Cover of Just Gus

Just Gus

by McCall Hoyle

Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 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:Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award

Just Gus by McCall Hoyle is assigned in US schools at grades 3–8. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Just Gus 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 3–8
Age range
Ages 8–13
First published
2023
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9781639930937

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

Return to the world of devoted working dogs and the humans they love in a new book from the best-selling author of Stella. Gus is a livestock guardian dog with one job--protecting his farm from coyotes and foxes. He likes keeping the sheep, the chickens, and his humans safe, and he's very good at it. One day, Diego and his dad come to visit the farm, and Gus immediately connects to the small boy. They both like to sit still and enjoy the quiet, and Gus can tell that Diego likes being around a gentle giant of a dog, that it helps relieve the boy's constant worry.

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Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–8. Written in the 2020s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Just Gus?
Just Gus is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–8. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign Just Gus?
Just Gus appears on reading lists for Grand Canyon Reader Award (Arizona) — formerly the Arizona Young Readers Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Just Gus banned in schools?
Just Gus 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 3–8 — 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
Cited in 1 state ELA framework 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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