
Small Steps
by Peg Kehret · Grades 4–10 · Children's
Small Steps by Peg Kehret is on US reading lists at grades 4–10. It appears on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists, across 3 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Grades 4–10 · 194 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9780807574591). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
Listen free on Audiblestarts instantlyAudible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you.
Widely assigned — 4 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).
This page shows where Small Steps 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 4–10
- Pages
- 194
- Reading time
- about 3h 35m (est.)
- First published
- 1996
- Genre
- Children's
- ISBN-13
- 9780807574591
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-09-24; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
Good fit for grade 4?
If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.
More like this
Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Eleanor & ParkRainbow RowellAlso Children's · on 6 reading lists
Grades 4–9 · 253 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Creepy Carrots!Aaron ReynoldsAlso Children's · on 5 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 40 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Curlfriends: New in Town (a Graphic Novel)Sharee MillerAlso Children's · on 4 reading lists
Grades 3–8
Check price on Amazon →
Between Shades Of GrayRuta SepetysAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 4–9 · 286 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Death in the JungleCandace FlemingAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 4–10 · 385 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Emmanuel's Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu YeboahLaurie Ann ThompsonAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 41 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Incredible JourneyBurnford SheilaAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 4–7 · 155 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Three Billy Goats GruffMac BarnettAlso Children's · on 3 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 48 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Alchemy and Meggy SwannKaren CushmanAlso Children's · on 2 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 197 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Better Nate Than EverTim FederleAlso Children's · on 2 reading lists
Grades 4–9 · 304 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Chinese MenuGrace LinAlso Children's · on 2 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 378 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Esquivel! Space-Age Sound ArtistSusan WoodAlso Children's · on 2 reading lists
Grades 3–10 · 34 pages
Check price on Amazon →
About this book
Book facts and sources (4)
- On award reading lists
- Young Hoosier Book Award (source: cdn.ymaws.com)
- Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (source: Wikipedia)
- Mark Twain Readers Award (source: Wikipedia)
- Golden Kite Award (source: Wikipedia)
- Catalog record
- First published 1996 · 194 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
The Great GatsbyF. Scott Fitzgerald · 1070L
Of Mice and MenJohn Steinbeck · 630L
Lord of the FliesWilliam Golding · 770L
See all books like Small Steps→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why widely assigned
This children's title is typically read at grades 4–10. Written in the 1990s; cited on 4 lists: 4 book-award lists.
Where this book is recommended
Golden Kite Award
- recommended·4th gradesource: Golden Kite Award (SCBWI) winners, via Wikipedia — 1997 Winner
- recommended·5th gradesource: Golden Kite Award (SCBWI) winners, via Wikipedia — 1997 Winner
- recommended·6th gradesource: Golden Kite Award (SCBWI) winners, via Wikipedia — 1997 Winner
- recommended·7th gradesource: Golden Kite Award (SCBWI) winners, via Wikipedia — 1997 Winner
- recommended·8th gradesource: Golden Kite Award (SCBWI) winners, via Wikipedia — 1997 Winner
- recommended·9th gradesource: Golden Kite Award (SCBWI) winners, via Wikipedia — 1997 Winner
- recommended·10th gradesource: Golden Kite Award (SCBWI) winners, via Wikipedia — 1997 Winner
Mark Twain Readers Award
- recommended·4th grade · Missourisource: Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians) — winner list 1972-2025 via Wikipedia — 1999 Mark Twain Award winner
- recommended·5th grade · Missourisource: Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians) — winner list 1972-2025 via Wikipedia — 1999 Mark Twain Award winner
- recommended·6th grade · Missourisource: Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians) — winner list 1972-2025 via Wikipedia — 1999 Mark Twain Award winner
- recommended·7th grade · Missourisource: Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians) — winner list 1972-2025 via Wikipedia — 1999 Mark Twain Award winner
- recommended·8th grade · Missourisource: Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians) — winner list 1972-2025 via Wikipedia — 1999 Mark Twain Award winner
- recommended·9th grade · Missourisource: Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians) — winner list 1972-2025 via Wikipedia — 1999 Mark Twain Award winner
- recommended·10th grade · Missourisource: Missouri Mark Twain Readers Award (Missouri Association of School Librarians) — winner list 1972-2025 via Wikipedia — 1999 Mark Twain Award winner
Vermont Golden Dome Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Vermontsource: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 1998 winner
- recommended·5th grade · Vermontsource: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 1998 winner
- recommended·6th grade · Vermontsource: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 1998 winner
- recommended·7th grade · Vermontsource: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 1998 winner
- recommended·8th grade · Vermontsource: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 1998 winner
- recommended·9th grade · Vermontsource: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 1998 winner
- recommended·10th grade · Vermontsource: Vermont Golden Dome Book Award (formerly Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award) — winner list 1957-2020 via Wikipedia — 1998 winner
Young Hoosier Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 2001 winner (Intermediate)
- recommended·5th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 2001 winner (Intermediate)
- recommended·6th grade · Indianasource: Indiana Library Federation — Young Hoosier Book Award past winners, 2001 winner (Intermediate)
Was this page helpful?
Common questions
- What grade level is Small Steps?
- Small Steps is listed for grades 4–10. It appears on 4 book-award lists across 3 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read Small Steps?
- It takes about 3h 35m to read Small Steps (194 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 215 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign Small Steps?
- Small Steps appears on reading lists for Golden Kite Award, Mark Twain Readers Award, Vermont Golden Dome Book Award, and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is Small Steps banned in schools?
- Small Steps 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 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 4–10 — 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 3 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.