Cover of Chalk

Chalk

by Bill Thomson

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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:Kentucky Bluegrass Award

Chalk by Bill Thomson is assigned in US schools at grades k–2. 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 Chalk 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–2
Age range
Ages 5–7
Pages
40
Reading time
about 45 minutes (est.)
First published
2010
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780761455264

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

Three children discover a magical bag of chalk on a rainy day

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Chalk→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades k–2. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on imagination and wordless book; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

imagination · wordless book · picture books · stories without words

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Chalk?
Chalk is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–2. 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 Chalk?
It takes about 45 minutes to read Chalk (40 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 45 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Chalk?
Chalk appears on reading lists for Kentucky Bluegrass Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Chalk banned in schools?
Chalk 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 Chalk explore?
Central themes in Chalk include imagination, wordless book, picture books, stories without words. 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 K–2 — 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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