What grade level is When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop?

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop is listed for grades 3–6. 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 When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop?

It takes about 35 minutes to read When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop (30 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 35 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop?

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop appears on reading lists for Texas Bluebonnet Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop

Name: When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop
Availability: InStock
Author: Laban Carrick Hill
ISBN: 9781338193183

by Laban Carrick Hill · Grades 3–6 · Realistic Fiction

When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop by Laban Carrick Hill is on US reading lists at grades 3–6. It appears on 1 list: the Texas Bluebonnet Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 8–11 · Grades 3–6 · 30 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9781338193183). 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:Texas Bluebonnet Award

This page shows where When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop 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 3–6
Age range: Ages 8–11
Pages: 30
Reading time: about 35 minutes (est.)
First published: 2013
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9781338193183

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for grade 3?

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 3–6. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on break dancing; cited on the Texas Bluebonnet Award.

Themes

break dancing

Where this book is recommended

Texas Bluebonnet Award

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Common questions

What grade level is When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop?: When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop is listed for grades 3–6. 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 When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop?: It takes about 35 minutes to read When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop (30 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 35 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop?: When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop appears on reading lists for Texas Bluebonnet Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop banned in schools?: When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop 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. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop explore?: Central themes in When the Beat Was Born: DJ Kool Herc and the Creation of Hip Hop include break dancing.

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 3–6 — 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.