What grade level is Out of the Dust?

Out of the Dust is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 740L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.

What is the Lexile level of Out of the Dust?

Out of the Dust has a Lexile measure of 740L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.

How long does it take to read Out of the Dust?

It takes about 4h 25m to read Out of the Dust (240 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 265 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

Is Out of the Dust hard to read for 5th grade?

At 740L, Out of the Dust falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.

What curricula assign Out of the Dust?

Out of the Dust appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA), Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Out of the Dust

Name: Out of the Dust
Availability: InStock
Author: Karen Hesse
ISBN: 9780590371254

by Karen Hesse

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse is assigned in US schools at grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 740L. It appears across 2 curriculum references 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 Out of the Dust is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Lexile: 740L
Grade range: Grades 5–8
Difficulty for grade: Within the grade 4–5 band (740–1010L)
Age range: Ages 10–14
Pages: 240
Reading time: about 4h 25m (est.)
First published: 1997
Genre: Middle Grade Verse Novel / Historical Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780590371254

Reading difficulty: At 740L, Out of the Dust falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.

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About this book

Billie Jo, a 14-year-old in Depression-era Oklahoma, narrates her family's struggle through the Dust Bowl and the aftermath of a kerosene fire. Hesse's 1998 Newbery Medal winner is one of the most-assigned verse novels for the upper-elementary-to-middle transition.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Verse Novel / Historical Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 5–8. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on Great Depression and Dust Bowl; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

Great Depression · Dust Bowl · grief and loss · rural Oklahoma · mother-daughter relationship · verse narrative

Content notes

death of parent · death of infant · fire injury · depression / grief

Common Sense Media recommends age 12+.

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Out of the Dust→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is Out of the Dust?: Out of the Dust is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 5–8, with a Lexile measure of 740L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What is the Lexile level of Out of the Dust?: Out of the Dust has a Lexile measure of 740L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
How long does it take to read Out of the Dust?: It takes about 4h 25m to read Out of the Dust (240 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 265 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is Out of the Dust hard to read for 5th grade?: At 740L, Out of the Dust falls within the typical 740–1010L text-complexity range for 5th grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign Out of the Dust?: Out of the Dust appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA), Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

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: 740L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band: Grades 5–8 — 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 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: award-winner.