What grade level is Truly Devious?

Truly Devious 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 Truly Devious?

It takes about 7h 55m to read Truly Devious (432 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 475 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Truly Devious?

Truly Devious appears on reading lists for Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Truly Devious banned in schools?

Truly Devious 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 Truly Devious explore?

Central themes in Truly Devious include schools, mystery and detective stories, boarding schools, vermont, fiction. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Truly Devious

Name: Truly Devious
Availability: InStock
Author: Maureen Johnson
ISBN: 9780062338051

by Maureen Johnson

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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:Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania)

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson 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 Truly Devious 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: 432
Reading time: about 7h 55m (est.)
First published: 2018
Genre: Mystery
ISBN-13: 9780062338051

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More formats & details

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About this book

Ellingham Academy is a famous private school in Vermont for the brightest thinkers, inventors, and artists. It was founded by Albert Ellingham, an early twentieth century tycoon, who wanted to make a wonderful place full of riddles, twisting pathways, and gardens. Shortly after the school opened, his wife and daughter were kidnapped. The only real clue was a mocking riddle listing methods of murder, signed with the frightening pseudonym 'Truly, Devious.'

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Mystery title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on schools and mystery and detective stories; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

schools · mystery and detective stories · boarding schools · vermont, fiction

Where this book is assigned

Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania)

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Common questions

What grade level is Truly Devious?: Truly Devious 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 Truly Devious?: It takes about 7h 55m to read Truly Devious (432 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 475 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Truly Devious?: Truly Devious appears on reading lists for Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Truly Devious banned in schools?: Truly Devious 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 Truly Devious explore?: Central themes in Truly Devious include schools, mystery and detective stories, boarding schools, vermont, fiction. 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.