Stone Fox
by John Reynolds Gardiner
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5, with a Lexile measure of 550L. 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 Stone Fox is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 550L
- Grade range
- Grades 3–5
- Difficulty for grade
- Within the grade 2–3 band (420–820L)
- Age range
- Ages 8–11
- Pages
- 96
- Reading time
- about 1h 45m (est.)
- First published
- 1980
- Genre
- Middle Grade Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780064401326
Reading difficulty: At 550L, Stone Fox falls within the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 3rd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge.
Where to find this book
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
Ten-year-old Little Willy enters a Wyoming dog sled race to win $500 to save the family farm, up against the legendary Native American musher Stone Fox. Gardiner's short novel has a devastating ending and is a fixture of 3rd-5th grade read-alouds.
Why widely assigned
This Middle Grade Fiction title, reads at early-reader complexity, typically at grades 3–5. Written in the 1980s; pairs with curriculum units on family and determination; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
family · determination · sacrifice · loss
Content notes
death of a beloved animal · poverty
Common Sense Media recommends age 8+.
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
Similar grade-level books
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Common questions
- What grade level is Stone Fox?
- Stone Fox is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5, with a Lexile measure of 550L. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What is the Lexile level of Stone Fox?
- Stone Fox has a Lexile measure of 550L according to MetaMetrics. Lexile measures text complexity, not content maturity — check the grade range and content notes separately for age-appropriateness.
- How long does it take to read Stone Fox?
- It takes about 1h 45m to read Stone Fox (96 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 105 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is Stone Fox hard to read for 3rd grade?
- At 550L, Stone Fox falls within the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 3rd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a grade-appropriate reading challenge. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
- What curricula assign Stone Fox?
- Stone Fox appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Why this book is on this list
Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.
- Lexile measure
- 550L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
- Grade band
- Grades 3–5 — 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
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.