Dog Man
by Dav Pilkey
Dog Man by Dav Pilkey is assigned in US schools at grades 2–5, with a Lexile measure of 390L. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where Dog Man is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 390L
- Grade range
- Grades 2–5
- Difficulty for grade
- Below the grade 2–3 band (420–820L)
- Age range
- Ages 7–10
- Pages
- 240
- Reading time
- about 4h 25m (est.)
- First published
- 2016
- Genre
- Middle Grade Graphic Novel
- ISBN-13
- 9780545581608
Reading difficulty: At 390L, Dog Man reads below the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 2nd grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge.
Where to find this book
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
When a police officer and his dog are hurt on the job, surgery combines them into Dog Man — part dog, part man, all hero. From the creator of Captain Underpants, Dav Pilkey's hugely popular graphic-novel series hooks grades 2-5 readers (especially reluctant ones) with comics, humor, and Flip-O-Rama.
Why widely assigned
This Middle Grade Graphic Novel title, reads at early-reader complexity, typically at grades 2–5. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on humor and friendship.
Themes
humor · friendship · good vs evil · identity
Content notes
rude humor
Where this book is assigned
No curriculum assignments on file yet.
Similar grade-level books
Charlotte's WebE.B. White · 680L
MatildaRoald Dahl · 840L
The BFGRoald Dahl · 720L
Bridge to TerabithiaKatherine Paterson · 810L
See all books like Dog Man→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is Dog Man?
- Dog Man is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–5, with a Lexile measure of 390L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Dog Man?
- Dog Man has a Lexile measure of 390L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- How long does it take to read Dog Man?
- It takes about 4h 25m to read Dog Man (240 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 265 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is Dog Man hard to read for 2nd grade?
- At 390L, Dog Man reads below the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 2nd grade (Common Core Appendix A). It is an accessible read for the grade — often assigned for its themes and discussion value rather than for reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- Is Dog Man banned in schools?
- Dog Man 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
- 390L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 2–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Not yet documented in any tracked curriculum.
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.