Cover of When You Look Like Us

When You Look Like Us

by Pamela N. Harris

Assigned across 2 curriculum lists

On reading-award lists:Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook)Golden Kite Award

When You Look Like Us by Pamela N. Harris is assigned in US schools at grades 9–12. It appears across 2 curriculum references, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where When You Look Like Us is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range
Grades 9–12
Pages
290
Reading time
about 5h 20m (est.)
First published
2021
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9780062945914

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

“A high-speed story that will draw teens in and keep them turning pages until they reach the unpredictable and thrilling ending. A must for YA collections.” (School Library Journal) A 2022 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work nominee and a 2022 Edgar Award nominee, this timely, gripping teen novel is about a boy who must take up the search for his sister when she goes missing from a neighborhood where Black girls’ disappearances are too often overlooked, from debut author Pamela Harris. Perfect for fans of Jason Reynolds and Tiffany D. Jackson. When you look like us—brown skin, brown eyes, black braids or fades—everyone else thinks you’re trouble. No one even blinks twice over a missing Black girl from public housing because she must’ve brought whatever happened to her upon hers

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Why widely assigned

This Children's title, typically at grades 9–12. Written in the 2020s; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is When You Look Like Us?
When You Look Like Us 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 When You Look Like Us?
It takes about 5h 20m to read When You Look Like Us (290 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 320 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign When You Look Like Us?
When You Look Like Us appears on reading lists for Golden Kite Award, Odyssey Award (Best Audiobook). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is When You Look Like Us banned in schools?
When You Look Like Us 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 9–12 — 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
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.

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