Cover of The Wall

The Wall

by Peter Sís

The Wall by Peter Sís is assigned in US schools at grades 5–9. 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 Wall 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 5–9
Pages
56
Reading time
about 1 hour (est.)
First published
2014
ISBN-13
9781466855847
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About this book

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER "I was born at the beginning of it all, on the Red side—the Communist side—of the Iron Curtain." Through annotated illustrations, journals, maps, and dreamscapes, Peter Sís shows what life was like for a child who loved to draw, proudly wore the red scarf of a Young Pioneer, stood guard at the giant statue of Stalin, and believed whatever he was told to believe. But adolescence brought questions. Cracks began to appear in the Iron Curtain, and news from the West slowly filtered into the country. Sís learned about beat poetry, rock 'n' roll, blue jeans, and Coca-Cola. He let his hair grow long, secretly read banned books, and joined a rock band. Then came the Prague Spring of 1968, and for a teenager who wanted to see the world and meet the Beatles, this was a m

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Wall?
The Wall is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–9. 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 Wall?
It takes about 1 hour to read The Wall (56 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 60 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Wall?
The Wall appears on reading lists for Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Wall banned in schools?
The Wall 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 5–9 — 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: award-winner.