Cover of The Story of Mankind

The Story of Mankind

by Hendrik Willem van Loon · Grades 3–7 · Juvenile Nonfiction

The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loon is on US reading lists at grades 3–7. It appears on 1 list: the Newbery Medal. Every citation below links to the primary source.

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Before you buy: Grades 3–7 · 426 pages. The button opens the print edition (ISBN 9788728447635). 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).

On reading-award lists:Newbery Medal

This page shows where The Story of Mankind 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 3–7
Pages
426
Reading time
about 7h 50m (est.)
First published
1921
Genre
Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN-13
9788728447635

Sources: grade range from the cited lists below, last checked 2026-06-20; pages and year from our catalog record (sources); reading time is an estimate at 250 words a minute.

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New to these terms? Reading levels by grade · What is the Newbery Medal?

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Why it is assigned

This juvenile nonfiction title is typically read at grades 3–7. Written in the 1920s; cited on the Newbery Medal.

Where this book is recommended

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Common questions

What grade level is The Story of Mankind?
The Story of Mankind is listed for grades 3–7. It appears on 1 book-award list. Exact placement varies by school and district.
How long does it take to read The Story of Mankind?
It takes about 7h 50m to read The Story of Mankind (426 pages) at an average adult reading pace of about 250 words per minute — roughly 470 minutes. Faster or slower readers will vary; the estimate is a planning guide for assigning the book.
What curricula assign The Story of Mankind?
The Story of Mankind appears on reading lists for Newbery Medal. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is The Story of Mankind banned in schools?
The Story of Mankind 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

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 3–7 — drawn from the book-award lists citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 1 curriculum on this site (see “Where recommended” 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.

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