What grade level is Chalk?

Chalk is listed for grades K–2. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.

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. See the banned books list by state.

What themes does Chalk explore?

Central themes in Chalk include imagination, wordless book, picture books, stories without words.

Chalk

Name: Chalk
Availability: InStock
Author: Bill Thomson
ISBN: 9780761455264

by Bill Thomson · Grades K–2 · Realistic Fiction

Chalk by Bill Thomson is on US reading lists at grades k–2. It appears on 1 list: the Kentucky Bluegrass Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Ages 5–7 · Grades K–2 · 40 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9780761455264). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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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

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.

Reading level at a glance

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

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for kindergarten?

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Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades k–2. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on imagination and wordless book; cited on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award.

Themes

imagination · wordless book · picture books · stories without words

Where this book is recommended

Kentucky Bluegrass Award

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Common questions

What grade level is Chalk?: Chalk is listed for grades K–2. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
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. See the banned books list by state.
What themes does Chalk explore?: Central themes in Chalk include imagination, wordless book, picture books, stories without words.

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 the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: On state book-award lists in 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records: No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags: Tagged for: book-club.