tunnels and passageways? What if there were mysterious forces in these tunnels, mere inches below you as you sit in class or eat a banana? What if it were up to just two kids to stop these forces? What would it feel like to know the fate of an entire town rested on your shoulders?

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Fantasy title, typically at grades 3–8. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on detective and mystery stories and underground areas; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

detective and mystery stories · underground areas · magic · friendship

Where this book is assigned

Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award

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Common questions

What grade level is The Lifters?: The Lifters is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–8. 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 Lifters?: It takes about 6h 25m to read The Lifters (352 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 385 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Lifters?: The Lifters appears on reading lists for Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Lifters banned in schools?: The Lifters 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 Lifters explore?: Central themes in The Lifters include detective and mystery stories, underground areas, magic, friendship. 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 3–8 — 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.