What grade level is Little Bear?

Little Bear is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–1. It appears on 1 school reading list. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read Little Bear?

It takes about 1h 10m to read Little Bear (63 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 70 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign Little Bear?

Little Bear appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Little Bear banned in schools?

Little Bear 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.

What themes does Little Bear explore?

Central themes in Little Bear include mothers and sons, madres e hijos, bears, osos.

Little Bear

Name: Little Bear
Availability: InStock
Author: Else Holmelund Minarik
ISBN: 9780439445139

by Else Holmelund Minarik · Grades K–1 · Realistic Fiction

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik is assigned in US schools at grades k–1. It appears on 1 list: the Common Core State Standards (ELA). Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 5–6 · Grades K–1 · 63 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780439445139). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list

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 Little Bear 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–1
Age range: Ages 5–6
Pages: 63
Reading time: about 1h 10m (est.)
First published: 1957
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780439445139

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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Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades k–1. Written in the 1950s; pairs with curriculum units on mothers and sons and madres e hijos; cited on the Common Core State Standards (ELA).

Themes

mothers and sons · madres e hijos · bears · osos

Where this book is assigned

Common Core State Standards (ELA)
- recommended·Kindergarten grade source: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades K-1 story exemplar
- recommended·1st grade source: CCSS ELA Appendix B, grades K-1 story exemplar

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Common questions

What grade level is Little Bear?: Little Bear is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades K–1. It appears on 1 school reading list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Little Bear?: It takes about 1h 10m to read Little Bear (63 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 70 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Little Bear?: Little Bear appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Little Bear banned in schools?: Little Bear 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.
What themes does Little Bear explore?: Central themes in Little Bear include mothers and sons, madres e hijos, bears, osos.

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–1 — drawn from the curriculum sources cited on this page.
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: No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.