• 1976: ALA Best Book for Young Adults
• 1978: American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults citations
• 1982: Massachusetts Children's Book Award
• 1982: Alabama Young Readers Choice Award (also 1983)
• 1982: Selected for Librarians Best Book List England
• 1986: Nominated for California Young Readers Award (1987 also)
• 1986: New York Times "Best Book for Children"
• 1988: New York Times Best Books for Children citations
• 1992: Margaret A. Edwards Award
• 1997: Nominated for Edgar Allan Poe Award Listening Library (for Audio Recorded Books)

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"We don't want your money," David said. "We're not thieves."

"What are you then?" Mr. Griffin asked him. "Besides punks and kidnappers, that is?"

"We are your students, present, past and future," Mark told him, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly with the closest Betsy had ever seen him come to a smile. "We are representatives of every poor kid who has ever walked into your dungeon of a classroom. We come to bring you 'the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.' We're here to deliver revenge."

"If this is a joke," Mr. Griffin said, "it's not funny. It's the sort of childish demonstration I'd expect from five-year-olds, not high school seniors. How many of you are there?"

"A lot," Jeff said. "Twenty--twenty-five--thirty!" He glanced at Betsy and grinned. "Would you believe fifty--a hundred--everybody who's ever had to take a class from you?"

"That's ridiculous. There can't be more than three of you. I've only heard three voices. And all of you are boys."

Mark glanced up at Betsy and nodded.

"Are you sure of that?" she asked, holding her nose as she spoke so that her voice came out as nasal as Mark's had been. "I'm not a boy. There are a lot of us girls who hate you too, you know."

Mr. Griffin gave a start of surprise. Quite evidently he had not expected this. "Then there was another car," he said. "Some of you came in another car."

"There are lots of other cars," Jeff said. "Dozens of them. I told you, we're all here. None of us wanted to miss this."

"Miss what?"

There was a slight pause. Then Mark said, "Nobody wanted to miss watching you die."

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• Killing Mr. Griffin was made into a movie. Aired in 1997, it was a NBC Movie of the Week.
• According to the American Library Association, Killing Mr. Griffin is one of the top most-challenged books in the US.
• Is Mr. Griffin David's real father? Lois Duncan says "NO." She states:

  All the clues needed to answer that question are in the story. Does Mr. G's age correspond with Mr. Ruggles? His personality -- (over serious Griffin and free spirited Ruggles)? His career choice? His dedication to perfection? His huge feeling of responsibility toward his wife, unborn child, and students? The answer, obviously is NO. So why does David react emotionally to the class ring on Mr. Griffin's hand? The book contains the information that both men attended Stanford University so, of course, they wore identical school rings. I like to think my readers are intelligent enough to figure that out for themselves.

  · from Absolute Writer Interview