The Witch of Blackbird Pond
by Elizabeth George Speare
- Lexile
- 850L
- Grade range
- Grades 5–8
- Age range
- Ages 10–14
- Pages
- 256
- First published
- 1958
- Genre
- Historical Fiction (Middle Grade)
- ISBN-13
- 9780547550299
About this book
Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler arrives in 1687 Puritan Connecticut and is accused of witchcraft after befriending an older Quaker woman called the Witch of Blackbird Pond. Speare's Newbery Medal novel is standard 5th-7th grade colonial-America cross-curriculum reading.
Themes
- tolerance
- colonial Puritan society
- friendship
- prejudice
- coming of age
Content notes
- witch-trial accusations
- religious persecution
Common Sense Media recommends age 11+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- required· 6th gradesource: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades 6-8 Newbery Medal
- required· 6th grade · Connecticutsource: CT ELA Standards — Connecticut-set colonial canon
Similar grade-level books
Common questions
- What grade level is The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 850L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond has a Lexile measure of 850L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- What curricula assign The Witch of Blackbird Pond?
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Witch of Blackbird Pond banned in schools?
- The Witch of Blackbird Pond 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.
- What themes does The Witch of Blackbird Pond explore?
- Central themes in The Witch of Blackbird Pond include tolerance, colonial Puritan society, friendship, prejudice, coming of age. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.