Cover of Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog)

Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog)

by Lynn Plourde

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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 3 states

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 AwardMaine Student Book AwardYoung Hoosier Book Award

Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) by Lynn Plourde is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 3–5
Age range
Ages 8–10
Pages
274
Reading time
about 5 hours (est.)
First published
2016
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780399545672

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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About this book

When a BIG, lovable, does-it-her-way dog wiggles her way into the heart of a loudmouth pipsqueak of a boy, wonderful things happen that help him become a bigger, better person. With its diverse cast, authentic narrator, and perfect blend of spot-on middle-grade humor, drama, and wisdom, this powerful debut is relatable, funny, bittersweet, and full of heart. Timminy knows that moving to a new town just in time to start middle school when you are perfect bully bait is less than ideal.

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Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–5. Written in the 2010s; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog)?
Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
How long does it take to read Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog)?
It takes about 5 hours to read Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) (274 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 300 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog)?
Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) appears on reading lists for Maine Student Book Award, Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Young Hoosier Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) banned in schools?
Maxi’s Secrets: (Or, What You Can Learn from a Dog) 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 3–5 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 3 states ELA frameworks 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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