The Witch of Blackbird Pond

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.

Why widely assigned

This Historical Fiction (Middle Grade) title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 5–8. Written in the 1950s; pairs with curriculum units on tolerance and colonial Puritan society; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

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

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  The Diary of a Young Girl
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  To Kill a Mockingbird
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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.

How long does it take to read The Witch of Blackbird Pond?

It takes about 4h 40m to read The Witch of Blackbird Pond (256 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 280 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Is The Witch of Blackbird Pond hard to read for 5th grade?

At 850L, The Witch of Blackbird Pond falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.

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.