
The Thief
Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
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).
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner is assigned in US schools at grades 4–6. 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 Thief is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.
Similar grade-level books
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L- I Have a DreamMartin Luther King Jr.I Have a DreamMartin Luther King Jr.
The Million Dollar ShotDan Gutman
The Hunger GamesSuzanne Collins · 810L
See all books like The Thief→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Where this book is assigned
Massachusetts Children's Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Massachusettssource: Massachusetts Children's Book Award winners (Salem State University), via Goodreads award record — 2006
- recommended·5th grade · Massachusettssource: Massachusetts Children's Book Award winners (Salem State University), via Goodreads award record — 2006
- recommended·6th grade · Massachusettssource: Massachusetts Children's Book Award winners (Salem State University), via Goodreads award record — 2006
Was this page helpful?
Common questions
- What grade level is The Thief?
- The Thief is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–6. 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 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 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 4–6 — 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: award-winner.