The Million Dollar Kick
by Dan Gutman
Assigned across 1 curriculum list · 1 state
The Million Dollar Kick by Dan Gutman is assigned in US schools at grades 4–6. 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 Million Dollar Kick is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.
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- Grade range
- Grades 4–6
- Age range
- Ages 9–11
- Pages
- 202
- Reading time
- about 3h 40m (est.)
- First published
- 2001
- Genre
- Sports Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780786852109
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
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About this book
Thirteen-year-old Whisper, who hates sports, is torn when she gets a chance to win a million dollars by kicking a goal against a local soccer hero.
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Why widely assigned
This Sports Fiction title, typically at grades 4–6. Written in the 2000s; pairs with curriculum units on contests and soccer; cited across 1 curriculum framework.
Themes
contests · soccer · contests in fiction · sports in fiction
Where this book is assigned
Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award
- recommended·4th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award — Maryland's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-63-520): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·5th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award — Maryland's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-63-520): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
- recommended·6th grade · Marylandsource: Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award — Maryland's statewide children's-choice reading program (grades 4-63-520): students read the annual nominees and vote for their favorite. Winner list verified from the award's published record.
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Million Dollar Kick?
- The Million Dollar Kick is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–6. 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 Million Dollar Kick?
- It takes about 3h 40m to read The Million Dollar Kick (202 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 220 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Million Dollar Kick?
- The Million Dollar Kick appears on reading lists for Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Million Dollar Kick banned in schools?
- The Million Dollar Kick 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 Million Dollar Kick explore?
- Central themes in The Million Dollar Kick include contests, soccer, contests in fiction, sports in fiction. 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 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 4–6 — 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.