
The Best School Year Ever
by Barbara Robinson
The Best School Year Ever by Barbara Robinson is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 3 curriculum references and 3 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.
This page shows where The Best School Year Ever is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Grade range
- Grades 3–6
- Age range
- Ages 8–12
- First published
- 2011
- Genre
- Humor
- ISBN-13
- 9780062089953
Where to find this book
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About this book
The outrageous Herdman kids return when the class is assigned to find one good quality in each of them — easier said than done. (Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award winner.)
Why widely assigned
This Humor title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on humor and family; cited across 3 curriculum frameworks.
Where this book is assigned
Iowa Children's Choice Award
- recommended·3rd grade · Iowasource: Iowa Children's Choice Award winners (Iowa Association of School Librarians), via Goodreads award record — 1997
- recommended·4th grade · Iowasource: Iowa Children's Choice Award winners (Iowa Association of School Librarians), via Goodreads award record — 1997
- recommended·5th grade · Iowasource: Iowa Children's Choice Award winners (Iowa Association of School Librarians), via Goodreads award record — 1997
- recommended·6th grade · Iowasource: Iowa Children's Choice Award winners (Iowa Association of School Librarians), via Goodreads award record — 1997
Nebraska Golden Sower Award
- recommended·3rd grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)
- recommended·4th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)
- recommended·5th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)
- recommended·6th grade · Nebraskasource: Nebraska Library Association — Golden Sower Award (student-choice; Honeybee grades 3-5 + Meadowlark grades 6-9; annual since 1981)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Illinoissource: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)
- recommended·5th grade · Illinoissource: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)
- recommended·6th grade · Illinoissource: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award — official winners list (Illinois grades 4-8, voted annually since 1988)
Similar grade-level books
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
Charlotte's WebE.B. White · 680L
The Hunger GamesSuzanne Collins · 810L
MatildaRoald Dahl · 840L
See all books like The Best School Year Ever→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is The Best School Year Ever?
- The Best School Year Ever is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–6. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
- What curricula assign The Best School Year Ever?
- The Best School Year Ever appears on reading lists for Iowa Children's Choice Award, Nebraska Golden Sower Award, Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Best School Year Ever banned in schools?
- The Best School Year Ever 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 The Best School Year Ever explore?
- Central themes in The Best School Year Ever include humor, family, school. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.
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
- Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
- Grade band
- Grades 3–6 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 3 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Cited in 3 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.