
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn
by Sally J. Pla · Grades 4–7
The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn by Sally J. Pla is on US reading lists at grades 4–7. It appears on 3 lists: 3 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Grades 4–7. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9781536486841). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Widely assigned — 3 curriculum lists · 2 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 Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn 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 4–7
- First published
- 2024
- ISBN-13
- 9781536486841
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 4?
If you have read it with a child or a class in this grade, tell other parents and teachers. One tap, no account.
New to these terms? Reading levels by grade
More formats & details
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About this book
Book facts and sources (3)
- Award won
- Schneider Family Book Award, 2024 (source: Wikipedia)
- On award reading lists
- Virginia Readers' Choice (source: vslatoday.org)
- South Carolina Junior Book Award (source: scasl.net)
- Catalog record
- First published 2024 (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee · 870L
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The OutsidersS.E. Hinton · 750L
The Diary of a Young GirlAnne Frank · 1080L
See all books like The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Where this book is recommended
Schneider Family Book Award
- recommended·4th gradesource: Schneider Family Book Award winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2024 Schneider Family Book Award
- recommended·5th gradesource: Schneider Family Book Award winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2024 Schneider Family Book Award
- recommended·6th gradesource: Schneider Family Book Award winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2024 Schneider Family Book Award
- recommended·7th gradesource: Schneider Family Book Award winners (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 2024 Schneider Family Book Award
South Carolina Junior Book Award
- recommended·6th grade · South Carolinasource: South Carolina Junior Book Award (South Carolina Association of School Librarians) — 2025-26 nominee (grades 6-8), read + voted by South Carolina students; nominee list via studySC / SC State Library + SCASL
- recommended·7th grade · South Carolinasource: South Carolina Junior Book Award (South Carolina Association of School Librarians) — 2025-26 nominee (grades 6-8), read + voted by South Carolina students; nominee list via studySC / SC State Library + SCASL
Virginia Readers' Choice
- recommended·6th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 2025-2026 winner (Middle)
- recommended·7th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 2025-2026 winner (Middle)
- recommended·8th grade · Virginiasource: Virginia Readers' Choice past winners, 2025-2026 winner (Middle)
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn?
- The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn is listed for grades 4–7. It appears on 3 book-award lists across 2 states, from grade 4 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- What curricula assign The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn?
- The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn appears on reading lists for Schneider Family Book Award, South Carolina Junior Book Award, Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn banned in schools?
- The Fire, the Water, and Maudie McGinn 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.
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 4–7 — drawn from the 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 2 states (see citations above).
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: award-winner, book-club.