Cover of Rascal

Rascal

by Sterling North · Grades 5–8 · Middle Grade Fiction

Rascal by Sterling North is on US reading lists at grades 5–8. It appears on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists, across 8 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 10–13 · Grades 5–8 · 210 pages. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781101660492). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Widely assigned — 4 curriculum lists · 8 states

#49 most-assigned book in America — on school reading lists in 8 states (2026-07-13 study of 13,258 assignments).

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:Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice AwardVermont Golden Dome Book AwardWilliam Allen White Children's Book AwardOklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award

This page shows where Rascal 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 5–8
Age range
Ages 10–13
Pages
210
Reading time
about 3h 50m (est.)
First published
1963
Genre
Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13
9781101660492

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-07-07; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (4)
On award reading lists
Catalog record
First published 1963 · 210 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Why widely assigned

This middle grade fiction title is typically read at grades 5–8. Written in the 1960s; pairs with curriculum units on nature and animals; cited on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists.

Themes

nature · animals · family · growing up · perseverance

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is Rascal?
Rascal is listed for grades 5–8. It appears on 4 book-award lists across 8 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read Rascal?
It takes about 3h 50m to read Rascal (210 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 230 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Rascal?
Rascal appears on reading lists for Oklahoma Sequoyah Children's Book Award, Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice Award, Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Rascal banned in schools?
Rascal 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.
What themes does Rascal explore?
Central themes in Rascal include nature, animals, family, growing up, perseverance.

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 5–8 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 4 curricula on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
On state book-award lists in 8 states (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club, read-aloud.

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