What grade level is Ties That Bind, Ties That Break?

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. 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 Ties That Bind, Ties That Break?

It takes about 2h 55m to read Ties That Bind, Ties That Break (160 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 175 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Ties That Bind, Ties That Break?

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Ties That Bind, Ties That Break banned in schools?

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break 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 Ties That Bind, Ties That Break explore?

Central themes in Ties That Bind, Ties That Break include china, footbinding, history, individuality. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break

Name: Ties That Bind, Ties That Break
Availability: InStock
Author: Lensey Namioka
ISBN: 9780141317151

by Lensey Namioka

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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:California Young Reader Medal

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. 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 Ties That Bind, Ties That Break 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 9–12
Age range: Ages 14–17
Pages: 160
Reading time: about 2h 55m (est.)
First published: 1999
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780141317151

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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See all books like Ties That Bind, Ties That Break→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on china and footbinding; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

china · footbinding · history · individuality

Where this book is assigned

California Young Reader Medal

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Common questions

What grade level is Ties That Bind, Ties That Break?: Ties That Bind, Ties That Break is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 9–12. 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 Ties That Bind, Ties That Break?: It takes about 2h 55m to read Ties That Bind, Ties That Break (160 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 175 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Ties That Bind, Ties That Break?: Ties That Bind, Ties That Break appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Ties That Bind, Ties That Break banned in schools?: Ties That Bind, Ties That Break 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 Ties That Bind, Ties That Break explore?: Central themes in Ties That Bind, Ties That Break include china, footbinding, history, individuality. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 9–12 — 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.