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The Pinballs

by Betsy Cromer Byars

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Among the most widely assigned — 5 curriculum lists · 5 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).

On reading-award lists:California Young Reader MedalWilliam Allen White Children's Book AwardWisconsin Golden Archer AwardMark Twain Readers Award+1 more

The Pinballs by Betsy Cromer Byars is assigned in US schools at grades 4–6. It appears across 5 curriculum references and 5 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 Pinballs 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 4–6
Age range
Ages 9–11
Pages
137
Reading time
about 2h 30m (est.)
First published
1977
Genre
Realistic Fiction
ISBN-13
9780062239440

New to these terms? Reading levels by grade

More formats & details

Other formats on Amazon: Kindle · Audiobook

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Similar grade-level books

See all books like The Pinballs→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Why widely assigned

This Realistic Fiction title, typically at grades 4–6. Written in the 1970s; pairs with curriculum units on foster home care and friendship; cited across 5 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

foster home care · friendship · friendship in fiction · foster home care in fiction

Where this book is assigned

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Common questions

What grade level is The Pinballs?
The Pinballs is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–6. It appears on 5 school reading lists across 5 states, from grade 3 to grade 8. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read The Pinballs?
It takes about 2h 30m to read The Pinballs (137 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 150 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Pinballs?
The Pinballs appears on reading lists for California Young Reader Medal, Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award, Mark Twain Readers Award, and 2 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Pinballs banned in schools?
The Pinballs 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 Pinballs explore?
Central themes in The Pinballs include foster home care, friendship, friendship in fiction, foster home care in fiction.

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
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 5 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 5 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.

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