Because of You, John Lewis
Because of You, John Lewis by Andrea Davis Pinkney is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Because of You, John Lewis 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 3–5
- Age range
- Ages 8–11
- First published
- 2023
- Genre
- Picture Book
- ISBN-13
- 9781338759082
Where to find this book
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About this book
The true, inspiring story of the friendship between civil-rights icon and Congressman John Lewis and Tybre Faw, a ten-year-old activist who traveled to meet his hero and carry on his work. Andrea Davis Pinkney's grades 3-5 picture-book biography is a 2025-2026 Virginia Readers' Choice (Elementary) nominee.
Why widely assigned
This Picture Book title, typically at grades 3–5. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on courage and history; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Where this book is assigned
Virginia Readers' Choice
- recommended·3rd grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice 2025-2026 Award Nominee Lists (Elementary + Middle School)
- recommended·4th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice 2025-2026 Award Nominee Lists (Elementary + Middle School)
- recommended·5th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice 2025-2026 Award Nominee Lists (Elementary + Middle School)
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See all books like Because of You, John Lewis→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is Because of You, John Lewis?
- Because of You, John Lewis is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign Because of You, John Lewis?
- Because of You, John Lewis appears on reading lists for Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Because of You, John Lewis banned in schools?
- Because of You, John Lewis 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.
- What themes does Because of You, John Lewis explore?
- Central themes in Because of You, John Lewis include courage, history, identity. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
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 3–5 — 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
- Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.