What grade level is Black and White?

Black and White is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–3. 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 Black and White?

It takes about 1h 10m to read Black and White (63 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 70 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Black and White?

Black and White appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Black and White banned in schools?

Black and White 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.

Black and White

Name: Black and White
Availability: InStock
Author: David Macaulay
ISBN: 9780395521519

by David Macaulay

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

Black and White by David Macaulay is assigned in US schools at grades k–3. 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 Black and White 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–3
Pages: 63
Reading time: about 1h 10m (est.)
First published: 1990
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780395521519

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About this book

Four brief stories about parents, trains, and cows, or is it really all one story? The author recommends careful inspection of words and pictures to both minimize and enhance confusion.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Black and White→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Juvenile Fiction title, typically at grades k–3. Written in the 1990s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

Caldecott Medal

Common questions

What grade level is Black and White?: Black and White is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–3. 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 Black and White?: It takes about 1h 10m to read Black and White (63 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 70 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Black and White?: Black and White appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Black and White banned in schools?: Black and White 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

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–3 — 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: award-winner.