Cover of Flotsam

Flotsam

by David Wiesner

Flotsam by David Wiesner is assigned in US schools at grades k–4. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Flotsam 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 K–4
Pages
44
Reading time
about 50 minutes (est.)
First published
2014
Genre
Picture Book
ISBN-13
9781448187850
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About this book

A highly acclaimed, wordless Caldecott Award-winning picture book from the only living three-time winner of the Caldecott Medal: David Wiesner. A bright, science-minded boy goes to the beach equipped to collect and examine flotsam-anything floating that has been washed ashore. Bottles, lost toys, small objects of every description are among his usual finds. But there's no way he could have prepared for one particular discovery: a barnacle-encrusted underwater camera, with its own secrets to share . . . and to keep. 'Beautiful child’s graphic novel... Wiesner keeps his viewpoint strictly childlike, magnifying the mundane until you see his world in a grain of sand.' EVENING STANDARD 'Beautiful' TELEGRAPH 'Wonderfully imaginative . . . The pictures are packed with details and each re-reading

Why widely assigned

This Picture Book title, typically at grades k–4. Written in the 2010s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Flotsam?
Flotsam is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–4. 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 Flotsam?
It takes about 50 minutes to read Flotsam (44 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 50 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Flotsam?
Flotsam appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Flotsam banned in schools?
Flotsam 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 K–4 — 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
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
Tagged for: read-aloud.