What grade level is The Night Train?

The Night Train is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. 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 Night Train?

It takes about 5h 20m to read The Night Train (289 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 Night Train?

The Night Train appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Night Train banned in schools?

The Night Train 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 Night Train explore?

Central themes in The Night Train include memory, grief, courage, mystery. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

The Night Train

Name: The Night Train
Availability: InStock
Author: Lorelei Savaryn
ISBN: 9780593524206

by Lorelei Savaryn

The Night Train by Lorelei Savaryn is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. 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 Night Train 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 4–8
Age range: Ages 9–13
Pages: 289
Reading time: about 5h 20m (est.)
First published: 2024
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
ISBN-13: 9780593524206

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About this book

A mysterious night train carries a boy through a strange, dreamlike journey as he confronts a painful past and what he's willing to remember. Lorelei Savaryn's atmospheric middle-grade novel explores memory, grief, and courage. Nominated for the 2025-2026 Maine Student Book Award (grades 4-8), the statewide reading list Maine students read from and vote on.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fantasy title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on memory and grief; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

memory · grief · courage · mystery

Content notes

loss

Where this book is assigned

Maine Student Book Award

Similar grade-level books

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

Common questions

What grade level is The Night Train?: The Night Train is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. 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 Night Train?: It takes about 5h 20m to read The Night Train (289 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 Night Train?: The Night Train appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Night Train banned in schools?: The Night Train 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 Night Train explore?: Central themes in The Night Train include memory, grief, courage, mystery. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

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 4–8 — 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.