Cover of Onion John

Onion John

by Joseph Krumgold · Grades 3–7 · Juvenile Fiction

Onion John by Joseph Krumgold is on US reading lists at grades 3–7. It appears on 1 list: the Newbery Medal. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 3–7 · 268 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780690046984). 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).

On reading-award lists:Newbery Medal

This page shows where Onion John 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 3–7
Pages
268
Reading time
about 4h 55m (est.)
First published
1959
Genre
Juvenile Fiction
ISBN-13
9780690046984

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.

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

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Why it is assigned

This juvenile fiction title is typically read at grades 3–7. Written in the 1950s; cited on the Newbery Medal.

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Onion John?
Onion John is listed for grades 3–7. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Onion John?
It takes about 4h 55m to read Onion John (268 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 295 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Onion John?
Onion John appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Onion John banned in schools?
Onion John 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 3–7 — 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.

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