
The Babe and I
by David A. Adler · Grades 3–5 · Realistic Fiction
The Babe and I by David A. Adler is on US reading lists at grades 3–5. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 3 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
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Before you buy: Ages 8–10 · Grades 3–5. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780756965600). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Widely assigned — 3 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 The Babe and I 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 3–5
- Age range
- Ages 8–10
- First published
- 2004
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780756965600
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 3?
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New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
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About this book
Book facts and sources (3)
- On award reading lists
- Rhode Island Children's Book Award (source: olis.ri.gov)
- California Young Reader Medal (source: californiayoungreadermedal.org)
- Kentucky Bluegrass Award (source: kasl.us)
- Catalog record
- First published 2004 (source: how we source book data)
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Why widely assigned
This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 3–5. Written in the 2000s; cited on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists.
Where this book is recommended
California Young Reader Medal
- recommended·3rd grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2003 winner (Picture Books for Older Readers)
- recommended·4th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2003 winner (Picture Books for Older Readers)
- recommended·5th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2003 winner (Picture Books for Older Readers)
- recommended·6th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2003 winner (Picture Books for Older Readers)
- recommended·7th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2003 winner (Picture Books for Older Readers)
- recommended·8th grade · Californiasource: California Young Reader Medal past winners, 2003 winner (Picture Books for Older Readers)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
- recommended·3rd grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 2001 winner (3-5)
- recommended·4th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 2001 winner (3-5)
- recommended·5th grade · Kentuckysource: Kentucky Association of School Librarians — Kentucky Bluegrass Award Winner's Circle, 2001 winner (3-5)
Rhode Island Children's Book Award
- recommended·3rd grade · Rhode Islandsource: Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) — Rhode Island Children's Book Award winners and nominees 1991-2025 — 2002 winner
- recommended·4th grade · Rhode Islandsource: Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) — Rhode Island Children's Book Award winners and nominees 1991-2025 — 2002 winner
- recommended·5th grade · Rhode Islandsource: Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) — Rhode Island Children's Book Award winners and nominees 1991-2025 — 2002 winner
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Babe and I?
- The Babe and I is listed for grades 3–5. It appears on 3 state book-award lists across 3 states, from grade 3 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- What curricula assign The Babe and I?
- The Babe and I appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Kentucky Bluegrass Award, Rhode Island Children's Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Babe and I banned in schools?
- The Babe and I 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. See the banned books list by state.
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 3–5 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 3 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.