Cover of The Butterfly

The Butterfly

by Patricia Polacco

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Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state

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:Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania)

The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco is assigned in US schools at grades 3–6. It appears across 1 curriculum reference and 1 state, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Butterfly 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 8–11
Pages
48
Reading time
about 55 minutes (est.)
First published
1972
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780399231704

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

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About this book

During the Nazi occupation of France, Monique's mother hides a Jewish family in her basement and tries to help them escape to freedom.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Butterfly→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 3–6. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on jews and france; cited across 1 curriculum framework.

Themes

jews · france · world war, 1939-1945 · history

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Butterfly?
The Butterfly 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.
How long does it take to read The Butterfly?
It takes about 55 minutes to read The Butterfly (48 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 55 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Butterfly?
The Butterfly appears on reading lists for Mountain Laurel Book Award (Pennsylvania). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Butterfly banned in schools?
The Butterfly 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 Butterfly explore?
Central themes in The Butterfly include jews, france, world war, 1939-1945, history. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

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 3–6 — 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
Cited in 1 state ELA framework or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.

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