Cover of The City Under the Back Steps

The City Under the Back Steps

by Evelyn Sibley Lampman · Grades 4–8 · Children's Fiction

The City Under the Back Steps by Evelyn Sibley Lampman is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. It appears on 1 list: the Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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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:Vermont Golden Dome Book Award

This page shows where The City Under the Back Steps 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 4–8
Genre
Children's Fiction
ISBN-13
9781948959759

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-25; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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Why it is assigned

This children's fiction title is typically read at grades 4–8. Published in the canon; cited on the Vermont Golden Dome Book Award.

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is The City Under the Back Steps?
The City Under the Back Steps is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What curricula assign The City Under the Back Steps?
The City Under the Back Steps appears on reading lists for Vermont Golden Dome Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The City Under the Back Steps banned in schools?
The City Under the Back Steps 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

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 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.

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