What grade level is We Own the Sky?

We Own the Sky is listed for grades 4–6. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read We Own the Sky?

It takes about 2h 55m to read We Own the Sky (161 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 We Own the Sky?

We Own the Sky appears on reading lists for North Carolina Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is We Own the Sky banned in schools?

We Own the Sky 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.

We Own the Sky

Name: We Own the Sky
Availability: InStock
Author: Rodman Philbrick
ISBN: 9781338736304

by Rodman Philbrick · Grades 4–6 · Middle Grade Historical Fiction

We Own the Sky by Rodman Philbrick is on US reading lists at grades 4–6. It appears on 1 list: the North Carolina Children's Book Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 9–12 · Grades 4–6 · 161 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9781338736304). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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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:North Carolina Children's Book Award

This page shows where We Own the Sky is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Reading level at a glance

Grade range: Grades 4–6
Age range: Ages 9–12
Pages: 161
Reading time: about 2h 55m (est.)
First published: 2022
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Fiction
ISBN-13: 9781338736304

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-11; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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Why it is assigned

This middle grade historical fiction title is typically read at grades 4–6. Written in the 2020s; cited on the North Carolina Children's Book Award.

Where this book is recommended

North Carolina Children's Book Award

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Common questions

What grade level is We Own the Sky?: We Own the Sky is listed for grades 4–6. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read We Own the Sky?: It takes about 2h 55m to read We Own the Sky (161 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 We Own the Sky?: We Own the Sky appears on reading lists for North Carolina Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is We Own the Sky banned in schools?: We Own the Sky 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 the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.