Cover of Torpedoed

Torpedoed

by Deborah Heiligman

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

On reading-award lists:Golden Kite Award

Torpedoed by Deborah Heiligman is assigned in US schools at grades 6–12. 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 Torpedoed is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

Grade range
Grades 6–12
Pages
203
Reading time
about 3h 45m (est.)
First published
2019
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9781250187550

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

From award-winning author Deborah Heiligman comes Torpedoed, a true account of the attack and sinking of the passenger ship SS City of Benares, which was evacuating children from England during WWII. Amid the constant rain of German bombs and the escalating violence of World War II, British parents by the thousands chose to send their children out of the country: the wealthy, independently; the poor, through a government relocation program called CORB. In September 1940, passenger liner SS City of Benares set sail for Canada with one hundred children on board. When the war ships escorting the Benares departed, a German submarine torpedoed what became known as the Children's Ship. Out of tragedy, ordinary people became heroes. This is their story. This title has Common Core connections.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Torpedoed→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Children's title, typically at grades 6–12. Written in the 2010s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Torpedoed?
Torpedoed is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–12. 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 Torpedoed?
It takes about 3h 45m to read Torpedoed (203 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 225 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Torpedoed?
Torpedoed appears on reading lists for Golden Kite Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Torpedoed banned in schools?
Torpedoed 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 6–12 — 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
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: read-aloud.

Keep browsing