Cover of Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam

Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam

by Cynthia Kadohata

Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata is assigned in US schools at grades 6–8. 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 Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam 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 6–8
Pages
336
Reading time
about 6h 10m (est.)
First published
2008
ISBN-13
9781439107096
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About this book

CRACKER IS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY'S MOST VALUABLE WEAPONS: a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. She's a Big Deal, and she likes it that way. Sometimes Cracker remembers when she was younger, and her previous owner would feed her hot dogs and let her sleep in his bed. That was nice, too. Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam. There, he's going to whip the world and prove to his family and his sergeant -- and everyone else who didn't think he was cut out for war -- wrong. But sometimes Rick can't help but wonder that maybe everyone else is right. Maybe he should have just stayed at home and worked in his dad's hardware store. When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam?
Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 6–8. 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 Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam?
It takes about 6h 10m to read Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam (336 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 370 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam?
Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam appears on reading lists for William Allen White Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam banned in schools?
Cracker The Best Dog in Vietnam 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

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 6–8 — 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: award-winner.