Cover of The People's Painter

The People's Painter

by Cynthia Levinson

The People's Painter by Cynthia Levinson is assigned in US schools at grades 2–5. It appears across 1 curriculum reference, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where The People's Painter is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 2–5
Pages
48
Reading time
about 55 minutes (est.)
First published
2021
ISBN-13
9781647003203
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About this book

A lyrically told, exquisitely illustrated biography of influential Jewish artist and activist Ben Shahn “The first thing I can remember,” Ben said, “I drew.” As an observant child growing up in Lithuania, Ben Shahn yearns to draw everything he sees—and, after seeing his father banished by the Czar for demanding workers’ rights, he develops a keen sense of justice, too. So when Ben and the rest of his family make their way to America, Ben brings both his sharp artistic eye and his desire to fight for what’s right. As he grows, he speaks for justice through his art—by disarming classmates who bully him because he’s Jewish, by defying his teachers’ insistence that he paint beautiful landscapes rather than true stories, by urging the US government to pass Depression-era laws to help people fin

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The People's Painter?
The People's Painter is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–5. 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 People's Painter?
It takes about 55 minutes to read The People's Painter (48 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 55 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The People's Painter?
The People's Painter appears on reading lists for Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The People's Painter banned in schools?
The People's Painter 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

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 2–5 — 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
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.