The Name of the Game Was Murder
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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 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).
The Name of the Game Was Murder by Joan Lowery Nixon is assigned in US schools at grades 3–8. It appears across 2 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Name of the Game Was Murder 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 3–8
- Age range
- Ages 8–13
- Pages
- 182
- Reading time
- about 3h 20m (est.)
- First published
- 1993
- Genre
- Mystery
- ISBN-13
- 9780440901266
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
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See all books like The Name of the Game Was Murder→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This Mystery title, typically at grades 3–8. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on authors and detective and mystery stories; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.
Themes
authors · detective and mystery stories · murder · mystery and detective stories
Where this book is assigned
Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
- recommended·6th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 1997 winner (Grades 6-8)
- recommended·7th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 1997 winner (Grades 6-8)
- recommended·8th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Association of School Librarians — Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 1997 winner (Grades 6-8)
Nevada Young Readers' Award
- recommended·3rd grade · Nevadasource: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·4th grade · Nevadasource: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·5th grade · Nevadasource: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·6th grade · Nevadasource: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·7th grade · Nevadasource: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·8th grade · Nevadasource: Nevada Young Readers' Award — Nevada's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 3-83-56-): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Name of the Game Was Murder?
- The Name of the Game Was Murder is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–8. It appears on 2 school reading lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read The Name of the Game Was Murder?
- It takes about 3h 20m to read The Name of the Game Was Murder (182 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 200 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Name of the Game Was Murder?
- The Name of the Game Was Murder appears on reading lists for Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, Nevada Young Readers' Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Name of the Game Was Murder banned in schools?
- The Name of the Game Was Murder 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 Name of the Game Was Murder explore?
- Central themes in The Name of the Game Was Murder include authors, detective and mystery stories, murder, mystery and detective stories.
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 3–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 2 states ELA frameworks 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.