Cover of All About Sam

All About Sam

by Lois Lowry · Grades 4–6 · Realistic Fiction

All About Sam by Lois Lowry is on US reading lists at grades 4–6. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 3 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 9–11 · Grades 4–6 · 144 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9781442049673). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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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:California Young Reader MedalMark Twain Readers AwardCharlie May Simon Children's Book Award

This page shows where All About Sam 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 4–6
Age range
Ages 9–11
Pages
144
Reading time
about 2h 40m (est.)
First published
1988
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9781442049673

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (3)
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 1988 · 144 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

See all books like All About Sam→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 4–6. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on brothers and sisters and family; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.

Themes

brothers and sisters · family · family life · family life in fiction

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is All About Sam?
All About Sam is listed for grades 4–6. It appears on 3 state book-award lists across 3 states, from grade 3 to grade 6. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read All About Sam?
It takes about 2h 40m to read All About Sam (144 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 160 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign All About Sam?
All About Sam appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, Mark Twain Readers Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is All About Sam banned in schools?
All About Sam 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. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does All About Sam explore?
Central themes in All About Sam include brothers and sisters, family, family life, family life in fiction.

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 4–6 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 3 states (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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