The House of the Scorpion
by Nancy Farmer
Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
Among the most widely assigned — 5 curriculum lists · 4 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).
The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer is assigned in US schools at grades 7–10. It appears across 5 curriculum references and 4 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The House of the Scorpion 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 7–10
- Age range
- Ages 12–15
- First published
- 2022
- Genre
- Science Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9781665918589
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
See all books like The House of the Scorpion→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This Science Fiction title, typically at grades 7–10. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on identity and freedom; cited across 5 curriculum frameworks.
Where this book is assigned
Great Lakes Great Books Award
- recommended·7th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
- recommended·8th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award
- recommended·7th grade · Oklahomasource: Oklahoma Library Association — Sequoyah Book Award, Children's (gr 3-5) + Intermediate (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1959); winner roll 1959-2025
- recommended·8th grade · Oklahomasource: Oklahoma Library Association — Sequoyah Book Award, Children's (gr 3-5) + Intermediate (gr 6-8) divisions (student-choice; since 1959); winner roll 1959-2025
Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award
- recommended·7th gradesource: Pacific Northwest Library Association — Young Reader's Choice Award winners (1940-2022), via Wikipedia — 2005 Winner
- recommended·8th gradesource: Pacific Northwest Library Association — Young Reader's Choice Award winners (1940-2022), via Wikipedia — 2005 Winner
- recommended·9th gradesource: Pacific Northwest Library Association — Young Reader's Choice Award winners (1940-2022), via Wikipedia — 2005 Winner
- recommended·10th gradesource: Pacific Northwest Library Association — Young Reader's Choice Award winners (1940-2022), via Wikipedia — 2005 Winner
Volunteer State Book Award (High School division)
- recommended·9th grade · Tennesseesource: Tennessee Library Association / Tennessee Association of School Librarians — History of the Volunteer State Book Award (official PDF), high-school division winners — 2004-2005 winner
- recommended·10th grade · Tennesseesource: Tennessee Library Association / Tennessee Association of School Librarians — History of the Volunteer State Book Award (official PDF), high-school division winners — 2004-2005 winner
Young Hoosier Book Award
- recommended·7th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award Past Winners (Intermediate grades 4-6 + Middle Grade grades 6-8; annual since 1975)
- recommended·8th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award Past Winners (Intermediate grades 4-6 + Middle Grade grades 6-8; annual since 1975)
Was this page helpful?
Common questions
- What grade level is The House of the Scorpion?
- The House of the Scorpion is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 7–10. It appears on 5 school reading lists across 4 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- What curricula assign The House of the Scorpion?
- The House of the Scorpion appears on reading lists for Great Lakes Great Books Award, Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award, and 2 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The House of the Scorpion banned in schools?
- The House of the Scorpion 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 The House of the Scorpion explore?
- Central themes in The House of the Scorpion include identity, freedom, cloning.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
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 7–10 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 5 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 4 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: award-winner, book-club, read-aloud.