Cover of Things in the Basement

Things in the Basement

by Ben Hatke

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).

On reading-award lists:North Carolina Children's Book Award

Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke 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 Things in the Basement 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 4–6
Age range
Ages 9–12
Pages
242
Reading time
about 4h 25m (est.)
First published
2023
Genre
Middle Grade Graphic Novel
ISBN-13
9781250347350

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.

About this book

Graphic novel: sent to the basement for a lost sock, Milo finds a portal to a hidden world under the house.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Things in the Basement→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Graphic Novel title, typically at grades 4–6. Written in the 2020s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Things in the Basement?
Things in the Basement 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 Things in the Basement?
It takes about 4h 25m to read Things in the Basement (242 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 Things in the Basement?
Things in the Basement appears on reading lists for North Carolina Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Things in the Basement banned in schools?
Things in the Basement 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 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: book-club.

Keep browsing