What grade level is Duke?

Duke is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. 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 Duke?

It takes about 4h 10m to read Duke (225 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 250 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Duke?

Duke appears on reading lists for Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA), Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Duke banned in schools?

Duke 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.

What themes does Duke explore?

Central themes in Duke include german shepherd dog, war use, world war, 1939-1945, human-animal relationships. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Duke

Name: Duke
Availability: InStock
Author: Kirby Larson
ISBN: 9780545416375

by Kirby Larson

Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states

On reading-award lists:Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA)Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA)

Duke by Kirby Larson is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5. It appears across 2 curriculum references and 2 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Duke 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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Grade range: Grades 3–5
Age range: Ages 8–10
Pages: 225
Reading time: about 4h 10m (est.)
First published: 2012
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780545416375

More formats & details

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About this book

Hoping to help end the war and bring his dad home faster, Hobie decides to donate Duke to Dogs for Defense, an organization that urges Americans to "loan" their pets to the military to act as sentries, mine sniffers, and patrol dogs.

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–5. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on german shepherd dog and war use; cited across 2 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

german shepherd dog · war use · world war, 1939-1945 · human-animal relationships

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Duke?: Duke is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. 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 Duke?: It takes about 4h 10m to read Duke (225 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 250 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Duke?: Duke appears on reading lists for Iowa Children's Choice Award (ICCA), Kentucky Bluegrass Award (KBA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Duke banned in schools?: Duke 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.
What themes does Duke explore?: Central themes in Duke include german shepherd dog, war use, world war, 1939-1945, human-animal relationships. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 3–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence: Cited in 2 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.