
Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp
by Mercer Mayer · Grades K–3 · Realistic Fiction
Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp by Mercer Mayer is on US reading lists at grades k–3. It appears on 1 list: the California Young Reader Medal, across 1 state. Every citation below links to the primary source.
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Before you buy: Ages 5–8 · Grades K–3 · 45 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780689815058). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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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).
This page shows where Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp 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–3
- Age range
- Ages 5–8
- Pages
- 45
- Reading time
- about 50 minutes (est.)
- First published
- 1976
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780689815058
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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Why it is assigned
This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades k–3. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on monsters in fiction and monsters; cited on the California Young Reader Medal.
Themes
monsters in fiction · monsters · monsters, fiction
Where this book is recommended
California Young Reader Medal
- recommended·Kindergarten grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 1983 winner (Primary)
- recommended·1st grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 1983 winner (Primary)
- recommended·2nd grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 1983 winner (Primary)
- recommended·3rd grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 1983 winner (Primary)
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Common questions
- What grade level is Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp?
- Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp is listed for grades K–3. It appears on 1 state book-award list across 1 state. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp?
- It takes about 50 minutes to read Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp (45 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 Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp?
- Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp banned in schools?
- Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp 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 Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp explore?
- Central themes in Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp include monsters in fiction, monsters, monsters, fiction.
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 K–3 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum 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.