Cover of A Scar like a River

A Scar like a River

by Lisa Graff

A Scar like a River by Lisa Graff is assigned in US schools at grades 4–9. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where A Scar like a River 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 4–9
Pages
316
Reading time
about 5h 50m (est.)
First published
2026
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9780316570831
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About this book

From bestselling author Lisa Graff, this important coming-of-age story follows a thirteen-year-old with a mysterious scar on her face—and a big secret she feels pressured to keep. Fallon Little has a secret—and it’s not how she got the enormous scar that divides her face in two. Thirteen-year-old Fallon has only ever told one person what really happened on the day she got her scar. Why would she? The truth is dark, and Fallon has much brighter things to focus on, like being cast as the lead in the school play, and hanging out with her two best friends, Trent and Kaia. But when Fallon's uncle Geebie dies, his funeral ignites a wildfire of events that Fallon can't manage to tamp down. The school play is spiraling out of control, Fallon's impossible Aunt Lune comes to live with them, and Tren

Why widely assigned

This Children's title, typically at grades 4–9. Written in the 2020s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is A Scar like a River?
A Scar like a River is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–9. 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 A Scar like a River?
It takes about 5h 50m to read A Scar like a River (316 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 350 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign A Scar like a River?
A Scar like a River appears on reading lists for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is A Scar like a River banned in schools?
A Scar like a River 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.

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
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 4–9 — 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
Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: read-aloud.