Cover of John Henry

John Henry

by Julius Lester · Grades K–5 · Children's

John Henry by Julius Lester is on US reading lists at grades k–5. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades K–5 · 48 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780140566222). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 2 curriculum lists · 1 state

Grade placement varies by school — the median assigned book spans 4 grade levels (83% span three or more, across 13,258 source-cited assignments).

On reading-award lists:Nebraska Golden Sower AwardBoston Globe–Horn Book Award

This page shows where John Henry 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 K–5
Pages
48
Reading time
about 55 minutes (est.)
First published
1994
Genre
Children's
ISBN-13
9780140566222

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
Catalog record
First published 1994 · 48 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

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Why it is assigned

This children's title is typically read at grades k–5. Written in the 1990s; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is John Henry?
John Henry is listed for grades K–5. It appears on 2 book-award lists across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read John Henry?
It takes about 55 minutes to read John Henry (48 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 55 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign John Henry?
John Henry appears on reading lists for Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, Nebraska Golden Sower Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is John Henry banned in schools?
John Henry 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

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 K–5 — drawn from the 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 1 state (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club, read-aloud.

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