
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read
by Rita Lorraine Hubbard · Grades 3–6 · Nonfiction
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard is on US reading lists at grades 3–6. It appears on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists, across 2 states. Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 8–11 · Grades 3–6 · 21 pages. The button opens the hardcover edition (ISBN 9781524768287). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
Listen free on Audiblestarts instantlyPrefer an independent bookstore? Buy it on Bookshop.org →
Audible trial: new members only. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. ReadingList also earns a commission from Bookshop.org purchases, which supports independent bookstores.
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).
This page shows where The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read 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 3–6
- Age range
- Ages 8–11
- Pages
- 21
- Reading time
- about 25 minutes (est.)
- First published
- 2020
- Genre
- Nonfiction
- ISBN-13
- 9781524768287
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 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
More formats & details
Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook
As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases and membership trials at no extra cost to you. Pricing, Prime, and trial terms shown on Amazon.
More like this
Same grade band, chosen by theme and by how many reading lists carry them. As an Amazon Associate, ReadingList earns from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Narwhal: Unicorn of the ArcticCandace FlemingAlso Nonfiction · on 2 reading lists
Grades 3–6 · 26 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Brother Eagle, Sister SkySusan JeffersAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 4–8 · 36 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Destiny Finds Her Way: How a Rescued Baby Sloth Learned to Be WildMargarita EngleAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–6
Check price on Amazon →
Her Right FootDave EggersAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–8 · 55 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the WildernessDonn FendlerAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 4–8 · 73 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Minty: A Story of Young Harriet TubmanAlan SchroederAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 4–8
Check price on Amazon →
Sergeant RecklessPatricia McCormickAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–8 · 40 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Dark!: Wild Life in the Mysterious World of CavesLindsey LeighAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–7 · 100 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Elephants Come HomeKim TomsicAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–8 · 70 pages
Check price on Amazon →
The Fire of StarsKirsten W. LarsonAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 4–8
Check price on Amazon →
The Penguin of Ilha Grande: From Animal Rescue to Extraordinary FriendshipShannon EarleAlso Nonfiction · on 1 reading list
Grades 3–5 · 35 pages
Check price on Amazon →
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's LibraryChris GrabensteinSame grade band · on 25 reading lists
Grades 4–6 · 338 pages
Check price on Amazon →
About this book
Book facts and sources (2)
- On award reading lists
- Rhode Island Children's Book Award (source: olis.ri.gov)
- Texas Bluebonnet Award (source: txla.org)
- Catalog record
- First published 2020 · 21 pages (edition lengths vary) (source: how we source book data)
Similar grade-level books
The GiverLois Lowry · 760L
The Hunger GamesSuzanne Collins · 810L
HatchetGary Paulsen · 1020L
Charlotte's WebE.B. White · 680L
See all books like The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read→ — matched on theme + reading level.
Why it is assigned
This nonfiction title is typically read at grades 3–6. Written in the 2020s; cited on 2 lists: 2 book-award lists.
Where this book is recommended
Rhode Island Children's Book Award
- recommended·3rd grade · Rhode Islandsource: Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) — Rhode Island Children's Book Award winners and nominees 1991-2025 — 2022 winner
- recommended·4th grade · Rhode Islandsource: Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) — Rhode Island Children's Book Award winners and nominees 1991-2025 — 2022 winner
- recommended·5th grade · Rhode Islandsource: Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) — Rhode Island Children's Book Award winners and nominees 1991-2025 — 2022 winner
Texas Bluebonnet Award
- recommended·3rd grade · Texassource: Texas Library Association — Texas Bluebonnet Award past winners, 2022 winner (grades 3-6)
- recommended·4th grade · Texassource: Texas Library Association — Texas Bluebonnet Award past winners, 2022 winner (grades 3-6)
- recommended·5th grade · Texassource: Texas Library Association — Texas Bluebonnet Award past winners, 2022 winner (grades 3-6)
- recommended·6th grade · Texassource: Texas Library Association — Texas Bluebonnet Award past winners, 2022 winner (grades 3-6)
Did you find what you were looking for?
Thank you. We read every answer and use it to improve this site.
Common questions
- What grade level is The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read?
- The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read is listed for grades 3–6. It appears on 2 state book-award lists across 2 states. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- How long does it take to read The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read?
- It takes about 25 minutes to read The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read (21 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 25 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
- What curricula assign The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read?
- The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read appears on reading lists for Rhode Island Children's Book Award, Texas Bluebonnet Award. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read banned in schools?
- The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read 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.
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 3–6 — 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.