Cover of The Spring Rider

The Spring Rider

by John Shults Lawson

The Spring Rider by John Shults Lawson is assigned in US schools at grades 4–9. 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 Spring Rider 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 4–9
Pages
162
Reading time
about 3 hours (est.)
First published
1968
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9780690047851
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About this book

A brother and sister become involved with the ghost of a Union soldier who returns to life each spring and, with his regiment, reenacts a Civil War battle which took place one hundred years before.

Why widely assigned

This Children's title, typically at grades 4–9. Written in the 1960s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Spring Rider?
The Spring Rider is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–9. 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 Spring Rider?
It takes about 3 hours to read The Spring Rider (162 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 180 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Spring Rider?
The Spring Rider appears on reading lists for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Spring Rider banned in schools?
The Spring Rider 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 4–9 — 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: read-aloud.