Cover of Whispers from the Dead

Whispers from the Dead

by Joan Lowery Nixon

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states

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:Young Hoosier Book AwardNebraska Golden Sower Award

Whispers from the Dead by Joan Lowery Nixon is assigned in US schools at grades 6–9. 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 Whispers from the Dead 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 6–9
Age range
Ages 11–14
Pages
186
Reading time
about 3h 25m (est.)
First published
1989
Genre
Mystery
ISBN-13
9780440208099

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

Only Sarah senses the horror. The minute she steps through the doorway of her family’s new home, Sarah feels a smothering cold mist, and hears the echo of a scream and a heartbreaking whisper in Spanish, “Help me!” Sarah feels compelled to find out who is trying to reach her. But can she uncover the mysteries of the past before terror strikes again?

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Whispers from the Dead→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Mystery title, typically at grades 6–9. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on mystery and detective stories; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

mystery and detective stories

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Whispers from the Dead?
Whispers from the Dead is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–9. 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 Whispers from the Dead?
It takes about 3h 25m to read Whispers from the Dead (186 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 205 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Whispers from the Dead?
Whispers from the Dead appears on reading lists for Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Young Hoosier Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Whispers from the Dead banned in schools?
Whispers from the Dead 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 Whispers from the Dead explore?
Central themes in Whispers from the Dead include mystery and detective stories. 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 6–9 — 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.

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