Cover of The City Under the Back Steps

The City Under the Back Steps

by Evelyn Sibley Lampman

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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

The City Under the Back Steps by Evelyn Sibley Lampman 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 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.

Grade range
Grades 4–8
Genre
Children's Fiction
ISBN-13
9781948959759

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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Why widely assigned

This Children's Fiction title, typically at grades 4–8. Published in the canon; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The City Under the Back Steps?
The City Under the Back Steps 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.
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 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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