The Road to Memphis
Assigned across 1 curriculum list
The Road to Memphis by Mildred D. Taylor is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Road to Memphis 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
- Pages
- 304
- Reading time
- about 5h 35m (est.)
- First published
- 1990
- Genre
- African American families
- ISBN-13
- 9780590981996
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More formats & details
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About this book
In 1941 a black youth, sadistically teased by two white boys in rural Mississippi, severely injures one of them with a tire iron and enlists Cassie's help in trying to flee the state.
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See all books like The Road to Memphis→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This African American families title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 1990s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Where this book is assigned
Coretta Scott King Author Award
- recommended·4th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1991 winner
- recommended·5th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1991 winner
- recommended·6th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1991 winner
- recommended·7th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1991 winner
- recommended·8th gradesource: Coretta Scott King Author Award (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1991 winner
Common questions
- What grade level is The Road to Memphis?
- The Road to Memphis 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 Road to Memphis?
- It takes about 5h 35m to read The Road to Memphis (304 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 335 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Road to Memphis?
- The Road to Memphis appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Author Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Road to Memphis banned in schools?
- The Road to Memphis 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.
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
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: award-winner.