Cover of Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum

Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum

by Ashley Bryan

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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).

On reading-award lists:Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum by Ashley Bryan is assigned in US schools at grades k–5. 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 Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum 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 K–5
Pages
48
Reading time
about 55 minutes (est.)
First published
1980
Genre
Picture Book
ISBN-13
9780689711077

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Coretta Scott King Award?

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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Why widely assigned

This Picture Book title, typically at grades k–5. Written in the 1980s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum?
Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–5. 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 Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum?
It takes about 55 minutes to read Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum (48 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 55 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum?
Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum appears on reading lists for Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum banned in schools?
Beat the Story-Drum, Pum-Pum 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 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 K–5 — 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.

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