Cover of Locomotive

Locomotive

by Brian Floca · Grades 2–6 · Picture Book

Locomotive by Brian Floca is on US reading lists at grades 2–6. It appears on 1 list: the Caldecott Medal. Every citation below links to the primary source.

Buy on Amazon

Formats on Amazon

Free at your library: Libby

Before you buy: Grades 2–6 · 64 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9781442485228). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

Listen free on Audiblestarts instantly

Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.

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).

On reading-award lists:Caldecott Medal

This page shows where Locomotive 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 2–6
Pages
64
Reading time
about 1h 10m (est.)
First published
2013
Genre
Picture Book
ISBN-13
9781442485228

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

Good fit for kindergarten?

If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Caldecott Medal?

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.

More like this

Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

Show 12 more

Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This picture book title is typically read at grades 2–6. Written in the 2010s; cited on the Caldecott Medal.

Where this book is recommended

Was this page helpful?

Common questions

What grade level is Locomotive?
Locomotive is listed for grades 2–6. It appears on 1 book-award list, from kindergarten to grade 6. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Locomotive?
It takes about 1h 10m to read Locomotive (64 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 Locomotive?
Locomotive appears on reading lists for Caldecott Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Locomotive banned in schools?
Locomotive 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 2–6 — drawn from the 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
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: award-winner, read-aloud.

Keep browsing

Find ReadingList in your Google results more often: