Cover of Shen of the Sea

Shen of the Sea

by Arthur Bowie Chrisman

Assigned across 1 curriculum list

On reading-award lists:Newbery Medal

Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman is assigned in US schools at grades 3–7. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Shen of the Sea is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

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Grade range
Grades 3–7
Pages
132
Reading time
about 2h 25m (est.)
First published
1925
Genre
Children's Literature
ISBN-13
9798747483217

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

More formats & details

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About this book

Shen of the Sea is a collection of short stories written by Arthur Bowie Chrisman. It was first published by Dutton in 1925, illustrated with more than 50 silhouettes by Else Hasselriis. Chrisman won the 1926 Newbery Medal for the work, recognizing the previous year's "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children".The original title page shows subtitle A Book for Children[1] and one early dustjacket shows Chinese Stories for Children. Both subtitles have been used for later editions.Chrisman's 16 original stories are written in the style of humorous Chinese folk tales. The title story tells of a king who tries to match wits with the demons of the water in order to save his city from a flood. Other tales relate the origin of chopsticks, and an instance when mud pies a

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Why widely assigned

This Children's Literature title, typically at grades 3–7. Written in the 1920s; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is Shen of the Sea?
Shen of the Sea is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–7. 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 Shen of the Sea?
It takes about 2h 25m to read Shen of the Sea (132 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 145 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign Shen of the Sea?
Shen of the Sea appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Shen of the Sea banned in schools?
Shen of the Sea 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 state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where assigned” 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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