Cover of Dog Man

Dog Man

by Dav Pilkey

Widely assigned — 4 curriculum lists · 8 states

On reading-award lists:Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA)Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice AwardGarden State Children's Book AwardWisconsin Golden Archer Award

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey is assigned in US schools at grades 2–5, with a Lexile measure of 390L. It appears across 4 curriculum references and 8 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. 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.

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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.

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New to these terms? What is a Lexile level? · Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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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.

Part of a series — read in order

Similar grade-level books

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

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; cited across 4 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

humor · friendship · good vs evil · identity

Content notes

rude humor

Where this book is assigned

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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.
What curricula assign Dog Man?
Dog Man appears on reading lists for Garden State Children's Book Award, Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA), Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award, and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

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
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
Cited in 4 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 8 states ELA frameworks 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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