The Sign Painter
by Allen Say · Grades 2–3 · Realistic Fiction
The Sign Painter by Allen Say is assigned in US schools at grades 2–3. It appears on 1 list: the Common Core State Standards (ELA). Every citation below links to the primary source.
Before you buy: Ages 7–8 · Grades 2–3. The button opens the paperback edition (ISBN 9780544105140). If the class uses a set edition or translation, match its ISBN first.
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Assigned across 1 curriculum list
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 Sign Painter 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 2–3
- Age range
- Ages 7–8
- First published
- 2000
- Genre
- Realistic Fiction
- ISBN-13
- 9780544105140
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 2?
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Why it is assigned
This realistic fiction title is typically read at grades 2–3. Written in the 2000s; cited on the Common Core State Standards (ELA).
Where this book is assigned
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Common questions
- What grade level is The Sign Painter?
- The Sign Painter is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 2–3. It appears on 1 school reading list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
- What curricula assign The Sign Painter?
- The Sign Painter appears on reading lists for Common Core State Standards (ELA). Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
- Is The Sign Painter banned in schools?
- The Sign 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. 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 2–3 — drawn from the curriculum sources cited on this page.
- 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
- No seasonal or program-specific tags on this book.