What grade level is The Junkyard Dog?

The Junkyard Dog is listed for grades 3–5. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states, from grade 3 to grade 6. Exact placement varies by school and district.

How long does it take to read The Junkyard Dog?

It takes about 3h 25m to read The Junkyard Dog (185 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 205 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.

What curricula assign The Junkyard Dog?

The Junkyard Dog appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

Is The Junkyard Dog banned in schools?

The Junkyard Dog 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.

What themes does The Junkyard Dog explore?

Central themes in The Junkyard Dog include stepfamily, stories, pets, stepfathers.

The Junkyard Dog

Name: The Junkyard Dog
Availability: InStock
Author: Erika Tamar
ISBN: 9780590109024

by Erika Tamar · Grades 3–5 · Realistic Fiction

The Junkyard Dog by Erika Tamar is on US reading lists at grades 3–5. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Ages 8–10 · Grades 3–5 · 185 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9780590109024). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.

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Assigned across 2 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).

On reading-award lists:California Young Reader Medal Virginia Readers' Choice

This page shows where The Junkyard Dog 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
Pages: 185
Reading time: about 3h 25m (est.)
First published: 1997
Genre: Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13: 9780590109024

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.

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About this book

Book facts and sources (2)

On award reading lists: California Young Reader Medal (source: californiayoungreadermedal.org)
Virginia Readers' Choice (source: vslatoday.org)
Catalog record: First published 1997 · 185 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)

Similar grade-level books

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

Why it is assigned

This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 3–5. Written in the 1990s; pairs with curriculum units on stepfamily and stories; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.

Themes

stepfamily · stories · pets · stepfathers

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is The Junkyard Dog?: The Junkyard Dog is listed for grades 3–5. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states, from grade 3 to grade 6. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read The Junkyard Dog?: It takes about 3h 25m to read The Junkyard Dog (185 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 205 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Junkyard Dog?: The Junkyard Dog appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Virginia Readers' Choice. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Junkyard Dog banned in schools?: The Junkyard Dog 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.
What themes does The Junkyard Dog explore?: Central themes in The Junkyard Dog include stepfamily, stories, pets, stepfathers.

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 3–5 — drawn from the state book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment: Cited in 2 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: book-club.