Cover of Brighty of the Grand Canyon

Brighty of the Grand Canyon

by Marguerite Henry

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:William Allen White Children's Book Award

Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. 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 Brighty of the Grand Canyon 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 4–8
Age range
Ages 9–13
Pages
224
Reading time
about 4h 5m (est.)
First published
1953
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780844671765

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like Brighty of the Grand Canyon→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 1950s; pairs with curriculum units on donkeys and burro; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

donkeys · burro · children: grades 4-6 · arizona, fiction

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Brighty of the Grand Canyon?
Brighty of the Grand Canyon is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. 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 Brighty of the Grand Canyon?
It takes about 4h 5m to read Brighty of the Grand Canyon (224 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 245 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Brighty of the Grand Canyon?
Brighty of the Grand Canyon appears on reading lists for William Allen White Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Brighty of the Grand Canyon banned in schools?
Brighty of the Grand Canyon 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 Brighty of the Grand Canyon explore?
Central themes in Brighty of the Grand Canyon include donkeys, burro, children: grades 4-6, arizona, fiction. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 4–8 — 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.

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