The Matchlock Gun
by Walter Dumaux Edmonds · Grades 3–7 · Children's stories
The Matchlock Gun by Walter Dumaux Edmonds is on US reading lists at grades 3–7. It appears on 1 list: the Newbery Medal. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Grades 3–7. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780780767447). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Assigned across 1 curriculum list
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 Matchlock Gun 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 3–7
- First published
- 1941
- Genre
- Children's stories
- ISBN-13
- 9780780767447
Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.
Good fit for grade 3?
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 · What is the Newbery Medal?
More formats & details
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Why it is assigned
This children's stories title is typically read at grades 3–7. Written in the 1940s; cited on the Newbery Medal.
Where this book is recommended
Newbery Medal
- recommended·3rd gradesource: Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1942 Newbery Medal winner
- recommended·4th gradesource: Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1942 Newbery Medal winner
- recommended·5th gradesource: Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1942 Newbery Medal winner
- recommended·6th gradesource: Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1942 Newbery Medal winner
- recommended·7th gradesource: Newbery Medal (American Library Association), via Wikipedia — 1942 Newbery Medal winner
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Matchlock Gun?
- The Matchlock Gun is listed for grades 3–7. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- What curricula assign The Matchlock Gun?
- The Matchlock Gun appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Matchlock Gun banned in schools?
- The Matchlock Gun 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 3–7 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
- Curriculum alignment
- Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” above for primary-source links).
- State-level evidence
- Not yet documented in a state-level framework on this site.
- Removal / banning records
- No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
- Seasonal / contextual tags
- Tagged for: award-winner.