What Happened to Rachel Riley?
by Claire Swinarski
What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski is assigned in US schools at grades 6–8. It appears across 2 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where What Happened to Rachel Riley? 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 6–8
- Age range
- Ages 11–14
- First published
- 2023
- Genre
- Middle Grade Mystery
- ISBN-13
- 9780063213098
Where to find this book
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About this book
New eighth-grader Anna uses social-media posts, passed notes, and interviews to uncover why once-popular Rachel Riley became the pariah of her middle school — a #MeToo-era mystery and ALA Notable Children's Book. Claire Swinarski's grades 6-8 novel is a 2025-2026 Virginia Readers' Choice (Middle School) nominee.
Why widely assigned
This Middle Grade Mystery title, typically at grades 6–8. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on mystery and school; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.
Where this book is assigned
Georgia Children's Book Award
- recommended·6th grade · Georgiasource: Georgia Children's Book Award 2025 Nominees (Grades 4-8) — University of Georgia Libraries
- recommended·7th grade · Georgiasource: Georgia Children's Book Award 2025 Nominees (Grades 4-8) — University of Georgia Libraries
- recommended·8th grade · Georgiasource: Georgia Children's Book Award 2025 Nominees (Grades 4-8) — University of Georgia Libraries
Virginia Readers' Choice
- recommended·6th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice 2025-2026 Award Nominee Lists (Elementary + Middle School)
- recommended·7th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice 2025-2026 Award Nominee Lists (Elementary + Middle School)
- recommended·8th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice 2025-2026 Award Nominee Lists (Elementary + Middle School)
Similar grade-level books
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
See all books like What Happened to Rachel Riley?→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is What Happened to Rachel Riley??
- What Happened to Rachel Riley? is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–8. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign What Happened to Rachel Riley??
- What Happened to Rachel Riley? appears on reading lists for Georgia Children's Book Award, Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is What Happened to Rachel Riley? banned in schools?
- What Happened to Rachel Riley? 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 What Happened to Rachel Riley? explore?
- Central themes in What Happened to Rachel Riley? include mystery, school, courage. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
Why this book is on this list
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 6–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 2 states ELA frameworks 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.