Falling Up
by Shel Silverstein · Grades 4–8 · Poetry
Falling Up by Shel Silverstein is on US reading lists at grades 4–8. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
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Before you buy: Ages 9–13 · Grades 4–8 · 201 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780062321336). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 2 states
Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).
This page shows where Falling Up is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
Reading level at a glance
- Grade range
- Grades 4–8
- Age range
- Ages 9–13
- Pages
- 201
- Reading time
- about 3h 40m (est.)
- First published
- 2020
- Genre
- Poetry
- ISBN-13
- 9780062321336
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
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About this book
Book facts and sources (2)
- On award reading lists
- Wisconsin Golden Archer Award (source: docs.google.com)
- Maine Student Book Award (source: sites.google.com)
- Catalog record
- First published 2020 · 201 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
See all books like Falling Up→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This poetry title is typically read at grades 4–8. Written in the 2020s; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.
Where this book is recommended
Maine Student Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — past winners, 1998 winner (grades 4-8)
- recommended·5th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — past winners, 1998 winner (grades 4-8)
- recommended·6th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — past winners, 1998 winner (grades 4-8)
- recommended·7th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — past winners, 1998 winner (grades 4-8)
- recommended·8th grade · Mainesource: Maine Student Book Award — past winners, 1998 winner (grades 4-8)
Wisconsin Golden Archer Award
- recommended·4th grade · Wisconsinsource: Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award complete list of winners 1974-present — 1998 Intermediate winner
- recommended·5th grade · Wisconsinsource: Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award complete list of winners 1974-present — 1998 Intermediate winner
- recommended·6th grade · Wisconsinsource: Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award complete list of winners 1974-present — 1998 Intermediate winner
- recommended·7th grade · Wisconsinsource: Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association — Golden Archer Award complete list of winners 1974-present — 1998 Intermediate winner
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Common questions
- What grade level is Falling Up?
- Falling Up is listed for grades 4–8. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Falling Up?
- It takes about 3h 40m to read Falling Up (201 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 220 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Falling Up?
- Falling Up appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award, Wisconsin Golden Archer Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Falling Up banned in schools?
- Falling Up 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. See the banned books list by state.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
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 the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 2 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- On state book-award lists in 2 states (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.