Cover of The Mouse and the Motorcycle

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

by Beverly Cleary

Among the most widely assigned — 5 curriculum lists · 8 states

On reading-award lists:Nēnē Award (Hawai'i)Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Choice AwardWilliam Allen White Children's Book AwardGreat Stone Face Book Award

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary is assigned in US schools at grades 2–4, with a Lexile measure of 860L. It appears across 5 curriculum references and 8 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The Mouse and the Motorcycle 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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Lexile
860L
Grade range
Grades 2–4
Difficulty for grade
Above the grade 2–3 band (420–820L)
Age range
Ages 7–10
Pages
192
Reading time
about 3h 30m (est.)
First published
1965
Genre
Middle Grade Fiction
ISBN-13
9780380709243

Reading difficulty: At 860L, The Mouse and the Motorcycle reads above the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 2nd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a stretch text that may need scaffolding for the youngest assigned readers.

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New to these terms? What is a Lexile level? · Reading levels by grade

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About this book

A mouse named Ralph befriends a boy at a mountain hotel and discovers he can ride the boy's toy motorcycle if he makes motor noises. Cleary's Newbery-honored novel is a staple early-chapter-book assignment in 2nd-4th grade.

Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Mouse and the Motorcycle→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Middle Grade Fiction title, reads at middle-grade prose complexity, typically at grades 2–4. Written in the 1960s; pairs with curriculum units on friendship and responsibility; cited across 5 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

friendship · responsibility · coming of age · adventure

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Mouse and the Motorcycle?
The Mouse and the Motorcycle is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–4, with a Lexile measure of 860L. 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 Mouse and the Motorcycle?
The Mouse and the Motorcycle has a Lexile measure of 860L 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 Mouse and the Motorcycle?
It takes about 3h 30m to read The Mouse and the Motorcycle (192 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 210 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
Is The Mouse and the Motorcycle hard to read for 2nd grade?
At 860L, The Mouse and the Motorcycle reads above the typical 420–820L text-complexity range for 2nd grade (Common Core Appendix A) — a stretch text that may need scaffolding for the youngest assigned readers. Lexile measures text complexity, not thematic maturity — check the content notes for age-appropriateness separately.
What curricula assign The Mouse and the Motorcycle?
The Mouse and the Motorcycle appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA), Great Stone Face Book Award, Nēnē Award (Hawai'i), and 2 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.

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
860L — sourced from MetaMetrics’ Lexile Hub.
Grade band
Grades 2–4 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 5 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 8 states ELA frameworks 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, summer.

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