Cover of The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale

The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale

by Jon Klassen

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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 3 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:Great Lakes Great Books AwardGarden State Children's Book AwardVirginia Readers' Choice

The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale by Jon Klassen is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 3 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 Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale 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 3–5
Age range
Ages 8–11
First published
2023
Genre
Middle Grade Fantasy
ISBN-13
9781536223361

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

A retelling of a Tyrolean folktale: a runaway girl named Otilla takes shelter in a haunted house and befriends a lonely talking skull. A #1 New York Times bestseller by Caldecott Medalist Jon Klassen, this grades 3-5 illustrated tale is a 2025-2026 Virginia Readers' Choice (Elementary) nominee.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fantasy title, typically at grades 3–5. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on courage and friendship; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

courage · friendship

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale?
The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. It appears on 3 school reading lists across 3 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What curricula assign The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale?
The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale appears on reading lists for Garden State Children's Book Award, Great Lakes Great Books Award, Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale banned in schools?
The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale 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 Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale explore?
Central themes in The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale include courage, friendship.

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 3–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 3 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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