
Simon Sort of Says
by Erin Bow · Grades 6–8 · Middle Grade Fiction
Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow is on US reading lists at grades 6–8. It appears on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists, across 4 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 11–14 · Grades 6–8 · 365 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9781368082853). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Widely assigned — 4 curriculum lists · 4 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).
This page shows where Simon Sort of Says 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 6–8
- Age range
- Ages 11–14
- Pages
- 365
- Reading time
- about 6h 40m (est.)
- First published
- 2023
- Genre
- Middle Grade Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9781368082853
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-12; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
Good fit for grade 6?
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About this book
Book facts and sources (4)
- On award reading lists
- Great Stone Face Book Award (source: librarything.com)
- Great Lakes Great Books Award (source: michiganreading.org)
- Garden State Children's Book Award (source: njla.org)
- Sunshine State Young Readers Award (source: floridamediaed.org)
- Catalog record
- First published 2023 · 365 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
See all books like Simon Sort of Says→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This middle grade fiction title is typically read at grades 6–8. Written in the 2020s; pairs with curriculum units on friendship and humor; cited on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists.
Themes
friendship · humor · courage
Where this book is recommended
Garden State Children's Book Award
- recommended·6th grade · New Jerseysource: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)
- recommended·7th grade · New Jerseysource: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)
- recommended·8th grade · New Jerseysource: New Jersey Library Association — Garden State Children's Book Award selections (statewide children's-choice program; students vote, since 1977)
Great Lakes Great Books Award
- recommended·6th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
- recommended·7th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
- recommended·8th grade · Michigansource: Michigan Reading Association — Great Lakes Great Books Award (student-choice, grade-band shortlists; annual, since 1989). Winner/honor/nominee rolls Grades 4-5, 6-8, 9-12.
Great Stone Face Book Award
- recommended·6th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·7th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
- recommended·8th grade · New Hampshiresource: Children's Librarians of New Hampshire / NH Library Association — Great Stone Face Book Award (student-choice, grades 4-6; 20 nominees/year, annual since 1980). Winner + nominee rolls via the LibraryThing award/757 mirror of the official sponsor records.
Sunshine State Young Readers Award
- recommended·6th grade · Floridasource: Sunshine State Young Readers Award 2025-2026 Master List (Grades 6-8)
- recommended·7th grade · Floridasource: Sunshine State Young Readers Award 2025-2026 Master List (Grades 6-8)
- recommended·8th grade · Floridasource: Sunshine State Young Readers Award 2025-2026 Master List (Grades 6-8)
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Common questions
- What grade level is Simon Sort of Says?
- Simon Sort of Says is listed for grades 6–8. It appears on 4 state book-award lists across 4 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Simon Sort of Says?
- It takes about 6h 40m to read Simon Sort of Says (365 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 400 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Simon Sort of Says?
- Simon Sort of Says appears on reading lists for Garden State Children's Book Award, Great Lakes Great Books Award, Great Stone Face Book Award, and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Simon Sort of Says banned in schools?
- Simon Sort of Says 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 Simon Sort of Says explore?
- Central themes in Simon Sort of Says include friendship, humor, courage.
Why this book is on this list
How we classifyHide
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 6–8 — drawn from the state 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 4 states (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: book-club.