
A Little Fear
by Patricia Wrightson · Grades 4–9 · Children's
A Little Fear by Patricia Wrightson is on US reading lists at grades 4–9. It appears on 1 list: the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Free at your library: Libby
Before you buy: Grades 4–9 · 166 pages. The button opens an Amazon search: pick the edition with ISBN 9780140318470 if that is the one your class uses.
Listen free on Audiblestarts instantlyAudible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
Assigned across 1 curriculum list
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows where A Little Fear is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Reading level at a glance
- Grade range
- Grades 4–9
- Pages
- 166
- Reading time
- about 3h 5m (est.)
- First published
- 1983
- Genre
- Children's
- ISBN-13
- 9780140318470
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-19; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
Good fit for grade 4?
If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.
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.
More like this
Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Eleanor & ParkRainbow RowellAlso Children's · on 6 reading lists
Grades 4–9 · 253 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Creepy Carrots!Aaron ReynoldsAlso Children's · on 5 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 40 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Curlfriends: New in Town (a Graphic Novel)Sharee MillerAlso Children's · on 4 reading lists
Grades 3–8
Check price on Amazon →
Small StepsPeg KehretAlso Children's · on 4 reading lists
Grades 4–10 · 194 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Between Shades Of GrayRuta SepetysAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 4–9 · 286 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Death in the JungleCandace FlemingAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 4–10 · 385 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu YeboahLaurie Ann ThompsonAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 41 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Incredible JourneyBurnford SheilaAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 4–7 · 155 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Three Billy Goats GruffMac BarnettAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 48 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Alchemy and Meggy SwannKaren CushmanAlso Children's · on 2 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 197 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Better Nate Than EverTim FederleAlso Children's · on 2 reading lists
Grades 4–9 · 304 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Chinese MenuGrace LinAlso Children's · on 2 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 378 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
The Catcher in the RyeJ.D. Salinger · 790L
See all books like A Little Fear→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This children's title is typically read at grades 4–9. Written in the 1980s; cited on the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.
Where this book is recommended
Boston Globe–Horn Book Award
- recommended·4th gradesource: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners, via Wikipedia — 1984 Winner
- recommended·5th gradesource: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners, via Wikipedia — 1984 Winner
- recommended·6th gradesource: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners, via Wikipedia — 1984 Winner
- recommended·7th gradesource: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners, via Wikipedia — 1984 Winner
- recommended·8th gradesource: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners, via Wikipedia — 1984 Winner
- recommended·9th gradesource: Boston Globe–Horn Book Award winners, via Wikipedia — 1984 Winner
Was this page helpful?
Common questions
- What grade level is A Little Fear?
- A Little Fear is listed for grades 4–9. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read A Little Fear?
- It takes about 3h 5m to read A Little Fear (166 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 185 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign A Little Fear?
- A Little Fear appears on reading lists for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is A Little Fear banned in schools?
- A Little Fear 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
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 4–9 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” 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.