Cover of The Thief

The Thief

by Megan Whalen Turner · Grades 4–6

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner is on US reading lists at grades 4–6. It appears on 1 list: the Massachusetts Children's Book Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 4–6 · 239 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781529387605). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Massachusetts Children's Book Award

This page shows where The Thief is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range
Grades 4–6
Pages
239
Reading time
about 4h 25m (est.)
First published
1996
ISBN-13
9781529387605

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-09; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is The Thief?
The Thief is listed for grades 4–6. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read The Thief?
It takes about 4h 25m to read The Thief (239 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 265 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Thief?
The Thief appears on reading lists for Massachusetts Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Thief banned in schools?
The Thief 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

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 4–6 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: award-winner.

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