Cover of Zach's Lie

Zach's Lie

by Roland Smith

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:Nevada Young Readers' Award

Zach's Lie by Roland Smith is assigned in US schools at grades 3–8. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Zach's Lie 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 3–8
Age range
Ages 8–13
Pages
246
Reading time
about 4h 30m (est.)
First published
1999
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9781423104070

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

Kidnapped by drug czar Alonzo Asnar and held hostage in Argentina, Jack and his sister Joanne attempt a daring escape while their parents, aided by some old friends, set out to rescue them.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Zach's Lie→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–8. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on witness protection programs and drug dealers; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

witness protection programs · drug dealers · kidnapping · escapes

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Zach's Lie?
Zach's Lie is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–8. 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 Zach's Lie?
It takes about 4h 30m to read Zach's Lie (246 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 270 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Zach's Lie?
Zach's Lie appears on reading lists for Nevada Young Readers' Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Zach's Lie banned in schools?
Zach's Lie 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 Zach's Lie explore?
Central themes in Zach's Lie include witness protection programs, drug dealers, kidnapping, escapes. 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 3–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 1 state ELA framework 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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