Cover of Parachute Kids

Parachute Kids

by Betty C. Tang

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Among the most widely assigned — 6 curriculum lists · 6 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:Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book AwardGarden State Children's Book AwardRebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book AwardGeorgia Children's Book Award+2 more

Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang is assigned in US schools at grades 3–7. It appears across 6 curriculum references and 6 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Parachute Kids 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 3–7
Pages
290
Reading time
about 5h 20m (est.)
First published
2023
Genre
Graphic Novel
ISBN-13
9781338832709

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

Three siblings are left to fend for themselves in 1980s America as undocumented 'parachute kids' after their parents must return to Taiwan. (Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award winner.)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Parachute Kids→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Graphic Novel title, typically at grades 3–7. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on immigration and family; cited across 6 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

immigration · family · resilience

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Parachute Kids?
Parachute Kids is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–7. It appears on 6 school reading lists across 6 states, from grade 3 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Parachute Kids?
It takes about 5h 20m to read Parachute Kids (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 Parachute Kids?
Parachute Kids appears on reading lists for Garden State Children's Book Award, Georgia Children's Book Award, Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania), and 3 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Parachute Kids banned in schools?
Parachute Kids has documented removals from at least one public-school district in 1 state (IA) per PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. Policies vary by district.
What themes does Parachute Kids explore?
Central themes in Parachute Kids include immigration, family, resilience.

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 3–7 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 6 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 6 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
Documented as challenged or removed in 1 state per PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans — see the full banned & challenged books list.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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