The Cricket in Times Square
by George Selden
The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden is assigned in US schools at grades 3–5, with a Lexile measure of 780L. 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 Cricket in Times Square is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
- Lexile
- 780L
- Grade range
- Grades 3–5
- Difficulty for grade
- Within the grade 2–3 band (420–820L)
- Age range
- Ages 8–11
- Pages
- 144
- Reading time
- about 2h 40m (est.)
- First published
- 1960
- Genre
- Middle Grade Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780312380038
Reading difficulty: At 780L, The Cricket in Times Square 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
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About this book
A country cricket named Chester lands in a Times Square subway station and befriends a mouse, a cat, and a boy who runs a failing newsstand. Selden's Newbery Honor novel appears on state-recommended 3rd-5th grade reading lists.
Why widely assigned
This Middle Grade Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 3–5. Written in the 1960s; pairs with curriculum units on friendship and unlikely kindness; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
friendship · unlikely kindness · city life · music
Where this book is assigned
Common Core State Standards (ELA)
Similar grade-level books
Charlotte's WebE.B. White · 680L
MatildaRoald Dahl · 840L
The BFGRoald Dahl · 720L
Bridge to TerabithiaKatherine Paterson · 810L
See all books like The Cricket in Times Square→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Common questions
- What grade level is The Cricket in Times Square?
- The Cricket in Times Square is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 3–5, with a Lexile measure of 780L. 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 The Cricket in Times Square?
- The Cricket in Times Square has a Lexile measure of 780L 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 The Cricket in Times Square?
- It takes about 2h 40m to read The Cricket in Times Square (144 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 160 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- Is The Cricket in Times Square hard to read for 3rd grade?
- At 780L, The Cricket in Times Square 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 The Cricket in Times Square?
- The Cricket in Times Square 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
- 780L — 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
- 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
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.