What grade level is Smoky the Cowhorse?

Smoky the Cowhorse is listed for grades 3–7. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.

What curricula assign Smoky the Cowhorse?

Smoky the Cowhorse appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is Smoky the Cowhorse banned in schools?

Smoky the Cowhorse 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.

Smoky the Cowhorse

Name: Smoky the Cowhorse
Availability: InStock
Author: Will James
ISBN: 9781416949411

by Will James · Grades 3–7 · Biography & Autobiography

Smoky the Cowhorse by Will James 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. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781416949411). 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 Smoky the Cowhorse 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
First published: 1926
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN-13: 9781416949411

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.

Good fit for grade 3?

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 · What is the Newbery Medal?

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Why it is assigned

This biography & autobiography title is typically read at grades 3–7. Written in the 1920s; cited on the Newbery Medal.

Where this book is recommended

Newbery Medal

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Common questions

What grade level is Smoky the Cowhorse?: Smoky the Cowhorse is listed for grades 3–7. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
What curricula assign Smoky the Cowhorse?: Smoky the Cowhorse appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Smoky the Cowhorse banned in schools?: Smoky the Cowhorse 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.